Nero

Featuring producers Dan Stephens and Joe Ray along with vocalist Alana Watson, London's Nero were born a straight drum'n'bass act, but they steadily evolved into a more layered affair, mixing dubstep beats with classic house music melodies and vocals. Formed in 2004 and signed to the Formation Records label that same year, the group released a series of drum'n'bass 12"s that would take them up to 2008. That year, the Audio Freaks label released their "This Way" single, marking their shift toward dubstep. The year 2009 would find them breaking through with their own hit single, "Act Like You Know," plus a hit remix of the Streets' "Blinded by the Lights." Remix work for Daft Punk, Deadmau5, and La Roux would follow, as would an award for Best Dubstep Act 2010 from the popular online music store Beatport. In late 2010, they placed in the Top 15 of the BBC's Sound of 2011 list. Also in 2011, Nero released their debut album, Welcome Reality, an ambitious concept album created as a score for a fictional film. Late in the year, the track "Reaching Out" with Daryl Hall on guest vocals was released as single. The year 2012 saw their remix of Michael Jackson's "Speed Demon" land on the 25th anniversary edition reissue of Bad, while their debut album was reissued as Welcome Reality + with the addition of two new tracks along with a remix of the single "Promises" from Skrillex. ~ David Jeffries, Rovi