Chase & Status are a British electronic duo formed by producers Saul Milton (Chase) and Will Kennard (Status). The project emerged in the early 2000s and became one of the most prominent British acts working at the intersection of drum & bass, jungle, dubstep, UK garage, electronic, grime and bass music.
Over the course of their career, Chase & Status have gone from underground drum & bass releases on RAM Records to major international festivals, multi-million streaming figures and number-one positions on the UK charts. Their discography includes More Than Alot, No More Idols, Brand New Machine, Tribe, RTRN II JUNGLE, What Came Before, 2 RUFF, Vol. 1 and the album Generic Everything, while their best-known tracks include End Credits, Blind Faith, Time, Lost & Not Found, Alive, Baddadan, Disconnect and BACKBONE.
Chase & Status members
The duo consists of:
- Saul Milton — Chase, producer and DJ;
- Will Kennard — Status, producer and DJ.
Vocalists, MCs and live musicians have also appeared with Chase & Status throughout their concert history, but Milton and Kennard have remained the core of the project for its entire career.
Meeting and forming the project
Saul Milton and Will Kennard first met in London through a mutual friend and later crossed paths again while studying in Manchester.
Kennard studied History of Art at the University of Manchester, while Milton studied English and humanities at Manchester Metropolitan University. Music gradually took up an increasingly important place in their lives, and both began spending significant amounts of time producing.
Chase & Status formed around 2003.
Early influences
The early musical taste of Chase & Status was strongly influenced by British rave culture of the 1990s, as well as jungle and drum & bass.
Artists who played an important role in their musical development included The Prodigy, Orbital and figures from the first wave of British jungle.
Milton and Kennard were initially focused mainly on underground drum & bass, although their interest in hip-hop, reggae, dub, rock and vocal electronic music was already evident at an early stage.
First releases
One of the duo’s early tracks was Love's Theme, released on DJ Zinc’s label Bingo Beats.
Chase & Status began receiving support from British radio stations and DJs, followed by further drum & bass releases.
The duo gradually became closely associated with RAM Records, one of the most influential labels in the history of drum & bass.
Hurt You, Take Me Away and early club hits
During the second half of the 2000s, Chase & Status began appearing regularly in the British drum & bass charts.
In 2007, the double single Hurt You / Sell Me Your Soul achieved notable success, followed a year later by Take Me Away / Judgement (Informer).
These releases cemented the duo’s reputation within the drum & bass scene and laid the groundwork for their debut album.
More Than Alot
In October 2008, Chase & Status released their debut album More Than Alot on RAM Records.
The record combined drum & bass, dubstep, breakbeat and elements of urban music. Plan B, Kano, Takura and other vocalists appeared on the album.
One of its standout tracks was Pieces featuring Plan B. The track helped expand the project’s audience beyond the specialist drum & bass scene.
The album also included Take Me Away, Hurt You, Against All Odds, Eastern Jam and other early material.
Eastern Jam and an interest in dubstep
One of the key tracks from the duo’s early period was Eastern Jam.
Unlike most of their drum & bass catalogue, the track was built around a slower dubstep groove and heavy bass.
Eastern Jam showed that Chase & Status had no intention of limiting themselves to a single genre. Dubstep would later become an important part of their sound, especially on their early-2010s albums.
End Credits and Plan B
The duo’s real mainstream breakthrough came in 2009 with the release of End Credits featuring British singer and rapper Plan B.
The track was used in the film Harry Brown and reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart.
End Credits retained a drum & bass structure but was built around a complete song form and an emotional vocal performance.
The success of the track showed that heavy British bass music could work not only in clubs, but also as a mainstream radio single.
No More Idols
In January 2011, Chase & Status released their second studio album, No More Idols.
The record became one of the duo’s biggest commercial successes and firmly established them beyond the drum & bass underground.
The album combined drum & bass, dubstep, rock, electronic and British urban music. Contributors included:
- Plan B;
- Liam Bailey;
- Delilah;
- Tinie Tempah;
- Tempa T;
- CeeLo Green;
- Dizzee Rascal;
- White Lies;
- Sub Focus.
Blind Faith
One of Chase & Status’s best-known tracks is Blind Faith, featuring vocals from Liam Bailey.
The song combined drum & bass and rave aesthetics with a powerful soul vocal. In 2011, Blind Faith reached number five on the UK Singles Chart.
The track became one of the duo’s most recognizable releases and an important example of classic rave aesthetics returning to British pop culture in the early 2010s.
Time
Another important track from No More Idols was Time, featuring singer Delilah.
Unlike the album’s more aggressive material, Time is built around emotional vocals and melodic drum & bass production.
The track entered the UK Top 40 and became one of Chase & Status’s best-known vocal releases.
Hypest Hype and the heavier side of Chase & Status
Hypest Hype, featuring grime MC Tempa T, showed the opposite side of the album.
Aggressive rhythms, grime vocals and an energy close to live rave performances take centre stage.
The contrast between Time, Blind Faith and Hypest Hype clearly illustrates a central Chase & Status principle: different forms of British bass music can coexist within a single project without the need to remain inside one strict genre.
Brand New Machine
In October 2013, Chase & Status released their third album, Brand New Machine.
The record continued to broaden the duo’s stylistic range, combining drum & bass, dubstep, house, soul and elements of electronic pop.
The album reached number two on the UK chart and became one of the duo’s most successful releases.
Contributors included Moko, Pusha T, Nile Rodgers, Jacob Banks, Louis M^ttrs, Elli Ingram and other artists.
Lost & Not Found
One of the main singles from Brand New Machine was Lost & Not Found featuring Louis M^ttrs.
The track is built around melodic vocals and a large-scale drum & bass arrangement and became one of the duo’s most recognizable releases of the mid-2010s.
Count on Me
Another notable single was Count on Me featuring singer Moko.
The track reflects influences from house and 1990s British rave music. It continued the Chase & Status tradition of combining heavy electronic production with a vocal song structure.
Alive
At the end of 2013, Chase & Status released Alive featuring vocals from Jacob Banks.
The track combined powerful drum & bass rhythms with soul vocals and became one of the key live tracks from the Brand New Machine era.
Tribe
In August 2017, Chase & Status released their fourth studio album, Tribe.
Once again, the duo brought together several areas of the British electronic scene. Drum & bass sits alongside grime, dancehall, hip-hop and more experimental bass music.
Contributors included Shy FX, Kiko Bun, Emeli Sandé, Blossoms, Kano, Novelist and other artists.
The album reached number seven on the UK chart.
Control
One of the notable releases from the Tribe period was Control featuring Slaves.
The track combined the electronic rhythms of Chase & Status with the aggressive punk and rock energy of the British duo.
Collaborations like this once again underlined that rock influences remained part of the Chase & Status aesthetic even after many years working within drum & bass.
RTRN II JUNGLE
In June 2019, Chase & Status released RTRN II JUNGLE.
The title directly reflected the concept of the project: a return to the roots of jungle and early British rave culture.
While creating the material, the duo drew on reggae, dancehall and sound-system culture, traditions that historically played a crucial role in the emergence of jungle.
The album marked a noticeable move away from the broader crossover sound of their previous records and once again placed drum & bass and jungle at the centre of Chase & Status’s music.
Program and Heater
During the RTRN II JUNGLE period, two particularly notable tracks were Program featuring Irah and Heater featuring General Levy.
Both tracks highlighted the direct connection between the new material and British jungle and sound-system traditions.
What Came Before
In June 2022, Chase & Status released their sixth studio album, What Came Before.
The album brought together different stages of the duo’s history. It includes drum & bass, jungle, UK garage and more melodic electronic music.
Contributors included Becky Hill, Unknown T, Clementine Douglas, Ethan Holt, Takura and other vocalists.
The album reached number four on the UK Albums Chart.
Don't Be Scared
One of the central tracks on What Came Before was Don't Be Scared featuring Takura.
The track continued Chase & Status’s long-running collaboration with the vocalist, who had already appeared on the duo’s early material.
Mixed Emotions
Another important track from the period was Mixed Emotions.
The song demonstrates the more melodic side of Chase & Status and shows that even after returning to jungle, the duo had not abandoned emotional vocal electronic music.
Boiler Room 2023
A major new phase in Chase & Status’s popularity began in 2023.
Their Boiler Room performance in London was particularly important. The recording spread quickly across social media and introduced a new generation of listeners to the duo’s harder drum & bass side.
The set coincided with another surge of interest in drum & bass within British mainstream culture.
Baddadan
In July 2023, Chase & Status teamed up with producer Bou to release Baddadan.
The track featured Flowdan, IRAH, Trigga and Takura.
It combined drum & bass with dancehall and sound-system aesthetics and became one of the biggest hits in Chase & Status’s career.
Baddadan reached number five on the UK Singles Chart and spent ten weeks in the UK Top 10.
The track became one of the key releases in the new wave of commercial interest in drum & bass in the United Kingdom.
Disconnect with Becky Hill
Also in 2023, Chase & Status released Disconnect with British singer Becky Hill.
The track combined powerful drum & bass production with a major pop vocal and received strong radio and streaming support.
Disconnect reinforced the duo’s ability to operate simultaneously within the rave scene and British pop music.
Liquor & Cigarettes
Another major 2023 release was Liquor & Cigarettes, recorded with Hedex and rapper ArrDee.
The track brought together several generations of the British bass scene and demonstrated Chase & Status’s close connection with a new generation of drum & bass producers.
2 RUFF, Vol. 1
In November 2023, Chase & Status released 2 RUFF, Vol. 1.
The project consists of ten tracks and focuses primarily on drum & bass, jungle and sound-system music.
It includes Baddadan, Liquor & Cigarettes, Selecta, Say the Word and other tracks.
2 RUFF, Vol. 1 reached number four on the UK Albums Chart and became one of the most successful drum & bass releases of the period.
Four tracks simultaneously in the UK Top 40
At the end of 2023, Chase & Status simultaneously had four tracks in the UK Top 40:
- Baddadan;
- Disconnect;
- Liquor & Cigarettes;
- Selecta.
For a drum & bass project, this was a rare example of several heavy club tracks appearing in the national pop chart at the same time.
BRIT Awards — Producer of the Year
In 2024, Chase & Status received the Producer of the Year award at the BRIT Awards.
The award recognized not only their own releases but also their broader work as producers.
Over the course of their career, Chase & Status have worked with a large number of British and international artists, including Rihanna, Kano, Rita Ora, Tinie Tempah, Example, Plan B, Becky Hill, Bugzy Malone, Paloma Faith and many others.
BACKBONE with Stormzy
In August 2024, Chase & Status released BACKBONE with British rapper Stormzy.
The track became historic for the duo: it reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and became their first national number-one single.
BACKBONE combined drum & bass with British rap, continuing Chase & Status’s long-running connection with grime and hip-hop that was already present in early collaborations with Kano and Tempa T.
Production work outside Chase & Status
Saul Milton and Will Kennard are known not only for their own releases.
Throughout their career, they have produced and collaborated with artists from a wide range of genres, from British grime and rap to pop and R&B.
Their professional history includes work with Rihanna, Snoop Dogg, Kano, Plan B, Rita Ora, Tinie Tempah, Example, Becky Hill and other musicians.
This experience has also had a noticeable impact on Chase & Status’s own music: vocal performances in their tracks are usually an integral part of the arrangement rather than simply a sample placed over a drum & bass beat.
Chase & Status musical style
The foundation of Chase & Status’s music remains drum & bass and jungle, although their discography spans a much wider range of styles.
A defining characteristic of Chase & Status is their ability to maintain a recognizable bass-driven foundation while working with very different vocalists and musical scenes.
Connection with jungle and sound-system culture
Despite their commercial success, Chase & Status have never completely lost their connection with the history of British bass music.
This was especially clear on RTRN II JUNGLE and 2 RUFF, Vol. 1, where jungle, reggae and sound-system culture once again became central elements of the production.
Vocalists such as General Levy, Flowdan, IRAH, Trigga and Takura allow the duo to connect modern drum & bass directly with MC culture and the Caribbean musical heritage of the United Kingdom.
Chase & Status live style
Chase & Status perform both as a DJ act and in larger live concert productions.
Their shows are built around high intensity, major bass drops and interaction with MCs and vocalists.
At different points in their career, live drummers, guitarists, singers and MCs have appeared with the duo on stage, allowing them to take their material beyond the standard DJ format.
Transitions between drum & bass, dubstep, jungle and grime play a particularly important role in their live sound — genres that are often separated across different tracks in the duo’s studio discography.
Chase & Status discography
Studio albums
2008 — More Than Alot
Debut album built around drum & bass, dubstep and the duo’s early crossover sound.
2011 — No More Idols
The album that brought major commercial success through End Credits, Blind Faith, Time and other vocal singles.
2013 — Brand New Machine
An expansion of the Chase & Status formula through soul, house, rock and pop influences.
2017 — Tribe
An album at the intersection of drum & bass, grime, dancehall and alternative British music.
2019 — RTRN II JUNGLE
A return to jungle, reggae and British sound-system culture.
2022 — What Came Before
A record connecting different phases of the duo’s development, from UK garage to contemporary drum & bass.
2023 — 2 RUFF, Vol. 1
One of the hardest and most successful projects of the duo’s later period, featuring Baddadan and other club hits.
2026 — Generic Everything
An album scheduled for release on October 9, 2026. The project features J Hus, Little Simz, Skrillex, Giggs, D Double E, Blanco, IRAH, Col3trane and other artists.
Generic Everything
In 2026, Chase & Status prepared a new full-length project, Generic Everything.
The album is scheduled for release on October 9, 2026. It will contain ten tracks and continue the duo’s established practice of working with artists from different parts of the British and international music scenes.
Announced contributors include J Hus, Little Simz, Skrillex, Giggs, D Double E, Blanco, IRAH, Col3trane and other musicians.
Singles released ahead of the album include Through The Pain with Pozer, Doin It More with Blade Brown, Homework with Lancey Foux, Disgruntled with J Hus and IRAH, and Gone Too Far with Debbie.
The project arrives after a period in which Chase & Status once again achieved some of the biggest commercial success of their career: Baddadan became a multi-week UK Top 10 hit, while BACKBONE gave the duo their first number one on the UK Singles Chart.
Chase & Status and the British bass scene
The history of Chase & Status spans several distinct periods in British electronic music.
The duo began at a time when drum & bass remained primarily a club genre, then moved into the centre of the commercial rise of dubstep and bass music in the early 2010s, before later returning to jungle during a renewed wave of interest in British rave culture.
At the same time, Chase & Status have never completely changed direction simply to follow current trends. Drum & bass, jungle and sound-system culture have remained a constant foundation around which dubstep, grime, hip-hop, rock and pop vocals have appeared.
This connection between underground club culture and mainstream British music has become one of the defining characteristics of Chase & Status.
By 2026, their career spans more than two decades: from early releases on independent drum & bass labels to a BRIT Award, their first national number one, multi-million streaming figures and the new album Generic Everything.
