Over the past few years, UK Garage has experienced a meteoric cultural resurgence. We firstly started seeing a comeback of the broken beats, which then morphed into what cool kids now call Speed Garage, and we’re finally here. Once considered a nostalgic, hyperlocalised sound confined to pirate radio, British estate youth culture, and 90s London dancefloors, UKG has now exploded into a formal and serious market.
Today, the bounce of 2-step and the driving weight of UK bassline can be heard everywhere. Everywhere. You can find UKG in far-flung places like Australia or Ibiza, and even made its way into America, arguably one of the crucial hotspots of music consumption worldwide.
At the very centre of this evolution sits Southpoint. Founded in 2015 by Josh Gunston and Jay McDougall (KXVU), the Brighton-based label has spent over a decade quietly operating one of the country’s most vital, consistent independent artist development platforms. And salmon-swimming against the current, while much of the modern industry chases the next algo, the best TikTok template, and an exciting pie chart and at least two commas in their metrics tabs on social media, Southpoint has built an ecosystem from the ground up, nurturing names like Hamdi, MPH, Badger, Sammy Virji, and Bushbaby years before their big breaks.
As Southpoint enters its second decade in 2026, amassing over 50 million streams, 1,500 releases, and official chart successes, Josh and Jay sat down with us to break down this global potential of UKG, Southpoint’s A&Ring process (and why it should never stop being the norm), and why authenticity beats short-lived fame, even more so in an era where long CVs and decade-long careers have been overshadowed by million-stream one-hit-wonders and Suno.
From UK Nostalgia to Worldwide Expansion
For those who grew up in the UK, Garage was part of life. Reason why its recent catapult into an international phenomenon represents a major shift. “I grew up with garage around me, so seeing where it is now feels quite personal,” shares Josh. “For years it was often treated like a nostalgic UK sound, whereas now I am watching our artists connect with people all over the world. Bushbaby can make something rooted in UK club culture, then play it at DC10 in Ibiza or across America and see people instantly respond to it. At the same time, artists like SHUFFA, MUCKANIKS and BUTCHABOI are all taking that UK influence somewhere completely different. That is what feels powerful to me. It is not one sound or one moment anymore. It is a new generation pushing the culture forward globally without losing where it came from.”
And as with all good things that marked you and are suddenly back in fashion, there’s a huge component of nostalgia involved in those who are currently enjoying Garage in its second major phase. As Jay points out, the genre’s DNA is there, present in almost every major British subculture of the last twenty years.
“The children of garage have always been present in the UK scene, whether grime, dubstep or bassline,” Jay explains. “I think the nostalgia around garage is a big driver, from the fashion and language to its accessibility across generations. My generation grew up hearing garage as pop music without really knowing what it was, so the sound carries real nostalgia. For younger generations, it’s the first time that sound has been at the forefront, creating this unique generational energy that everyone gravitates towards.”
Southpoint’s A&R And The “People’s Records vs. Producer’s Records” Distinction
A&R roles are in decline as of late, which is quite a shame considering the music business has always benefited from trustworthy pais of ears who help maintain a sound, or a quality standard, or a particular idea across their catalogue. Southpoint’s long-term success stems from a remarkably hands-on, instinctual approach to signing music, which, mind you, still runs music down the A&R department. While technical mixdowns matter, Josh uses another technique to gauge whether a track will actually work.
Rather than over-analysing waveform visuals or whatever the latest technicism is, he sneaks unreleased demos into playlists at house parties with friends who aren’t music industry nerds. If a track survives in a room full of normal listeners without anyone asking to change the song, he knows he’s onto something.
This test highlights a fundamental distinction in electronic music: the difference between a “producer’s record”—appreciated for intricate sound design—and a “people’s record,” which possesses an immediate, raw energy.
That philosophy is paired with Jay’s firm stance on creativity, originality, and sonic identity. Southpoint looks for producers whose creative DNA is unmistakable. If you hear a record and you can pinpoint who is behind it, that’s exactly what the label aims to develop. Somehow, one starts to notice with time that an artist’s records attend something greater than the songs themselves: the producer’s identity. If it’s unique, Southpoint wants them.
Storytelling Outlasts Viral Fame
In today’s Mach-1-paced, social-media-dependent world, a track can go viral on social media in the span of a few hours. That’s good for one-hit-wonders, but an artist is valuable in the long term for a legacy, a story that is told across years. For Southpoint, building a career requires seeding and harvesting a genuine tale that listeners can connect with.
“I have seen first hand how quickly music can move now,” Josh reflects. “A record can become huge almost overnight, but attention can disappear just as quickly. What makes me properly care about an artist is understanding who they are, why they make that music and what they are trying to build. That does not always mean having some dramatic backstory or constantly turning your life into content. Sometimes the story is in the world around the music and the way an artist develops across different releases… the identity has to feel honest. People can tell when something is real.“
Jay echoes this sentiment: “Sound is an interpretation of story-telling. Whether it’s through rhythm, melody, harmonics, sound design or even what isn’t there, every good record tells a story to the person listening. Now when you then couple this with an artist’s brand, making the story apparent is the easiest way for listeners to relate. In dance music we rarely have lyrics that are from the producer about their life, so creating that story through branding, visuals and sonic structure is essential, people love stories, so give them one to fall in love with.”
Southpoint’s Essential Records – As Told By Its Founders
As a closing section, we’ve gotwhat’s perhaps the most important chapter of them all. To experience the Southpoint philosophy in action, Josh and Jay selected three defining releases that capture the label’s journey from a Brighton launchpad to a global tastemaker. We asked them to specifically choose music that meant something to them, rather than relying solely on metrics. Them being them, we’d say understood the assignment.
1. Bushbaby – Pumpin Jumpin (Josh’s Pick)
“I have to choose ‘Pumpin Jumpin’ because it changed so much for Bushbaby and for us as a label,” says Josh. “I remember hearing it early on and knowing immediately that it was special, but I do not think any of us could have predicted quite how far it would travel. Watching it grow from a Southpoint release into something being played on major radio, across festivals, clubs and social media has been incredible. The best part is that none of it felt forced. It sounds completely like Bushbaby and captures everything that makes him exciting as an artist.“
2. TOM LECHEF – NYC / Real (Jay’s Pick)
“In terms of the underground dance space, it feels like TOM is right in the heart of the sound,” Jay notes. “He constantly has two opposing storylines going on in his production, but somehow they weave together harmoniously, acting as each-others Yin & Yang. This EP was a perfect example of how to elevate that idea and give it some welly at the same time.“
3. Southpoint – Pairdrops Sampler (Label Pick) – OUT TODAY
Representing the future of the label’s ethos, the PAIRDROPS SAMPLER brings together six artists across three collaborative tracks. “Pairdrops represents everything Southpoint is about sonically,” Jay highlights. “There is no ONE genre, if it bangs and it makes sense then we want to work with it. It features 6 artists across three well-developed collaborations, marching from dark & dingey 4×4, through to pure clubland euphoria and then back around to the abstract rhythmic pockets of international electronic dance.“
