Producer Russ Davies, known by his stage name Abakus, is the son and founder of famous 60s bands The Kinks. And although the music isn't the same, the level of talent can be clearly spotted in both generations. Abakus makes his living on building up a funky groove and getting the crowd pumped up and into any show. In 2009 Davies dropped a 'concept album' titled The Jaguar Session. The 55 minute mix does an excellent job highlighting Davies' production abilities and finds the perfect balance between calm and fierce.
Seeing Abakus on the bill for any show is a huge add on you may have overlooked in the past. But after checking out The Jaguar Session, I'm sure you'll notice him next time. I've been lucky enough to catch him a few times in very different environments. Once at an after party, where he spun 4 different half hour sets (all of different vibes, amazing display of his eclectic background), and once where he was given an hour to make a whole tent bounce up and down, and that's exactly what he did, at Camp Bisco 2012.
A man with musical knowledge to get a party started or to keep a party going, Russ Davies is for sure not the typical producer we see today. He's got a unique sound to him that makes him stand out. With more concept work like The Jaguar Session in the works, we can expect some great things out of Abakus going forward.