Antares

Antares is an American drum & bass and jungle producer and DJ, operating under the real name Josh Stotz. Based in Spring Hill, Florida, Stotz is one of the more distinctive voices in the contemporary underground jungle and drum & bass scene — a scene dominated largely by UK artists. His project Antares is defined by a dark, cinematic atmosphere, densely layered breaks, and a deep reverence for the roots of the Jungle and Ragga-Jungle traditions, filtered through a modern production sensibility.

Origins: The Illicit Years (c. 1998–2019)

Josh Stotz first entered the drum & bass and jungle world around 1998 under the alias Illicit. This era of his work was rooted firmly in the Ragga-Jungle subgenre — a style that blends the rolling, chopped breakbeats and heavyweight basslines of jungle music with reggae and ragga vocal samples and riddims. Based out of Baltimore, Maryland at the time, Stotz spent years honing his craft, releasing music on a range of independent jungle and drum & bass imprints.

Under the Illicit alias, his vinyl discography includes a series of 12-inch releases that earned him a loyal following within the US underground jungle community. Key releases from this period include "Loyal Soldier / Badman Tings" (Nuff Stylz, 2005) — his first major vinyl outing on the French Ragga-Jungle imprint; "I Dread / Peace Offering" (Ruffah Ras, 2005) — released on his own Ruffah Ras imprint, one of his earliest label ventures; "Rasta Sunshine / Jah Almighty" (Ruffah Ras, 2006); "Many Moons / Give I The Power" (Celestial Conspiracy, 2007) — a collaborative release alongside Scottfro and The Archangel; and "Want Dead / Killing Spree" (Top Ranking Records, 2007) — a split 12" with Twinhooker.

Throughout this period, the Illicit project was consistent in its commitment to an uncompromising, roots-driven aesthetic — heavy breaks, dancefloor power, and a raw production quality that was very much in line with the ethos of the underground vinyl jungle scene.

The Birth of Antares (2019)

In January 2019, Stotz made a significant artistic decision: he retired the Illicit name and launched a new project called Antares. Named after one of the brightest and most massive stars in the night sky (a red supergiant in the constellation Scorpius), the alias signalled a deliberate shift in creative direction.

Where Illicit had been rooted in the Ragga-Jungle tradition, Antares was conceived as a vehicle for darker, more atmospheric, cinematic music. Stotz drew inspiration from darker cinematic landscapes, ambient and film score aesthetics, and the deeper, more abstract corners of the jungle genre. The project was described in his own words as "a dark and atmospheric, break-heavy Jungle project" that aims to create "a dark cinematic soundscape in Modern Jungle."

The timing of the rebrand coincided with a broader resurgence of interest in the original jungle and early drum & bass sound, with artists worldwide returning to classic breakbeat-heavy, atmospheric production styles that characterised the UK scene of the early-to-mid 1990s.

The Antares Discography (2021–Present)

Under the Antares name, Josh Stotz has built an impressive catalogue in a relatively short period, working with a wide range of respected underground labels across the UK, Europe, and beyond. Highlights include "Straight Out The Park" (Ballpark Recordings, 2021) — a vinyl 12" collaborative EP alongside Opius and Sr & Fync; "New Dawn EP" (Good 2 Go DMR, 2022) — a 12" EP with DJ Sappo and Sync Dynamix, released on distinctive blue translucent vinyl; "Into The Dust" (C4C Limited, 2022); and "Machines EP" (Danger Chamber Digital, 2022) — a 4-track digital EP on one of the key labels he is affiliated with.

Other releases include "Cenobites / Out Of The Aeons" (Suicide Audio, 2022) with Kurrupt; "Kurrupt and Antares vs. The High Council" (SPLITENDES, 2022); "Caverns Of The Moon / Once Brilliant Star" (Wicked Jungle Records, 2022); the "Windows Volume I" and "Windows Volume II" ambient/atmospheric series (Cygnus Music, 2022); "Azathoth The Dreamer EP" (Hangry Records, 2023) — with the title referencing H.P. Lovecraft's cosmic horror mythos; "Plot Holes Vol. 2 EP" (Offish Productions, 2024) — a lathe-cut 10" collaborative release alongside Rainforest, Red Army, Offish and Attempt; "Control Your Mind / My Darkness" (Tuff Love Dubs, 2025); and "Late Nights" (Wicked Jungle Records, 2025).

In 2024, Stotz also resurrected the Illicit alias for a special release — "Discipline / Ghetto Yout" (Jungle Vibration Records, 2024), a lathe-cut 7" alongside Opius, demonstrating he hasn't fully closed the door on his earlier Ragga-Jungle identity.

Sound & Style

Antares occupies a unique niche within the modern jungle and drum & bass underground. His music is characterised by dark atmospherics — pads, drones, and textural elements that give his tracks a cinematic, almost horror-soundtrack quality. There is frequently a sense of deep space or ancient dread in the music, reflected in track titles referencing stars, cosmic mythology and Lovecraftian fiction.

Break-heavy production is central: a heavy reliance on classic jungle break patterns, chopped and pitched in the tradition of the genre's founding producers. The beats are punishing but intricate, reflecting a deep study of the original hardcore continuum. The sonic palette is rooted in classic 1990s jungle, but the productions are clearly contemporary in their sound design and mix quality, bridging the retro and modern. Stotz has also shown a strong commitment to physical media, with a notable number of vinyl and lathe-cut releases in his catalogue.

Label Affiliations

Antares has worked with an impressively diverse set of labels, demonstrating his reach across the global underground jungle and drum & bass scene: Ballpark Recordings (vinyl-focused jungle), Danger Chamber Digital (long-running underground DnB/jungle digital label), Good 2 Go DMR (vinyl-focused drum & bass), Tuff Love Dubs (legendary underground jungle/DnB vinyl imprint), Wicked Jungle Records, Hangry Records, Suicide Audio, C4C Limited, Cygnus Music, Offish Productions, Nuff Stylz (France, original Ragga-Jungle vinyl label from the Illicit era), his own Ruffah Ras, plus Celestial Conspiracy and Top Ranking Records from the earlier Illicit era.

Collaborators

Throughout both the Illicit and Antares eras, Stotz has worked alongside a number of well-regarded artists in the underground jungle and drum & bass scene, including Opius, Kurrupt, DJ Sappo, Sync Dynamix, Sr & Fync, Scottfro, The Archangel, Twinhooker, Red Army, Rainforest, Offish, Attempt and The High Council.

Legacy & Context

Josh Stotz represents a rare thing: a dedicated, long-serving American producer who has operated authentically within a genre largely dominated by British artists and culture since the early 1990s. His career arc — from Ragga-Jungle vinyl 12"s in the mid-2000s to atmospheric, cinematic jungle in the 2020s — reflects not just personal artistic evolution but also mirrors broader trends in the global jungle and drum & bass underground, which has seen a significant resurgence of interest in roots-oriented, break-driven production. His commitment to vinyl and lathe-cut physical releases is emblematic of a scene that prizes tactile, collectible music culture.

As Antares, he has released music at a prolific rate since 2021, building a body of work that spans digital and vinyl formats, solo and collaborative releases, and multiple label relationships across the world. He remains active as of 2026, with new releases continuing to build his profile in the international jungle underground.