Introducing Dustal Cell

I’m launching Dustal Cell — a boutique, vinyl focused label dedicated to electronic music with depth, an extension of my DJ curation not limited to any particular genre.

This campaign funds the first Dustal Cell record, and sets the stage for a sustainable financial foundation moving forward.

The first record: 2-Dust x ILLAMAN tunes plus 2- remixes by two UK underground dons…

The first record will feature two collaborations of mine with ILLAMAN, esteemed MC and rapper from London who also fronts the metal/punk/grime band Pengshui. Illa has been on the road as a mic man for Goldie, MistaJam, Flux Pavillion, Skream, Skism, N Type, DJ EZ, Danny Byrd and many more. He has worked with UK Hip Hop groups Foreign Beggars and Problem Child alongside pioneers Dabbla, Dubbledge and producer Sumgii while releasing a whole host of records.

Song #1 - Tube, although this song was released digitally in 2024 as part of his Offkey LP 2024, alongside heavyweights Sumgii, Footsie, Unkey and Cimm, we agreed it is a gem that deserves to be pressed onto vinyl. Hazy rave memories, an 808, and London Tube fragments contemplatively meshed with raw and potent verse, a collaboration that accidentally turned into a percy for us both. Video of the song below directed by Krupa:

Song #2 - Horror is a new song being finalized as I write; it's set up for ILLAMAN’S pen as a bit of broken beat/garage hybrid with more musique concrète, bird and insect sounds from my nature walks. I am excited to hear how it levels up after he syncs with it! Here is a clip of the instrumental to give an idea.

I am elated to announce that Benny iLL and Delian Sound will remix these tunes!

Song #3 - Benny Ill - Horror remix. Legend Benny Ill (Ben Garner) is a seminal British producer and DJ best known as a founding member of Horsepower Productions, pioneers of the dubstep genre. Based in Croydon, his work, often released on Tempa and featuring in influential sets at Forward>>, helped define the minimalist, sub-heavy "dark garage" sound.

It’s hard to overstate just how important the British label Tempa, widely considered the foundational record label that launched dubstep, originally co-founded by Neil Jolliffe and Sarah Lockhart in 2000. Their first LP release, In Fine Style by Horsepower Productions, was the label’s calling card. The record is credited with laying the blueprint for dubstep to come, and some say it was Neil alongside Benny Ill who actually coined the term dubstep.

Remarkably, Benny Ill was heavily involved in the label's first 9 releases:

TEMPA 001: Horsepower Productions - When You Hold Me / Let's Dance (2000)
TEMPA 002: Horsepower Productions - Gorgon Sound / Triple 7 (2000)
TEMPA 003: Horsepower Productions - Vigilante / What We Do (Remix) (2001)
TEMPA 004: *Dub War (1/2 Benny Ill) - Murderous Style / Generation (2001)
TEMPA 005: Horsepower Productions - Fist of Fury / To The Beat Y'all (2001)
TEMPA 006: Horsepower Productions - Smokin' / The Swindle (2002)
TEMPA 007: Benny Ill, Kode9 & The Culprit - Fat Larry's Skank (2002)
TEMPALP 001 Horsepower Productions - In Fine Style (2002)
TEMPA 008: Benny Ill v DJ Hatcha - Poison (2003)

Benny Ill and Horsepower Productions are credited with creating the foundational sound of dubstep, bridging the gap between UK Garage and dubstep.

Song #4 - Delian Sound - Tube remix. Delian Sound is a London-born, Cambridge-based producer known for creating music inspired by the early 2000s post-Garage and proto-Dubstep scene, and features samples from early electronic pioneers such as Delia Derbyshire and her contemporaries at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. His work features elements drawn from that formative period of dubstep, emphasizing deep bass and atmospheric textures.

His productions enjoy consistent airplay and support from leading DJs like Riz La Teef, Mia Koden, and Breaka. From high-energy sets in venues stretching from London to Prague to his meticulous studio productions, he continues to bridge the gap between early electronic experimentation and the modern dancefloor.

Recognized as a rising force, his productions and DJ sets pay homage to dubstep’s roots while also pushing its boundaries.

My personal favorite, have a listen to Delian Sound Dubs, a fundraiser for Hayat Humanitarian Aid and Doctors Without Borders.

With your help, the physical product will be 12” heavyweight records with full color artwork.

*Note the artwork shown here is for mockup purposes and subject to change. I will update the campaign with any new information as it unfolds.

The record will be manufactured in the UK via White Peach

Future releases will be select cuts from emerging talents and established veterans, from niche Soundsystem scenes around the world.

All releases will be tactile and soulful, with the full weight and value of authenticity and emotion, paying homage to the past while keeping it moving forward into further mutations.

Drawing from dubstep, grime, UKG, UK Funky, Bruk, Dub Techno, and other genres; sounds that are contemplative, dreamy, cosmic, percussive, hypnotic, mesmerizing, driving, heavy and beautiful.

Label Ethos:

Music with Depth. Fair Artist Compensation. Community & Respect. Sustainability & Integrity. Cultivate a respectful, supportive space where every artist and listener feels valued and heard. Inclusion. Celebrate and uplift diverse voices and identities.

Wild collaborations. Expand boundaries. Break the mold. Think outside the box. Shake things up.

If you want to hear some of the sounds I endorse, check out my blends playlist on YouTube or any of my full mixes on SoundCloud... LinkTree for all Dust things.

Why now? Why Kickstarter?

One year ago I created my logo with plans to launch Dustal Cell but I hesitated - I was short on resources and wondered if I would be able to complete the project fully and properly. Not wanting to let the artists I was bringing on be let down or disappointed, I panicked.

I learned my lesson though, it was that hesitation that caused me to miss out on the opportunity to sign several coveted songs, which have now been released elsewhere. Snooze you lose.

I also learned that by accepting being led by fear I was letting myself down, as if I didn’t believe in me.

I do believe in me, which is why that was so silly. I have tremendous confidence in my ability to identify talent, and facilitate or endorse the creation or presentation of great artworks.

Your support helps bring this label to life and builds a community around deep music without limitations.

While this is a passion project first, vinyl record labels operate with low to moderate profit margins, and those margins are what is needed to sustain the label and keep releasing high quality records. To keep it moving requires careful managing of financial resources.

Cost transparency- The breakdown of the target goal amount is as follows:

Artist Fees= $1400 -

Mixing and mastering= $500

Records, 300 x black heavyweight 12" with full colour centre labels in white paper sleeves slipped into a full colour 3mm outer jackets with 5 test pressings - $2410

Bulk ship 70 or so records from UK to USA for domestic fulfillment = $113

Shipping/fulfilling 100 records individually within UK/EU/ROW = $800-950

*Merch Production, Drop#1- 50 tees and 25 hoodies = $1100

*100% Premium Cotton, Limited Edition T-Shirts and Hoodies. Exclusive for this campaign, Dustal Cell first merch drop, limited quantities.Screen printed locally in Richmond, VA USA by Cam at MeansTm.com.

Shipping materials cost for merch = $60

$6,533 base total

It has been recommended to add 15% buffer for Kickstarter fees and unexpected expenses:$6,533 × 1.15 =$7,512

Suggested target goal: $7,500

I don't take this amount of money lightly. It is a big ask.

However, I have no intention or desire to be a one and done label, I am in it for longevity. The way I am thinking about this Kickstarter campaign is, give my raft a gentle shove away from the shore, and I’ll steady the ship:)

My life’s work has always been music, and this is the natural next step in my journey.

I am excited to provide this service for my music community friends, it is a role I am passionate about and excel in.

And with everything going on in the world, deep tangible art is more important than ever.

About Me:

I have over 40 years of experience in music as a drummer, composer, recording artist, in concerts and behind the scenes in A&R and connecting like minds. I have been involved in rock, punk, metal, hip hop, reggae, psychedelic afrobeat, drum n bass, dubstep, grime and others.

Music has been the pulse of my life since childhood. My father’s passion for music was extensive and diverse, and that early exposure facilitated a deep love for all types of music and shaped the musician and curator I am today.

I was 14 years old when I played my first professional gig, behind a drum kit at Richmond Virginia’s June Jubilee in 1984, with my brother and friends in our band Flat Stanley. We played college rock and gigged in the Southeastern United States for several years, releasing an album in 1987 which was remastered in 2025. We opened for bands such as Fishbone and once had Hootie and The Blowfish open for us before they blew up. Our video for “Second” aired on MTV and is up on YouTube.

Soon after, I drummed and co-composed in my band Breadwinner that became underground famous, influencing a generation of indie music, inspiring notables such as Lamb of God and Battles. We were art punk metal. We helped define math rock. In 2024, Decibel Magazine, the world's foremost heavy metal authority, honored our album The Burner with Hall of Fame induction and a 7-page retrospective. Perhaps the biggest compliment I have ever received is being told more than once that the music I took part in creating in Breadwinner changed the way that people thought about music. That’s wild.

Another project of mine from the 90s, Mao Tse Helen, resurfaced recently with two Bandcamp Daily features (Feb 2026). We were brash.

I released my first solo CD, Getting Warm on The Trail of Heat around 1996, which received a very favorable review in The Wire, a British music magazine publishing out of London, which has been issued monthly in print since 1982, with an emphasis on avant-garde and experimental music. My music for this was lo-tech and grainy. I have a Bandcamp page dedicated to all of my lo-tech musings since 1984 in one spot, https://chrisfarmer.bandcamp.com/

By 1997, my passion shifted toward electronic music, and I began producing drum & bass under the alias Crux. Life took a turn in 2000 — my first child was one when my wife was diagnosed with a serious illness — so after I managed to release an album in 2001, I shelved music completely to channel all of my energy into taking care of my family.

I got back involved in music for a couple of years around 2010, taking a break from office job life, performing solo by controlling sequences for my keyboards with an MPC2000 while drumming. I had a Novation synth and a Casio keyboard as my band, played about 10 gigs and released Live at Sound of Music in 2011.

Fast-forward to 2020: my rebirth as Dust opened new doors. PAV4N of Foreign Beggars signed me to 4NC¥//DARKMODE, where I released three EP’s and had the opportunity to sign my first artist to a label, New Delhi producer Darn.

Later, London-based DJ Slimzee — “the Godfather of Grime” — welcomed me to his label Slimzos Recordings, releasing a total of eight songs of mine and briefly appointing me as A&R (Artists and Repertoire - responsible for talent scouting and signing new artists)

I brought Darn with me and then signed ten more artists to Slimzos in the span of a month. The most gratifying signing was bringing on my fellow Virginia resident and friend Gordo Dubz, culminating in my first Dust release on vinyl, with my tune 1997 on the flip side of his underground sensation Ice Beaker VIP on Tiffany blue 10” dubplate in 2024.

As Dust, I’ve released nearly 60 tracks across eight labels, supported by DJs like J:Kenzo, DJ Slimzee, and Bunzer0. I’ve produced whatever feels right at the time, with nods to Dubstep, Grime, UKG, DnB, techno and ambient, not fitting neatly into a single category.

I was able to do a live set in Croatia in 2021 at Noise Test festival, thank you Medika for believing in me, and I made it to England in 2022 to meet and greet many of the people I had been meeting along the way including Chrissy Chapman, who ran socials for 4NC¥ as well as Sumgii, who mixed and mastered 11 of my songs and remixed one of my earliest tunes, Hazy Dub in 2021. Chrissy and I went to Outlook UK together that year in Cheshire, Northwest England.

I have been a natural curator my whole life, because it is a passion of mine to not only discover incredible music but also connect the dots and share it with those that I feel will also love it. So, once I was presented with the opportunity to hold a monthly show on London’s Subtle Radio for two years, connecting a variety of sounds from all corners of the underground, that is when I was able to stretch into the DJ role. Additionally, hosting it allowed me to grow on a personal level, as it was initially completely out of my comfort zone to speak into a microphone, especially knowing people from all over the world would be streaming it.

We’re living in a complicated time.

And in moments like this, art matters more than ever.

Music connects and grounds us.

Dustal Cell is about discovering incredible artists and sharing their work with people who truly want to hear it.

Thank you for your time, and for helping bring Dustal Cell to life!

Launching Dustal Cell Records: Deep Listening Dance Music

Comments (0)