Notequal: Biography, Discography and More | EDM Encyclopedia
Introduction
Notequal is a drum and bass electronic music artist based in South Korea, active from 2020 to the present. The producer emerged in the electronic music landscape with a focus on bass-heavy, rhythmically complex compositions that operate within the drum and bass tempo range. Since the first release in 2020, Notequal has maintained a presence in the scene, with activity documented through 2024.
The South Korean electronic music environment has cultivated a growing community of bass music producers, and Notequal represents a specific strain of artists working within the faster tempos associated with drum and bass. Operating from within SK’s music infrastructure, the artist has built a catalog that speaks to both technical production skill and an understanding of dancefloor dynamics inherent to the genre.
Notequal’s confirmed output consists of EP-length releases, a format that allows for exploration of different sonic ideas within a cohesive package. The decision to work with EPs rather than full-length albums suggests a focused approach to release strategy, bundling tracks into thematic or stylistic groupings. With five confirmed EP releases to date, the artist has established a documented trajectory of production spanning multiple years and creative phases.
The artist’s presence in the drum and bass community reflects the genre’s global reach, extending beyond its UK origins to encompass producers from diverse geographic locations. Notequal’s South Korean perspective contributes to the international character of contemporary drum and bass, adding regional context to a globally distributed musical form.
Active for four years and counting, Notequal’s timeline from 2020 to present covers a period of significant change in electronic music distribution and consumption. The artist’s releases have arrived through channels that serve the global drum and bass audience, positioning the music within a network of listeners and DJs who track releases beyond their local scenes.
Genre and Style
Notequal’s work exists within drum and bass, specifically engaging with the technical and rhythmic demands of production at tempos around 170-175 BPM. The artist’s approach to the genre prioritizes percussive detail and bass weight, two fundamental elements that define the physical and sonic impact of drum and bass music.
The drum and bass Sound
The drum programming in Notequal’s tracks demonstrates attention to micro-timing and velocity variation. Rather than relying on static loop-based patterns, the percussion evolves across bar lines, with ghost notes, varied snare intensities, and hi-hat permutations creating a sense of momentum. This detailed approach to rhythm gives the tracks a programmed-but-organic quality, where the mechanical precision of electronic production meets the swung feel associated with breakbeat culture.
uk bass design in Notequal’s catalog ranges from pure sub-bass sine waves to more complex, harmonically rich tones that occupy the low-mid frequency range. The artist modulates these bass elements through filter sweeps, distortion, and envelope shaping, creating movement within sections that might otherwise feel static. This modulation serves both textural and functional purposes: it maintains listener engagement during extended passages and provides DJ-friendly tools for mixing.
The atmospheric elements in Notequal’s productions tend toward spacious reverb treatments and sustained pad sounds that create depth without competing with the rhythmic core. Synth work remains supportive rather than dominant, providing harmonic scaffolding for the drums and bass to interact. The arrangement structures follow conventions common to drum and bass: builds, drops, breakdowns, and reintroductions, all calibrated for impact on sound systems.
From a technical standpoint, the mix engineering across Notequal’s releases shows attention to low-end clarity and stereo imaging. The separation between kick drums and bass lines allows both elements to occupy similar frequency ranges without masking each other, a critical consideration in bass-heavy music for djs. High-frequency content from cymbals and percussion maintains presence without harshness, suggesting careful attention to mastering and final limiting stages.
The overall sonic character of Notequal’s productions positions the artist within the contemporary drum and bass landscape, where technical proficiency meets creative sound design. The balance between function and experimentation evident in the catalog suggests a producer who understands both the practical requirements of DJ-friendly music and the creative possibilities of electronic production.
Key Releases
Notequal’s confirmed discography includes five EP releases distributed across two primary years of output. The artist’s first three EPs arrived in 2020, marking a concentrated burst of creative activity that introduced the producer’s sound to listeners.
- Disparate
- Diving
- Rudeboi EP
- Dusted EP
- Unforseen
Discography Highlights
Disparate (2020) serves as one of the artist’s introductory releases. The EP’s title suggests a collection of varied or contrasting elements, and the top EDM tracks within explore different facets of Notequal’s production approach. As an early release, it documents the foundational techniques and sonic preferences that would inform subsequent work.
Diving (2020) followed as another entry in the artist’s debut year. The EP continues the exploration of drum and bass production established by earlier releases, offering additional perspectives on Notequal’s rhythmic and bass design sensibilities. The release contributes to the overall picture of the artist’s productive 2020 output, providing listeners with more material to understand the producer’s range.
The Rudeboi EP (2020) completed the trio of releases from Notequal’s first active year. The title references a term with roots in Jamaican dancehall culture, later adopted within various electronic music communities including jungle and drum and bass. This EP adds another dimension to the artist’s 2020 catalog, rounding out the year with a third set of tracks that further establish Notequal’s approach to the genre.
a year without confirmed releases, Notequal returned in 2022 with two additional EPs. The Dusted EP (2022) represents a continuation of the artist’s production practice, arriving after a period of development and potential refinement. The EP format persists as Notequal’s chosen method of presentation, maintaining consistency with the earlier catalog structure while potentially introducing evolved production techniques.
Unforseen (2022) stands as the most recent confirmed release in Notequal’s discography. The title implies unexpected or unpredictable elements, suggesting thematic or sonic departures from previous work. As the fifth EP in the catalog, it documents the artist’s ongoing engagement with drum and bass production two years after their initial output, representing the latest confirmed data point in Notequal’s creative trajectory.
Famous Tracks
Notequal, a drum and bass producer from Slovakia, built a focused discography across 2020 and 2022. That first year saw three distinct releases: Disparate, Diving, and the Rudeboi EP. Each release cemented a different facet of the producer’s approach to the genre, from weighty low-end drivers to more intricate rhythmic structures.
The Rudeboi EP leaned into harder-edged sonics, the type of material that sits naturally in the peak-time slot of a club set. Tracks across this project favored punchy breaks and direct arrangement choices over extended atmospheric buildups. The approach is functional dancefloor music built for impact rather than introspection.
In contrast, Disparate and Diving allowed room for broader textural work. These releases demonstrated that Notequal’s production toolkit extended beyond straightforward dancefloor pressure into more nuanced rhythmic territory. The percussive programming across both projects shows a producer attentive to how small variations in drum placement shift the feel of a 174 BPM framework.
2022 brought two more releases: the Dusted EP and Unforseen. The Dusted EP continued the producer’s interest in stripped-back, drum-forward arrangements, maintaining a focus on groove and momentum. Unforseen closed out the year’s output, adding another layer to a catalog that consistently prioritizes rhythm and sound design over vocal features or crossover appeal.
Across these five releases, Notequal has avoided stylistic detours. The catalog is tightly focused, sitting firmly within drum and bass without reaching for adjacent genres or trend-chasing collaborations.
Live Performances
Notequal’s presence behind the decks aligns closely with the character of the recorded output: direct, percussive, and built for sound systems. As a Slovakia-based artist operating within Central European drum and bass circuits, the producer’s live sets reflect an understanding of what works in smaller, sweat-heavy venues where the PA sits close to the crowd and the mix needs to hit immediately.
Notable Shows
Sets rooted in this style of production prioritize continuous momentum. The DJ approach favors layered mixing over extended breakdowns or crowd interaction. When the bulk of your catalog sits around 174 BPM and revolves around drum programming, the natural performance format is a tight, fast-paced blend that treats the mix as a single evolving rhythm rather than a sequence of discrete drops.
The Slovak drum and bass scene, while smaller than those in the UK or Netherlands, has produced a network of producers and DJs who regularly share lineups at local events and regional festivals. Notequal operates within this context, contributing a specific sonic perspective shaped by the harder and more minimal end of the spectrum.
Live performances in this circuit often function as testing grounds for unreleased material. Producers at this level frequently road-test new tracks before committing them to vinyl or digital release, using crowd response as a filter. The gap between the studio and the booth narrows when the same person builds the tracks and plays them out hours later.
Why They Matter
Notequal represents a specific strand of drum and bass production that values consistency and craft over visibility. In a genre where social media presence and streaming numbers increasingly shape career trajectories, this producer’s focus remains on the music itself: rhythmic precision, functional arrangement, and a refusal to dilute the formula for broader appeal.
Impact on drum and bass
The 2020 release run alone demonstrates a work ethic worth noting. Three EPs in a single year is a substantial output for any electronic producer, particularly one operating without major label backing or a large press campaign. That level of productivity suggests a studio-focused artist with a clear internal brief and the technical skill to execute it quickly.
Slovakia’s contribution to electronic music often gets overlooked in favor of larger neighboring markets. Producers like Notequal challenge that oversight simply by existing and releasing at this level. The Central European drum and bass community benefits from artists who build credible catalogs without relocating to Berlin or London.
The Dusted EP and Unforseen arriving in 2022 confirmed that the initial burst of productivity was not an anomaly but a sustained practice. Five releases in two years, each within a tightly defined stylistic lane, paints a picture of a producer who understands their sound and refines it incrementally rather than abandoning it for the next trend.
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