Any one into Jungle/Drum 'N Bass? I caught a bit at a friend’s the other night and really liked it. I want to pick up some more for my iPod since it’s great music to listen to at the gym. Can any one recommend any particular artists or compilations that are good? Is there someone who is acknowledged as the current “king” of the genre? thanks!
Check the AMG page.
Two words:
Amon Tobin
Drum-n-bass hit its peak in the mid-to-late nineties, quickly fracturing off into countless subgenres and essentially fizzling out. There are people still DJ’ing it and making it, but they’re holdovers from a scene that has definitely peaked and been done with.
That aside, there are a few records that any discenring listener would consider “classics” of the era. Allow me to suggest them.
Roni Size and Reprazent - “New Forms” - One of the more sprawling and epic DnB albums, this dropped in '98 and put Roni Size (and his crew, Reprazent) on the map. Roni Size’s angle or shtick was that he did a very earthy and organic take on the genre - using jazzy upright bass instead of synthesized bass, a live drummer instead of sampled breakbeats, with flutes and other live/real instruments and vocalists rounding out the sound. “Brown paper bag” from this record was one of the biggest DnB singles of the decade.
LTJ Bukem - “Producer” - While “Logcal Progression” is his classic DJ mix album from '96, this early 00’s compilation collects the songs that he used on that classic mix alongside other contemporary DnB artists. Bukem’s whole “liquid” sound - smooth, jazzy, soulful, even bordering on ambient at times, except for the skittering jungle beats - was a more laid-back and contemplative strain of the genre, chillout music that still featured intricate and danceable beats.
Goldie - “Timeless” - Goldie was the artist that put DnB on the map, and its “Inner City Life” was the single. Coming out of the hardcore techno scene, Goldie drew from hip hop, R&B, and dub reggae for his brand of drum-n-bass. Soulful diva vocals, deep sub-bass, and intricate, chopped-up breakbeats are Goldie’s weapons. He and his Metalheadz crew ruled the scene in the mid-nineties and all-but wrote the book on the genre.
Photek - “Modus Operandi” - My vote for the most artistically sound and non-trend-obsessed of the drum-n-bass crowd, Photek’s angle was jazzy, super-minimal drum-n-bass; many tracks are literally just drums and (upright) bass, sounding like two seasoned jazz session players giving each other a workout. Famous for using 100+ different snare drum samples on each song, Photek’s records sound like two live players jamming with each other in a room, even though they’re meticulously programmed with samples.
Amon Tobin - While Tobin isn’t a strict Drum-n-bass artist - he fits more in the Ninja Tune camp of people who like to throw all genres and all samples in a blender together - some of his best work was definitely drum-n-bass-informed. I recommend “Permutation,” though many feel that “Supermodified” is his best.
Dieselboy - “The Sixth Session” - as drum-n-bass went onward, the genre got faster, darker, and harder, to the point where it was almost too fast and heavy to dance to and only aggressive men were into it. This ultimately led to the depopularization of the genre (when the ladies leave the dancefloor, the music that drove them awa is the first thing to go), but DJ’s like Dieselboy came to fame in the movement’s ninth hour with by spinning that heavy, threatening stuff. Make no mistake, this stuff practically sounds like electronic death metal - deep, growling basslines, distorted jackhammer beats, bomb and siren sounds - it’s complete insanity.
That should work as a primer. If you have any more questions, hit up this thread!
holy crap! nobody even mentions my tunes? sheesh…
not all D&B (and most don’t even really qualify even loosely), but all are available free at this place
Recommend Saturday Night At The Church Of The Goldenboy (Bassteroids Deluxe Mix) as the most closely D&B
and $5 Lift Ticket as the best to chill out with afterward.
Thanks for listening! I love my fans!
Bo
Welp, all I gotta do now is wait for VCO3 to come back and tell me why none of my stuff is D&B… lol :smack: