WheelUP

“The new album on Tru Thoughts is a major statement for the Bruk Renaissance!” – Gilles Peterson
“WheelUP never misses!” – Jamz Supernova (BBC 6Music)
“The epitome of the West London sound” – Jaguar (BBC Radio 1)
“A fat, funky and bass-charged cut” – DJ Mag 

WheelUP is the moniker of West London producer, DJ and “bruk renaissance” torchbearer – Danny Wheeler. Having held down radio residences on stations such as Balami, Worldwide FM and 1BTN, WheelUP has had releases on CoOperation Records, Jamz Supernova’s imprint Future Bounce, his home label Tru Thoughts, plus boasting remixes for Goldie’s Fallen Tree 1Hundred and Wah Wah 45s. All in all Danny has cemented the WheelUP name as part of the new school of bruk. 

WheelUP’s debut album ‘Good Love’ released in 2021 via Tru Thoughts, featured the likes of Afronaut (Bugz in the Attic), Abacus (Pola & Bryson) and label-mate Tiawa, and followed with remixes from Daz-I-Kue, Anushka, Yadava and Thijsenterprise. The album was heavily praised for its resurgent broken beat sound by the likes of Gilles Peterson (BBC 6Music), Jamz Supernova (BBC 1Xtra), Benji B (BBC Radio 1), Bonobo, Ben UFO, Emma Jean-Thackray, Laurent Garnier and many more. “Take Me Higher feat. Tiawa”, the second single from the record, was playlisted on BBC 6Music.

‘We Are The Magic’ (2023, Tru Thoughts) is the sophomore album from WheelUP; built around concepts such as the law of attraction, humanitarianism, and spiritualism – the record adds to the broken beat canon while showcasing WheelUP’s most mature and forward-thinking work to date. The LP boasts contributions and collaborations with a host of talent: Kaidi Tatham, Sam Interface, Abacus, Victoria Port (Anushka), Toya Delazy, Spaceship Coyote, Destiny Will, Brint Story, Steelo and more. The album garnered support from all corners of the electronic world, such as Mary Anne Hobbs (BBC 6Music), DJ Mag, Jaguar (BBC Radio 1) and DJ Marky. 

As an artist, producer and DJ of dual Zimbabwean and British heritage, growing up in the epicentre of bruk that is West London, it was only natural that Danny, aka WheelUP would gravitate towards the ‘West London Sound’; as WheelUP puts it: “It’s in my musical DNA”. Originating from the drum and bass world as Danny Wheeler, WheelUP follows the footsteps and lineage of 4hero, evolving from jungle/D&B to broken beat/bruk and was knighted an “honorary Bugz” by the original dons of broken beat, Bugz in the Attic, due to WheelUP’s work in pushing the bruk sound to new audiences, as well as Marc Mac who thanked Danny for putting broken beat back “at the forefront”. 

WheelUP has been taking his live band (that has featured performances over the years from a plethora of talent: Nathan “Tugg” Curran, Toya Delzay, Tiawa, Ella Knight, MC AD and Tom Mason) and DJ sets to clubs and festivals around the UK, such as Secret Garden Party, Glastonbury, We Out Here, Boomtown, Love Supreme, to list a few highlights. WheelUP has also been pushing his own club night, ‘WheelUP & Friends’, hosting a takeover at Fox & Firkin, London and inviting key inter-generational players in the broken beat scene like Afronaut (Bugz In The Attic), Marc Mac (4hero), Jamz Supernova and more to the stage.