UK DnB (nMe)Part 1

When you read the words Drum and Bass, what do you think of?

Squat raves in abandoned warehouses? People out of their minds on recreational drugs? Or about the hypnotic drum beat that will keep you on your feet until 6am? Maybe it’s all of these, or maybe it’s none. Whatever image is conjured up in your mind, disregard that for a moment, as I show you the world of Drum and Bass through my eyes.

Not that I knew it was Drum and Bass at the time, but the first DnB record that I enjoyed listening to was ‘Slam’ by Pendulum; I’m not sure I appreciated it for its’ creative merit. I must’ve only been around 10 at the time, but I do remember being fascinated at this music that to me, felt like it was breaking so many “rules” that the music of my childhood had somehow created in my mind. It was incredibly fast, there weren’t any lyrics you could sing along to, let alone the overwhelming low-end and harsh, in your face melodies.

Fast-forward to 2021, I’m 21, Drum and Bass is well established in my musical taste. From my first rave at Electric Brixton (DJ Dominator’s Memorial Rave) to Hybrid Minds at a Reading Uni student night, there hasn’t been a Drum and Bass event that I haven’t enjoyed.

Let me take you back to the 1990s; Acid House, Techno and Hardcore ruled the dance music scene. Like throughout Human history though, pioneers were always looking forward.

These pioneers included DJs like Goldie, Kemistry & Storm, Fabio & Grooverider, Jumpin Jack Frost to name a few and the songs they were producing were unlike any other at the time, bringing a new combination of musicality and emotion to dance music. Despite leading this movement, the majority of these DJs still operate under the same alias’ to this day.

So what actually is Drum and Bass?

Generally, DnB tracks fall between 170-175 Bpm, compared to Techno’s 120-125 and House’s 115-130. This obviously is a very telling characteristic, arguably though, the hallmark of a DnB track is the fast, broken drum beat.

Like other dance music, producers would use samples to create their beats, the three main samples of the 90s being the Amen, Apache and Funky Drummer breaks.

I could explain these to you and their importance in wider popular music; but that would fill another article in itself, so I advise you to research them in your own time as they are woven into the fabric of music history ever since they were recorded.

Of course, like other dance music, there is a clear structure to songs, generally an intro, build up, drop, 2nd drop, bridge, 3rd drop, then the song will play out (this is a rough outline, not all will follow this formula).

Which leads me to the last main component of Drum and Bass; the MC. They have various roles, some people take the more Master of Ceremonies approach, hyping up the crowd and generally creating good vibes. Some are Mic Controllers, who will still do things like previously mentioned, but their main skills lie in their ability to rap and improvise to impress the crowd and enhance the musical experience.

This part of DnB was heavily adopted from Reggae and Soundsystem culture, hence why Jungle became such a massive part of the early DnB world and still a huge part of it today.

This is the first article of a 2-parter, so if you found yourself liking this one then make sure you look out for the next! I’ll be focusing on how Drum and Bass has come to grow into the mainstream, who the big players are now and the direction of DnB in the future.

If you didn’t like it (let me know why), then come back any way, have a look around the site, I’m certain you will find something that tickles your fancy!

Jae Maclaughlin