Emily Makis & DJ Lens Ignite The Drum & Bass Scene With "Danger Zone"

With Danger Zone, Emily Makis and DJ Lens are bringing their signature energy to the forefront of the drum & bass scene. Combining Emily’s unmistakable vocals with Lens’ high-impact production, the track is a bold statement from two of the UK’s most exciting rising talents.

As Emily builds on a landmark year—performing at Glastonbury, sharing the stage with Becky Hill at Wembley, and being named one of BBC Radio 1’s Future Stars for 2025—and Lens continues to make waves with her electrifying sets, Danger Zone is set to ignite dancefloors worldwide.

We caught up with both artists to talk about their collaboration, creative process, and what’s next as they continue shaping the future of drum & bass.

"Danger Zone" brings together your distinct talents—Emily, with your powerful vocals, and Lens, with your deep-cut selections and dynamic mixing. What was the creative process like for this collaboration, and how did you merge your styles to create something fresh?

Emily Makis - I think both me and Lens are drawn to gritter, old-school sonics, especially in DNB and Jungle, so I think the collaboration came quite naturally. Initially Lens played me the synth stabs and I’d been listening to a lot of MIA at the time so drew on that kind of imagery to make this one. The idea formed to write the song as an ode to Free Party culture, Free Parties being a pillar in the underground scene, raising many a raver and DJ. It came together in a day!

Lens -⁠ ⁠It came so naturally! I’ve been a huge fan of Emily’s insane vocals for a long time and thought it was only right that we aimed for a high-energy banger. My productions are heavily influenced by the raw sounds and chopped-up breaks from jungle / D&B from the 90’s. This sound palate worked perfectly with our ‘free party culture’ theme, which is a nod to the rave scene 30 years ago. Dancing around the studio is also a very important part of the creative process!

Both of you have had incredible moments in your careers—Emily, performing at Glastonbury and Wembley, and Lens, becoming a resident at Hospital Records and hosting on Rinse FM. What has been a defining moment for each of you where you felt like you were truly making an impact in the drum & bass scene?

Emily Makis - For me, it’s more of a continuous thing. Just being able to play out continually over the years and see the reach grow has been great. It’s a close-knit scene with a great community so you can see how things change and evolve with new input. 

Lens - ⁠Being recognized by artists that you have looked up to is a huge dream come true. Supporting Chase & Status on their UK arena tour last year was incredible, it really made all my years of hard work so worth it and has only given me more of a reason to graft harder.

Drum & bass has long been a male-dominated space, but we’re seeing more female artists making waves in the genre. As two women pushing boundaries in D&B, what challenges have you faced, and what changes would you like to see in the scene moving forward?

Emily Makis - This is an interesting one. Given that the listening demographic is predominantly male, you’re naturally going to see more men gravitating to production and creation. I’ve seen a shift in the last few years of more song-structure-based DNB being at the forefront of the genre which has brought new female artists and songwriters to the scene. Just being vocal and supportive is the first step. Hospital Records run events for women in DNB and have a yearly residency, so I also think seeing more of this type of resource would be helpful.

Lens - I think it’s the pressure that comes with being a female that I have struggled with the most. You feel like you’re constantly having to prove oneself to be taken seriously. Females tend to get judged more harshly based on appearance rather than musical ability, especially with social media being such a big part of the job spec now. The science is certainly moving in a better direction but when sexist comments those people need to be called out, especially by other males!

Your music blends nostalgia with innovation—Emily, your vocals add a fresh emotional depth to classic D&B sounds, and Lens, your sets bridge different eras of the genre. How do you both approach balancing respect for drum & bass history while bringing something new to the table?

Emily Makis - We’ve both come from a place where culture has been really important in developing our artistry. I used to produce a podcast for Studio Drum and Bass which helped broaden my knowledge. I think it’s important to listen to as wide a range of different sonics within the genre as possible - we wanted to give this tune the old-school meets new-school approach, where the route of the sound is very much ‘old school’ but the end product has a new wave twist

Lens - I believe there’s an undeniable power in understanding the roots of drum & bass and sound system culture—it’s the foundation of everything that came after. I personally love the D&B from back in the 90’s early 2000s the most. The groove, the rawness, the sampling. I tend to spend hours digging for music from that era that I can play in my sets, so it’s easy for me to keep the balance as it comes so naturally. Of course, it’s essential to stay in tune with the current trends and evolve your sets, but it’s just as important to stay true to your own style and not just play crowd-pleasers. Know the history, respect it, and let it guide you in creating your own path forward.

With "Danger Zone" dropping, what’s next for each of you? Can we expect more collaborations, solo projects, or any exciting performances coming up that fans should look forward to?

Emily Makis - Definitely. All the above. Plus a music video

Lens - My debut UK tour ‘Moving Mad’ kicks off in March. Something I’ve been dreaming of! I’ll be playing extended sets whilst dipping into different genres. I’m going to really push my boundaries as a DJ, as well as testing out new music I’ve been working on that should be dropping this year too!

Connect with Emily Makis and DJ Lens on Instagram at @emi1ymakis and @lens_dnb.