(by 17 people)
A Musical Form I Love Dearly
I've always had a big interest in music and for many years now have had a great love for drum and bass music. Not only do I listen to the genre of music but I'm greatly into mixing it also. There's nothing more satisfying than pulling off the perfect DJ set.
I personally got into Drum and Bass music most heavily I would say around 2003. This was the year that Andy C's first 'Nightlife' compilation album emerged on the shelves and I was a massive fan of this. The Roni Size/Reprazent album 'New Forms' had appealed to me hugely back in 1997 but other than this little else in the Drum and Bass genre had ever really attracted me. In 2003 I got decks for the first time and began to DJ for myself. It was an excellent time in my life, never before had I ever felt such love for dance music. I felt like an accepted member of a community, I was a part of the Drum and Bass scene and couldn't have possibly loved it any more. Five years down the line and I still have much love for the music, it's a great genre and has I feel become increasingly better throughout time.
There are times when the output of music within the Drum and Bass genre is not great; most of the time however the scene has plenty to offer and certainly does not disappoint. Magazines such as ATM and Knowledge are fantastic for finding out more about the music, there are however various internet communities throughout the web that also are fantastic knowledge bases for the genre.
As a huge fan of drum and bass music I thought it would be a great idea to compile a history of the genre; a knowledge base and general resource for one of my favourite musical genres of all time.
What You'll Find Here
- The Early Days of the Genre
- The Fantastic Roni Size track Brown Paper Bag
- The Jungle Name is Dropped
- Jungle Is Massive...
- From Kool FM to Radio 1
- Fasten Your SeatBelts People
- The Emergence of Techstep
- The Classic Flava 4 Raver
- The Role of Internet Forum Communities
- The Current State of Drum and Bass
- Drum and Bass Albums Through The Ages
- Your Thoughts?
- Favourite Drum and Bass Albums?
The Early Days of the Genre
To begin with Drum and Bass was known as Jungle; a term that has in fact been banded around for many years throughout the dub, reggae, and dancehall genres. Although the term first emerged in the 70s, Jungle of the 90s was very much the beginning of the Drum and Bass genre. For those that are familiar with the Justin Kerrigan directed 1999 British film 'Human Traffic' then you may be familiar with the 'Junglist Movement' t-shirt that was worn in this film. In certain scenes a red Junglist Movement t-shirt can be seen worn by the actor Shaun Parkes. Junglist Soldier is a term that was often used in the early days of the genre, more recently the term 'drum and bass soldier' has also been coined and is in fact used in a number of drum and bass tracks.In the early days of drum and bass/jungle there were a number of pioneering names in the scene. People such as Goldie, Fabio, Grooverider, Andy C, Roni Size, and DJ Hype were early stars of the jungle genre; names that continue to be big players in the scene right to this day. The drum and bass/jungle scene is perhaps one of the hardest genres to break through in as an artist, it's not a massively mainstream genre of music anyway but there are many that produce the music and very few that have actually achieved any serious degree of success. Many of the big DJs/producers in the genre have been around since the very early days, newcomers to the scene therefore stand quite a slim chance of ever making it particularly big. It's often the case in drum and bass that it's not what you know, it's who you know; the more contacts you're in touch with, the more chance you have of DJing at big dates around the country and the greater opportunity you have in order to make a name for yourself.
The Fantastic Roni Size track Brown Paper Bag
The Jungle Name is Dropped
Effectively Jungle and Drum and Bass are the same genre, there's a key difference however in that the early Jungle sound created was very much a ragga influenced one. Drum and Bass is a more general term and one that is used to describe a more diverse sound than that of Jungle. Drum and Bass is known under various different names and abbreviations such as Drum & Bass, DnB, D&B, and Drum n Bass also. Whatever way you want to spell it; it's still the same supreme genre of music though.It is sometimes seen that General Levy's 'Incredible' was the track that forced the change of the Jungle name. Ali G can be seen playing and in fact singing along to the track in the film 'Ali G In Da House', in the track General Levy makes statements such as 'Jungle is Massive' and more controversially 'I Am Jungle' also. Jungle was already acquiring a bad name for itself and General Levy's egotistical stance certainly didn't help the matter. The name Drum and Bass was formed due to the necessity of artists to leave the Jungle tag behind, to move forward and lose the bad name that Jungle had gained. Jungle became a sound of the past and Drum and Bass stepped in to fill its place.
Jungle Is Massive...
From Kool FM to Radio 1
In 1995 the BBC gave Drum and Bass a Friday night timeslot on Radio 1 with their 'One In The Jungle' show. These studio shows were pre-recorded and played out at 10pm every Friday night as though they were live. For the first time Drum and Bass was being played out to the masses, different DJs and MCs would host the show each week and the One In The Jungle Friday Night showcase ran between the years of 1995 and 1998. One In The Jungle began with a one hour pilot show before securing its slot, in 2001 Radio 1 brought about another drum and bass show in the form of the aptly titled Drum & Bass Show With Fabio and Grooverider. The Fabio & Grooverider show ran until November 2007 when Grooverider was imprisoned for drug trafficking and Fabio now flies the flag for the show alone.Before Radio 1 gave Drum and Bass the time of day the only way to listen to the genre was to hear it on pirate radio stations such as Kool FM. Pirate radio without doubt helped to form a fan base for the genre, without pirate radio stations such as Kool FM then the Drum and Bass genre probably would have died a horrible death long ago. Kool FM is the longest running drum and bass radio station in the world; it's been around since 1991 and still it can be found going strong at 94.6FM London, and at kool946fm.co.uk also.
It took the BBC four years to cotton on to the popularity of the Drum and Bass genre, stations such as Kool FM are still held in incredibly high regard by many and must be respected for having been there since the beginning. Successful stations such as Kiss FM and 1Xtra cover the genre also now, specially respect certainly has to go out to Radio 1 however for bring Drum and Bass to the mass however and to the pirate radio stations of old also for putting the music out there and creating a buzz about the sound.
Fasten Your SeatBelts People
The Emergence of Techstep
In the late 90s it seemed that what had started out as Jungle and transformed to Drum and Bass was about to be replaced with Techstep. Techstep is a dark drum and bass sound, a type of music which takes on a heavy techno influence and is incredibly dark in tone. The fresh and jazzy sounds of old were no longer in favour, Techstep seemed to be the future and the direction in which all or at least most artists seemed to be heading. The popularity of garage had meant that the general public had turned its back on Drum and Bass, a darker sound was commercially required and Techstep was the genre to do it.Techstep is a dark Drum and Bass style, a sound created by such artists as Bad Company, Calyx, and Teebee also. The darkness of the genre seemingly appealed to many around the time of the late 90s and was created by many as a supremely successful sound.
Drum and Bass looked set to meet its end as a genre of music, Techstep had taken over but there was still to be another twist in the tale. Singles such as The Professionals 'Flava 4 Raver', and Shy FX and T-Power's 'Shake UR Body' injected the fun back into the Drum and Bass genre and once more Drum and Bass was made popular. The bouncy sound was back and techstep was forced to 'step' aside.
Techstep emerged, the popularity of Techstep dwindled, ultimately however Techstep still resides within the genre and is one of the many sounds currently being created in the Drum and Bass genre of music.
The Classic Flava 4 Raver
The Role of Internet Forum Communities
When looking at the history of Drum and Bass music I feel that it is incredibly important to consider the role of such internet websites as Dogs On Acid and Drum & Bass Arena also; two websites with highly active and extremely popular forums.The Drum & Bass Arena website has been active now since 1996, in 2001 the first Drum & Bass Arena compilation album was released and it is I feel an extremely important website in the Drum & Bass scene of today. For many years now the Drum & Bass Arena forums have been thriving; I've been a member since around the year 2003 now and I must say that never have I seen the forums quiet. Always there are plenty of members posting, it's a massively popular website and the forum community therefore is vast. Since the inception of the Drum & Bass Arena compilation album in 2001 there have been many further efforts put out there on the behalf of the Drum & Bass Arena website. Such names as Goldie, Fabio & Grooverider, DJ Zinc, and Andy C also have all contributed compilation albums in the series.
It could perhaps be seen that the 10th Anniversary album which was released in 2007 is the most important Drum & Bass Arena Compilation album of them all. Mixed by Andy C and Grooverider also, the album is a double-disc release featuring 52 of the finest Drum & Bass tracks of all time. The album features Drum and Bass tracks both old and new, it truly is a fine compilation of music and a strong collection of finely mixed Drum and Bass tunes. This compilation I feel shows just how far the Drum & Bass Arena website has come over the years, having been mixed by two of the scenes oldest hands it really does showcase Drum and Bass mixing at its most impressive.
Dogs On Acid is quite a new website compared to that of Drum & Bass Arena, it has still been around for a while however and the website has in fact been active now since 2001. In the words of the website Dogs On Acid is 'The world's largest dance music forum', as well as having an incredibly active and exciting forum the website also covers such subjects as reviews, interviews, and up to date Drum and Bass/Jungle news also. The website features an extensive online shop, something that the Drum & Bass Arena website does in fact feature also.
Both Drum & Bass Arena and Dogs On Acid are I feel excellent resources for members to utilise to their best advantage. Due to the popularity of the forums if you have any issues/require help at all then there are always plenty there to offer advice. This can be greatly useful particularly in the areas of mixing/Drum and Bass production; other members can assist greatly with your progression in these fields and offer tips as to how you may be able to improve the quality of your work. Drum & Bass Arena has contributed heavily to compilation albums in the genre, both websites are I feel vital to consider in the history of Drum and Bass however as they are so popular and give the Drum and Bass community a place to communicate and collaborate, share ideas and assist/guide others in order to help them produce their finest work/mix their most incredible set.
The Current State of Drum and Bass
Some will argue that the genre of Drum and Bass has seen better days, that these are dark times and that the glory days of old are well and truly gone. Take a look at the charts however; Pendulum is a huge commercial success and by all accounts very much a Drum and Bass artist.There is currently no definitive drum and bass sound, there are merely a series of different sounds and no single one is particularly more predominant than any other. The following are the various different Drum and Bass sounds that are currently being created:
- Ambient
- Clownstep
- Darkstep
- Drumfunk
- Futurestep
- Hardstep
- Jazz and Bass (Jazzstep)
- Jump Up
- Liquid
- Neurofunk
- Sambass (a term coined for Brazilian Drum and Bass)
- Techstep
- Trancestep (Electrostep)
Drum and Bass is still a fairly small genre of music, it's followed by many but in such a way that it has never been massive. It's a popular genre of music but without being particularly mainstream, Pendulum is currently huge but no other artist in the scene is currently achieving anywhere near that sort of success. Hospital Records is perhaps one of the strongest record labels in the genre at current, High Contrast is just one of the many great artists recording and releasing music on this label and never does the Hospital Records output of music disappoint.
In 2007 the first ever XtraBass Awards took place, an awards ceremony held in order to reward artists with awards of excellence in the genre of Drum&Bass. The Awards were held in association with the BBCs 1Xtra radio station; a radio station originally launched in 2002 in order to show appreciation for and bring more mass media attention to urban music. The first ever XtraBass Awards was another leap forward for the genre of Drum and Bass, a never sign of the growing popularity of the genre and the love that people have for the music. The BBC has always shown great support for the UK Drum and Bass scene, it launched One In The Jungle in 1995 and just over a decade later put forward the first ever XtraBass Awards also. Drum and Bass is a genre of music that is currently going strong; I think that the BBCs bringing about of the XtraBass Awards is something that further proves this.
In summer 2007 Drum and Bass music featured prominently at UK dance music festivals such as Creamfields, Global Gathering, and Escape Into The Park also. Drum and Bass is obviously quite a well respected and much appreciated genre of dance music, not one of those festivals showcased Drum and Bass music on the main stage however. It's nice to know that Drum and Bass fans are catered for at dance music festivals, the genre is a little under appreciated I feel in the UK at least however. Serbia has Exit festival, around much of Europe there is also the Patife festival; both of these often show their love for Drum and Bass music and this is a great thing to see.
Drum and Bass music is currently appreciated the world over, it's a genre of music that I personally have nothing but love for and in the future I'd love to witness the furthered growth of the genre. Drum and Bass is appreciated by many but perhaps by not enough. Over the years I've found that the Drum and Bass community is an extremely friendly one, I've met many great people through attending Drum and Bass club nights and always the atmosphere at these events has been excellent. Everyone is there out of a great appreciation for the music, a love for Drum and Bass and an admiration for 180 beats per minute.
The current state of the Drum and Bass scene is excellent, the genre is splintered with so many different sub-genres but still the music is strong. Such energy and life is encased within the Drum and Bass sound; I thoroughly recommend giving the music a listen and perhaps giving a club night a try also. I'll never forget the first time I attended a Drum and Bass club night and I'm sure it's the same for everyone else also. The Drum and Bass movement is strong and the future my friends is incredibly bright.
Article References
Along with my own personal knowledge base here are a few of the sources I used to help compile this History of Drum and Bass article.
- BBC 1Xtra Drum and Bass Timeline
- An excellent timeline of Drum and Bass history compiled by the BBC. It's brief and basic but still serves its purpose incredibly well.
- Knowledge Magazine
- Various Knowledge Magazines used in order to compile facts about Drum and Bass festivals and releases.
- One In The Jungle Wiki from The Mixing Bowl
- A fantastic wiki about the One In The Jungle Radio 1 show that ran between the years of 1995 and 1998.
- Radio 1 DJ Jailed on Drug Charge
- BBC article about the imprisonment of former Radio 1 Drum and Bass DJ Grooverider.
- Wikipedia Article: History of Drum and Bass
- An excellent wikipedia entry on the History of Drum and Bass written by several dedicated fans of the genre.
Drum and Bass Albums Through The Ages
1995 - Goldie releases his first album aptly titled 'Timeless'.1996 - 'Still Smokin' is released, the first album from the now legendary DJ Hype.
1997 - Roni Size releases 'New Forms' through the Talkin' Loud Label, an album that features the absolute Drum and Bass classic of 'Brown Paper Bag'.
1998 - Goldie makes a return with his second release 'Ring of Saturn'.
1999 - The first London Elektricity album emerges as 'Pull the Plug' is released through Hospital Records
2000 - Photek throttles forward with 'Solaris'.
2001 - The Drum&Bass Arena Website takes its first steps into the world of compilation albums.
2002 - 'True Colours' emerges, the first album from High Contrast.
2003 - Andy C releases the first 'Nightlife' compilation album.
2004 - High Contrast releases a super second album in the form of 'High Society'.
2005 - Pendulum release 'Hold Your Colour', an album featuring many an excellent drum and bass track.
2006 - Q-Project releases 'Renaissance Man', an excellent album away from the Total Science tag.
2007 - 'Malice in Wonderland' is given its release through the Metalheadz label. (Aritst: Rufige Kru)
2008 - 'New Forms²' is released, a Roni Size remake of the original 1997 album release.
Your Thoughts?
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totalhealth
I am fascinated with people who are good in drums, I wanted to play myself but haven't tried. good luck, nice lens. Posted September 18, 2008 |
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nytclubber
drum and bass is a good genre. not really one of my favorites but i listen to it from time to time. nice lens! Posted September 08, 2008 |
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hearthealth
Was 4Hero into drum n bass? Thanks for the great info man! 5* and faved! Btw, so hows the livetronica scene in the UK? Posted June 13, 2008 |
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poddys
Nice lens, great job. You get 5***** from me. Posted May 30, 2008 |
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LDWorld
good job,man Posted May 24, 2008 |
Favourite Drum and Bass Albums?
Hold Your Colour (reissue)
Eagerly anticipated 2007 sophomore album from the more...1 point
Return to V
Thrive Records is proud to announce the release of more...1 point
With "Return to V," Size has returned to the groundbreaking, vocal-infused futurism t...
1 point
Vol. 4- Nightlife
Nightlife 4 seems more eagerly anticipated than ei more...0 points
New Forms II
2008 release, coinciding with the 10th Anniversary more...0 points
Renaissance Man
Includes unreleased tracks 'Future Look', 'Free to more...0 points
Drum and Bass Arena: The Classics
2 CD set. Genre bending, floor leading, master-min more...0 points
The Ultimate Drum and Bass Album
2008 three CD set. The Drum 'N' Bass scene has del more...0 points
Some Excellent Drum and Bass Links
- Alt-UK: My Music Website
- A music website covering a large array of musical genres including Drum and Bass.
- ATM - Drum and Bass, Beats & Breaks Magazine
- ATM is the worlds longest running mag for Drum & Bass. Inside you'll find a plethora of interviews with the scenes elite and words of wisdom from some of DnBs most established names. (These words are theirs, not my own...I think this adequately sums up the magazine however).
- BBC 1Xtra
- The BBC Home for Drum and Bass Music. A great place to visit for people all around the world. At the BBC website you'll be able to catch up with all of the latest Drum&Bass shows from the past week online.
- Chemical Records
- A great place for buying drum and bass vinyl, DJ equipment, items of music production excellence, and quality clothing also.
- Dogs On Acid
- An excellent forum for drum and bass music, the largest dance music forum on the web apparently.
- Drum&Bass Arena
- The Biggest Drum and Bass resource on the Internet. Updated daily with all the latest DnB news.
- Hypersound Radio: My Drum&Bass Radio Station
- Hypersound Radio in an online radio station which will soon be hosting daily radio shows covering various genres of music, most importantly of all Drum and Bass.
- Knowledge Magazine
- Perhaps the best Drum and Bass magazine that money can buy; most definitely in fact.
- Rich Leigh's World of Blog
- My personal blog where I discuss such topics as Drum and Bass music, sport, and TV also.
