Artist Spotlight: Benny L & Cleveland Watkiss — "Metaphors" Is the Drum & Bass Track of Summer 2026

Benny L is a London-born drum & bass producer who taught himself to play drums, piano, trumpet, and violin before finding his calling behind the decks and DAW. His education at a Performing Arts Academy in Bristol gave him structure; seeing Dillinja tear apart Cable nightclub gave him direction. He broke through via Shimon's Audioporn imprint. His remix of John Holt's "Police In Helicopter" became the first drum & bass track to hit #1 on Beatport's overall chart across all genres. He holds a Rinse FM residency and is one of Metalheadz's most trusted voices.

Cleveland Watkiss MBE was born in 1959 in Hackney, East London. He studied at the London School of Singing and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He co-founded the Jazz Warriors big band and performed alongside Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Björk, Keith Richards, and Wynton Marsalis. The Wire and Guardian Jazz Awards named him Best Vocalist for three consecutive years. He holds an MBE for services to music.

At 87 BPM in D Minor, "Metaphors" runs to 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The low-end moves air without becoming muddy, the percussion sounds sampled and tactile, and the mid-range space lets Watkiss's voice breathe. There's a jazz-influenced swing to the drums that makes the whole thing feel alive. Watkiss's phrasing matches the rhythmic push of the breakbeats — his vocal lines have the melodic confidence of someone who's sung with Wynton Marsalis. Listen on Beatport: https://www.beatport.com/track/metaphors/22845000

Cleveland Watkiss noted on social media the track had already "ripped the roof off many festivals and clubs this summer" before its July 17, 2026 release. Benny L had been playing it out through festival season, building anticipation you can't manufacture through marketing. Drum & bass is experiencing genuine crossover visibility right now, and Metalheadz is asserting its position as the standard-bearer for artistically credible D&B.

"Metaphors" is 9:30 of why drum & bass doesn't need defending. The grit of London club culture, the harmonic intelligence of British jazz, and Benny L's uncanny ability to make sub-bass feel like something you're inside. Cleveland Watkiss gives a vocal that would command a concert hall completely to the groove. Rating: 9/10.

Buy/stream on Beatport: https://www.beatport.com/track/metaphors/22845000

Metalheadz Bandcamp: https://metalheadz.bandcamp.com

Also on Spotify and Apple Music — search Benny L & Cleveland Watkiss

Drum & bass, 87 BPM, D Minor, jazz-influenced vocal, released on Metalheadz.

Beatport (https://www.beatport.com/track/metaphors/22845000), plus Spotify and Apple Music.