“Roots give a sound its identity, but collaboration gives it the space to grow and develop.”
Elements 2 // sees UK sibling act Star.One returning to the very roots of their musical identity with a mixtape that is as much a celebration of their journey through the UK club scene as it is a look at where that scene is heading next. Released on the 25th of September 2026, it’s the 13 track project that comes 12 years after their original Elements mixtape and is very much a reflection of the path they’ve travelled along whilst still being very much in touch with their origins. UK Garage, grime, house, jungle and bass music are all the bedrock of the project which is essentially about the relationship between the old and the new. Rather than treating those genres as distinct entities, Star.One have blended them together in a way that mirrors how they would naturally be played in their own sets. The project was recorded over a two year period and brings together friends and collaborators from over 12 years in the business, making it as much a celebration of those relationships as it is a collection of new music. Coming out of the grime scene, Star.One have established themselves as a very flexible and capable production team, able to draw on the underground to create club music. Elements 2 // is a project that looks back at the reasons they started making music and looks at where that has taken them, without being trapped in nostalgia. The collaborations are a case in point, bringing together established names with up and coming talent to show that the UK dance music scene is very much still in a state of flux and evolution. For those who have been around since the original Elements, it’s a chance to see the roots of their sound and to see how that sound has evolved. For the uninitiated it’s a good introduction to the styles and the rhythms that have informed their work. The real strength of the project is the sense of connection it evokes, a celebration of the culture that raised them, the friendships they’ve maintained and the artists who are carrying that culture forward.
The individual tracks showcase different facets of Star.One’s musicality and together they form the complete picture of the mixtape. “Right About Now (Intro) //” kicks things off and leads into “Came To Dance //” which is one of the project’s key tracks. The duo describe it as a ‘euphoric bass drop, hands in the air’ moment which is very much the essence of the dance music experience; the energy of a crowd moving as one to a song. “See Me Cry //” with Shayan and “Hold Me Tight //” are further tracks which extend the emotional range of the project beyond just the high-octane dancefloor moments. “Rewind //” with grime MC Scrufizzer and UK Garage producer Robustt is a track that brings in some of the established UK sounds and connects them with some of the newer talent. “MasterBlaster 2025″ with DJ Luck & MC Neat, Jme and SWN is another major collaboration and a significant one for the project. “Can I //” with Jords and Ashley Walters (Asher D) is a more introspective rap track which moves into UK Garage territory. Walters’ return to the mic is a big deal and the track is a good example of the project’s ability to bridge generations. “Ibiza Haze //” and “It’s Alright //” add further variety to the mix and “Over You //” with Young Athena and Jay Wilcox and “kryptonite” with Denon Reed both broaden the collaborative scope. “Too Many” with M1llionz, nineteen97 and SHELLS is a standout, bringing together drill flows and jungle beats and is a good example of the project’s ability to bring together different musical worlds and put them in conversation. “Underwater” with Jack Marlow is a soulful two step which is a good example of the more melodic side of the project’s musical interests. The tracklist as a whole is a portrait of a scene that is constantly in flux, where the old and the new can feed off each other.
Elements 2 // is a statement of musical identity from a pair whose musical philosophy has been in place for over 10 years. The mix of UK Garage, grime, house, jungle and bass music is a very real reflection of a culture in which sounds are constantly blending, mutating and finding new audiences. It’s not a retrospective in any traditional sense, it’s a statement of where they are at in their creative journey, built on the back of their influences. The 12 year gap between the two *Elements* projects gives it a certain sense of maturity and reflection but the focus is very much on movement and progression. That same sense of community is also evident in Monday Club, the mailing list community the duo have built around exclusive, dancefloor focused bootlegs (one of the most talked about being their viral rework of Panjabi MC’s “Mundian To Bach Ke”). That whole ecosystem of producers, DJs and the audience is at the heart of club culture. The real significance of this mixtape though isn’t in the fact that it’s a look back at their history or in the fact that it features all these various artists. The significance is in the way the two artists are able to bring all these different musical energies together whilst still maintaining a very distinct creative identity. From the sheer euphoria of “Came To Dance” through to the genre defying “Too Many” and the more soulful “Underwater”, it’s a celebration of the breadth of UK dance music that’s currently being produced. For the die hards it’s a continuation of a story that began in 2014. For the new listener it’s a gateway into the world of music that Star.One are currently working in. The past isn’t something you just go back to; it’s something you can take and rework into the sound of what comes next. Elements 2 // is a tribute to their past but it’s also a very much forward looking piece of work. It’s a collaborative celebration of UK club culture and of the way that culture is able to reinvent itself.
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