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There’s something special about artists who can blend club energy with emotional depth, and Brooklyn-based producer, DJ, and multi-instrumentalist Bad Colours does exactly that. With his fourth LP Promise on Bastard Jazz, Ibe Soliman continues to push the boundaries of house music by folding in elements of proto-techno, UK garage, hip-hop, and soul, but this time, it feels more personal than ever.
Promise isn’t just another dance record. It’s a reflection of late nights spent between sweaty Brooklyn basements and the quiet hours after the crowd disperses. The album balances two sides of his artistry: the hypnotic pulse of the dancefloor and the introspection of a producer who’s lived many musical lives.
From the harp-driven title track featuring Rachel Kitchlew to the smooth, genre-hopping “We Never Choose” with Life On Planets, the LP flows like a perfectly mixed DJ set, textured, unpredictable, and human. Brooklyn’s Brandon Markell Holmes adds soulful depth on “Moment of Silence,” while Ninjasonik bring that raw 2000s energy back on “Freaks.” Longtime collaborator Jarv Dee keeps things funky on “Nightcap,” before the record closes with “Home”, a MAW-inspired groove layered with Bad Colours’ own spoken-word reflections.
Born in London, raised in Maryland, and now deeply rooted in Brooklyn’s creative underground, Soliman’s journey is a tapestry of sounds and stories. He’s shared decks with James Murphy, Mark Ronson, and Q-Tip, produced for Kendrick Lamar and Faith Evans, and even collaborated with Korean rap icon Jay Park. All those experiences come full circle here, distilled into a record that feels like both a love letter to dance music and a diary of growth.
So to celebrate Promise, we asked Bad Colours to look back, to share ten tracks that shaped his sound. What follows is a musical roadmap through his influences, from Prince and Slum Village to his own breakout moments on Bastard Jazz. Each song tells part of the story behind one of the most quietly innovative producers in the game right now.
I’m a sucker for minimal stuff and I try to keep my stuff pretty minimal, but this one is just perfect. Everything about this just feels right.
MJ has endless hits, but I really like the stuff that Rod Temperton. I know we’re in the collab era, but I think it’s really ill to see a song that’s written by one person.
Gogo is and will always be the heartbeat of DC. Late night the radio stations switch to Gogo and this was the perfect anthem growing up down there for late night excursions growing up down there.
I listened to this album a lot in HS / College, but this was my fav. Dance music and jazz chords. Everything on this album is gold.
I got onto this a few years after it came out. I had just bought an MPC and took it
down to Maryland to play beats for my friends. My homie Matt (RIP) stopped me before I played anything and was like “You have to hear this first…” Safe to say I didn’t wanna play any of my first beats after that!
This was the first song I produced that really got around. Mick was one of the first “internet” rappers, and he didn’t work with many people, so this got my name out there.
My manager at the time was cool with Curtains, and he brought it to him. Curtains then ended up getting Chace and a young Kendrick Lamar on there, and he crushed this one.
Again this was the work of my manager at the time. Always been a huge fan of Faith and the way she could bridge R&B and Gospel. 1 of 1. Rick Ross ended up getting on the remix with a whole new beat, but we never put it out officially.
This was the second song we put out on Bastard Jazz and is still my biggest song. Probably a dozen syncs with this, movies, TV shows, lots of radio support, etc.
This broke down a lot of doors for me.
I was going through something at that moment, and after I chopped up the vocals, I just sat and listened to it for hours. This jump-started Promise, and it was rolling from there.
A huge thank-you to Bad Colours for taking us deep into the records that shaped his sound and his spirit. Hearing these ten tracks, from the late-night funk of Prince to the soulful MPC swing of Slum Village, really shows how wide his musical universe runs. Every influence has found its way into the DNA of his new album Promise on Bastard Jazz, and you can feel it in every groove, every vocal chop, every heartbeat of the record.
Promise isn’t just a collection of tracks; it’s a story about evolution, vulnerability, and the power of rhythm to connect people. It’s music for the dancefloor, but also for those quiet after-hours moments when you’re just lost in your thoughts.
So go stream it wherever you listen, buy the vinyl if you can, share it with a friend, and most importantly, support the artists who keep this culture moving forward. Bad Colours reminds us that house music still has soul, and Promise is living proof of that.
And as always, if you want more stories like this, head to dirtydiscoradio.com for new episodes, artist interviews, and mixes every week.
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DJ | MUSIC CURATOR & SELECTOR | PODCAST MAKER | BLOGGER Professional online interpreneur. Coffee practitioner. Electronic music culture maven. Total music guru. Infuriatingly humble problem solver. Food & sports fanatic.
A show that connects more than just music If you have ever wondered what a truly global deep house community sounds like, this is it. In episode 620 of Dirty […]
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