When Los Angeles-based DJ/producer Henry Steinway combines hip-hop, electro, drum'n'bass, and any number of other bass-heavy genres, he dons the moniker
RL Grime. An active member of the WeDidIt Collective along with producers like
Shlohmo and
D33J, he has collaborated with
Baauer,
Skrillex,
Big Sean, and others. He made his full-length debut with 2014's well-received
Void, an eclectic mix of genres such as garage, EDM, and R&B.
After debuting the project in 2011 with a series of Internet uploads,
RL Grime made it official with the Grapes EP, released in 2012 by WeDidIt Collective. In 2013, the Fool's Gold label released the
High Beams EP with a guest appearance from rapper
Problem.
RL Grime remixed
Benny Benassi's club staple "Satisfaction" as well as
Jamie Lidell's "What a Shame," and toured with
Baauer,
Ryan Hemsworth, and
Jim-E Stack. The full-length debut
Void appeared in 2014 and featured rapper
Big Sean, electro-house producer
Boys Noize, and indie act
How to Dress Well. A remix album followed, as did "Tell Me," a collaboration with
What So Not, and a remix of
the Weeknd's "The Hills." The solo single "Aurora" appeared in 2016, as did "Waiting," a collaboration with
Skrillex and
What So Not.
"Reims" and "Stay for It" (with
Miguel) followed in 2017, in advance of
RL Grime's second full-length,
Nova. A pair of singles, "Pressure" and the bass-heavy
Jeremih- and
Tory Lanez-assisted "Undo," followed in 2018.
NOVA was released by WeDidIt in July, and featured additional appearances from
Chief Keef,
Ty Dolla $ign, and
Joji. The album hit number one on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart the following month. In December of that year,
Grime also released two volumes of remixes of tracks from
NOVA. In May 2019, he surprised fans with an all-instrumental version of the album called NOVA Pure. The following year, he issued the compilation Sable Valley Summer, Vol. 1, showcasing talent from his Sable Valley label including
Whethan, Jawns, and LeMay. ~ David Jeffries