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knox posted:Posted this in the old thread awhile ago and people were feeling it, for anybody who hasn't heard it: Matty G's stuff is great. 50,000 Watts was a real big boneshaker of a tune back in the day that's kind of been forgotten about now I think. Though I still think My 808 is still the best thing he's ever done. Just to reinforce my theory that anything with an 808 in it can't be all that bad. Argon who's put out most of his stuff is great too and folks should really have a dig around it's catalogue. Really shows that - despite recent events - Americans were on the Dubstep thing early and also pumping out good tunes. Argon also had a few of D&B folk on the label as well(beyond the first few releases which were actually D&B). And they actually made good Dubstep. Imagine that? Anything is possible I guess.
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Jul 8, 2011 17:33
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Resident Advisor did a video report talking about the scene in Bristol, it is pretty cool. Julio Bashmore (loving boss), Hyetal, Pinch and others talk about how it all clicks. It's pretty cool. Check it out! http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1360
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Jul 8, 2011 18:59
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Weaponized Cum posted:Resident Advisor did a video report talking about the scene in Bristol, it is pretty cool. Julio Bashmore (loving boss), Hyetal, Pinch and others talk about how it all clicks. It's pretty cool. What's the track playing around 2min please ? EDIT: julio bashmore - battle for middle you (tracklist is at the end, duh) Cool video, looking forward to more. Thanks for the response on production btw 28GBB, post your tunes once you get back in business ! 
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Jul 8, 2011 20:09
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An0 posted:What's the track playing around 2min please ? Cool video, looking forward to more. Julio Bashmore - Battle For Middle You Such a great video, really inspiring tbh.
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Jul 8, 2011 20:13
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stationlost posted:Julio Bashmore - Battle For Middle You I don't know about that. Look at what Pinch was rolling in! A bloody Fiesta! Look what Source Direct and Photek were driving in 96! A pair of M3s and a Ferrari 348! loving shocking if you ask me. I expect my musicians and DJs to act accordingly dammit!
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Jul 8, 2011 20:46
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lol yeah seen those before, meant more in the context of the scene though. I live in suburban Florida, only scene we've got here is brostep and wait for it...brostep.
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Jul 8, 2011 20:52
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I need to correctly label the music I'm currently listening to. Is Figure dubstep, drumstep or brostep? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMAqaglR4uw&feature=related If this is in fact brostep and I like it, does that make me a bad person?
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Jul 9, 2011 00:21
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Velvet Elvis posted:I need to correctly label the music I'm currently listening to. Is Figure dubstep, drumstep or brostep? This is really really loving bro. And it sucks. What ever that implies about your personality, I do not care enough to discuss.
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Jul 9, 2011 00:29
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28 Gun Bad Boy posted:I don't know about that. Look at what Pinch was rolling in! A bloody Fiesta! Look what Source Direct and Photek were driving in 96! A pair of M3s and a Ferrari 348! loving shocking if you ask me. I expect my musicians and DJs to act accordingly dammit! I can't imagine photek driving anything but one of those wipe out hovercars... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esHpGuBkGys
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Jul 9, 2011 02:27
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mr box posted:I can't imagine photek driving anything but one of those wipe out hovercars... drat I can't even remember those being in the actual game. I used to love me some Wipeout, one of the first games I ever had for the PSX. I don't know if it's wrong though that Photek stuff just seems perfect for those types of games. The Cold Storage stuff was great an all. Looking at the tracklist for the newer games, man they're nowhere near as good! Thank god I don't have a PS3 or else I'd be disappointed.
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Jul 9, 2011 02:48
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Anybody have any favorite compilation albums they reccommend to people who want a good idea of the variety of dubstep? Self made compilations are the best, but Ive had good luck telling my friends to listen to The Sound of Dubstep 2 by MoS, I think its a decent compilation that has a good variety, even a couple brostep tracks for good measure haha. Usually gives me a good idea of what else to have them listen to. Then I usually throw Dubstep Allstars at them once they're into it. Comedy option...UKF Dubstep compilation albums.
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Jul 9, 2011 03:24
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stationlost posted:lol yeah seen those before, meant more in the context of the scene though. I live in suburban Florida, only scene we've got here is brostep and wait for it...brostep. I live in Miami and you're wrong.
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Jul 9, 2011 04:05
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Weaponized Cum posted:I live in Miami and you're wrong. Well I don't live in Miami, I live in Tampa/St. Pete. Few years back there were people playing all sorts but now its literally just brostep night after brostep night. Wouldn't really call Miami suburban either lol...
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Jul 9, 2011 07:58
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New Kuedo's quite good. Didn't expect much from Jamie Vex'd after that Dream Sequence EP left me so cold. One of the "new" tracks is actually a Slugabed remix that went so far off-course they decided to present it as a Kuedo original. Mike Paradinas also puts in the first remix work of his that I've liked in some time.
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Jul 9, 2011 08:09
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unknown poster posted:Anybody have any favorite compilation albums they reccommend to people who want a good idea of the variety of dubstep? Self made compilations are the best, but Ive had good luck telling my friends to listen to The Sound of Dubstep 2 by MoS, I think its a decent compilation that has a good variety, even a couple brostep tracks for good measure haha. Usually gives me a good idea of what else to have them listen to. Honestly I'd throw them in the deep end with the Dubstep Allstars comps straight away. Let them swim or drown I say. Between that and the relevant Rinse CDs I think that's a good solid foundation. There is that Rinse I Love Dubstep comp as well (though now I think of it they're all getting on a bit. Has there actually been a lack of decent compilations the past year or two or have I just completely ignored a bunch?) Oh and GetDarker have also had a couple of CDs out as well. There latest being This Is Dubstep 2011. In all truth I've never heard them, and looking at the track listing, well let's just say I'd have zero problems if half the tracks never even existed, but it might be what you're after. Elsewhere Planet Mu have their newest comp, 14 Tracks. Bit of a mixed bag really but worth it for a Rossi B & Luca track. And Soul Jazz had their Future Bass album out last year if you want to maybe showcase a slightly different sound(though it had a Coki track on it so shouldn't be too much of a shock), that was pretty decent. Hot Flush has it's recent Back And 4th comp which is a nice spectrum of stuff that includes some stuff people wank themselves off on like Mount Kimbie and Joy O. Oh and that new Black Box thing by DJ Madd. I've not got it though I should as I really like Black Box and it's so cheap at less than a fiver! It's really rootsy(Jesus Christ did I actually just use that term?) Dubstep stuff like what Youngsta would play so not really that far away from the jump up stuff. If y'know, the jump up stuff was actually good and interesting and had the ability to actually make some good tunes. Bizarrely a years ago I would've said what Youngsta was playing was maybe the more user friendly, jumpy uppy bangers and anthems. How times change. Like I said though if it was me I'd be the dick I usually am and drop them in the thick of it Vietnam style. Rig up something with speakers that are actually bigger than your thumbnail and let loose. Like that guy from Dazed & Confused said, Men! 50 of you are goin' into the jungle, 25 of you ain't coming back! They'll either get it and be cool or you know they're losers who suck and you probably shouldn't be friends with them anyway. They're the ones that are probably stealing poo poo from your wallet and making out with your girlfriend right now if you think about it, and who wants to be friends with those types? Or you know I could be being my usual over-dramatic self and they just don't like the music, whatever. thepopstalinist posted:New Kuedo's quite good. Didn't expect much from Jamie Vex'd after that Dream Sequence EP left me so cold. One of the "new" tracks is actually a Slugabed remix that went so far off-course they decided to present it as a Kuedo original. Mike Paradinas also puts in the first remix work of his that I've liked in some time. Just listening to the samples the now and I'm not a fan of this one either. Like you said the EP he had out last year was very disappointing and this just continues the trend in my mind. Actually not really been that much of a fan of what Jamie Vex'd has put out since the whole Vex'd thing was put down. The In System Travel thing was okay, as was that Starkey remix. But that's been about it, at least that I can think of.
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Jul 9, 2011 14:15
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New Machinedrum is the poo poo
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Jul 9, 2011 20:03
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I liked the new Kuedo EP, but then again it hit all the right buttons for me with its samples.
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Jul 9, 2011 21:23
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So folks just to let you know Part 4 of my UK Bass History Guide is shaping up and should - with any luck - appear tomorrow night. Hopefully. Unless I procrastinate more. Which I may do as procrastination is a skill I truly feel I was born with. Like how Usain Bolt can run real fast, I can also spend hours doing nothing really constructive at all, without being bored and feeling like I've wasted time. However you guys will probably be in luck since I'm currently giving my recently upgraded copy of Firefox the finger for being a dick and changing stuff and really throwing me off my rhythm and confusing me. As much as I love technology I also can be a bit of a conservative zen hippy about my UI. I don't use tabs and (finally) upgrading from Firefox 3 to 5 which puts the open in new tab bit up top when I right click is driving me insane and just about ready to put my foot through the screen. Between that and no full time bottom status bar, not a happy bunny. It offends my vague, unorthodox karmic feng shui sub-conscious soul. Nothing but negative vibes from it and it disrupts my inner peace man.  But luckily nothing has changed in OpenOffice so you guys get to hear some of the tunes that didn't make the final list. A short but sweet 5 numbers, but they're all good so have a listen. Fourth Dimension "Wonderland (After Dark Recordings, 1993) Fourth Dimension was - as I've found out over the years - one of the many, many alias Dave Charlesworth created to put out his music. His most famous probably being After Dark which put out tunes such as this on the Orbital/Out Of Orbit stables, as well as a side on Moving Shadows excellent 2-On-1 series. And let's be honest anyone who can actually successfully incorporate a Donna Summer sample into their Hardcore tune deserves a listen. Wonderland meanwhile is one of those classic tracks that walks that fine line between Hardcore Euphoria and Jungle Darkness. Rolling piano combines with high pitched vocals giving sections of the track a real frenetic feel to it, but the tune suddenly drops down one step into slightly darker territory at times. That euphoric grace just flying too close to the sun, having to dip back down before it gets completely burned. As soon as I thought of Darkside Jungle as a theme for my next part of my guide I immediately knew Dave Charlesworth would end up there somewhere. And he is. But as this is going to be one jam packed section I couldn't fill up space with the same artist twice. So look forward to an altogether more darker appearance from him in the guide. Megadrive "Mega 2" (F-Project, 1993) Just to prove I don't know everything, I always thought the artist on this was simply Mega 2. Maybe it is, but Discogs and everywhere else says otherwise so who am I to argue? In some ways I actually prefer Formation sub-label F-Project to Formation itself. Quasi-white label attitude, with actual labels but sans most anything bar the F-Project name and the artist name, F-Project really put out a lot of real ruffneck tunes. Sometimes a bit more straight forward, simply dark and energetic as gently caress Hardcore Jungle Tekno. Always ruff, always effective. This ended up on the chopping block simply because in terms of influence and what you're most likely to hear, it's probably not going to be an F-Project tune. So instead in the actual guide you're treated to some 'real' Formation tunes. Naturally typing this up has just reminded me of The Man From Formation and that EP on F-Project which is a favourite of mine, so god dammit here's a track from that. This is almost as bad as me forgetting to include Meat Beat Manifesto's Radio Babylon in the last section, I'll never live that down, maybe I should just stealth edit it in, hmm... Bonny & The Highlander "Cool Breeze (Mickey Finn's Breeze Mix)" (Pirate Club Records, 1993) Who loves a piano? We all know I love a piano so this getting cut shocked even me. What's even more shocking is I don't believe I've actually included a Mickey Finn track in any of my guides so far (well okay he just did the remix than actually pushing the buttons), so again another opportunity missed. Anyway so here's an interesting tune that I think doesn't get much attention nowadays - despite the fact it appeared on a few comps and mixes back in the day. Really this track is just all about that piano and those vocals. A real haunting, melancholic tune that as much as it tries to be quite uplifting and soaring at times, always just puts in a comedown. But I mean that in a good way. I've always thought seemed like it could've been an Omni Trio track, it has a lot of those same elements as can be found in those tracks. I don't actually know who Bonny or The Highlander was, and I can't find my actual 12" copy of this on my shelf to check the credits there. It's not lost so much as I can't find it. Somewhere in it's generic sleeve in with the other generic discobags. I swear if it's stuck in the middle of a gatefold someone's gonna get hurt. Cool Hand Flex "Who's That" (De Underground Records, 1993) God drat do I love this tune. Probably the quintessential Cool Hand Flex tune if you ask me. There's not much else he's done better, and he has done a lot, Like the Kromestar of the Jungle scene. He's had out so much stuff I don't even know half of it! Anyway Who's That is a real proper Darkside Jungle tune. Shifting, swirling paranoia fueled dancefloor workout with a sub-bassline that gives you that free, first draw and you're left hooked, wanting more. Now if I love it so much why did I leave it off? This was a real hard one. You can find this one on one of my favourite compilations of all time. Jumpin' & Pumpin's Happiness & Darkness - Further Adventures In Jungle Tekno. Or as I simply call it Jungle Tekno Volume 2. Really you want the best of that 93 dark sound? This is what you want. A real influence to me and what really attracted me to this era of Jungle versus the later years. But in doing these guides I attempt to not just simply crib whole chunks off compilations. It's like copying a DJs mix to the exact track. Not good, so when I decided to put on another tune I love off that comp into my guide, this one had to go. Because Flex, unlike my other guy(though none of his tunes were bad either, don't get me wrong) manages to reach this height more than this one time. 4 Horsemen Of The Apocalypse "Drowning In Her (Tone Def Records, 1993) It was a tough choice between this track or the flip. In the end Drowning In Her won the battle but sadly lost the war, as it was brutally cut out at the last second. I always get a amazed when I read or hear how the vocal sample was produced. Taken from a Frankie Knuckles track, the "I'm drowning" is simply sampled forward, then put in reverse for the "in her" bit. So simple, but it always impresses me for some reason. This is a kind of bridging track between the 93 Jungle sound, and the more 'mature' and less strung out sounding tracks that would appear in 1994. Let's not kid ourselves, 4HOTA was just another name for Foul Play, so under my rules it had to go. I mean to be honest my rules are pretty flexible and I'm more than willing to drop them if I want to, but not in this case. I also felt that track didn't really fit in sonically with some of the other stuff I had. Like I said it's kind of pushing soundwise into the 1994 stuff, which I didn't really want to do right now. The great 93 Jungle tracks still had some of that Hardcore Rave spirit in it. A sense of euphoria and wonder. But on the brink of overdose. Come 94 and certainly by 95 a lot of that sense of joy and raw energy would be ejected completely. I actually suggest if people wanted to buy this single, I'd instead pick up the 2 10" remixes of it that came out in 1994. Dare I say it I just about prefer them to the original. Just a wee bit mind you!
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Jul 11, 2011 03:19
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28 Gun Bad Boy posted:4 Horsemen Of The Apocalypse this is one of the best dance tracks ever made imo
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Jul 11, 2011 10:00
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The new Jam City EP is really good. Some deep vibes going on. Does anyone know when the Trim release on Butterz is coming out?
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Jul 11, 2011 18:24
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Mike_V posted:The new Jam City EP is really good. Some deep vibes going on. 15th of August apparently. Another month at least.
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Jul 11, 2011 18:34
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Just wanted to say thanks to 28 Gun Bad Boy for the guides, a lot of tunes I know and love, learning a bit more about them is awesome. Kinda surprised when I went into this thread to see things like Second Phase, Acen, 2 Bad Mice, etc. Just absolutely spot on information with great classic tracks to compliment them. Also props to any producers in this thread, keep it up we aren't anything without you guys. Cheers
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Jul 11, 2011 19:11
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New Pinch single = Love at first listen.
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Jul 11, 2011 21:54
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28gbb/anyone else: where/how does congo natty and the like fit into all this ?
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Jul 11, 2011 23:57
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Hello goons. Recently I have taken a liking to grime-ey and dubstep-ey beats in (dutch) hiphop, and went in search for more. However, I don't know where to start! A small list of stuff I like: Matta Dizzee Rascal's early stuff Dutch: Zwart Licht Seven League Beats So I like the kinda repetitive tracks with loads of fat bass-lines. Can anyone recommend me more poo poo? Music that is "noisy" is OK for me as well, and I get the most enjoyment from the hard bass/beats, not from the melodic sections. I don't even know if this is the right thread!
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Jul 12, 2011 00:03
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congo natty = rebel mc = proto-junglist hero blending dub/reggae with 'ardcore http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b99sWWPCaL4
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Jul 12, 2011 00:10
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qwako posted:28gbb/anyone else: where/how does congo natty and the like fit into all this ? Well like mr box pointed out. Congo Natty is both the man (aka Rebel MC) but also a label. So it depends what you mean. Rebel MC was Ragga/proto-Hardcore housey hip-hop kinda thing. Similar to like Shut Up & Dance I guess. Under the name Congo Natty, Tribe of Issachar, Blackstar etc it's like Ragga Jungle stuff. Congo Natty the label, well that's just really straight jump-up Ragga Jungle/Drum & Bass. Samopsa posted:Hello goons. Recently I have taken a liking to grime-ey and dubstep-ey beats in (dutch) hiphop, and went in search for more. However, I don't know where to start! A small list of stuff I like: Since I'm a daft bastard, just to clear up you want grime stuff right? As I would be no help with Dutch anything, other than Mitchell Van Der Gaag was one of my favourite players in Motherwell's mid-90s squad. Oh and folks check back in the next 10 minutes or so (hopefully) because Part 4 is gonna drop!
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Jul 12, 2011 01:05
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Do you support Motherwell? They signed MyPa's manager Harri Kampman after we played them in the UEFA cup (or maybe the cup winners'), but he didn't last long. Dude is an unbearably stuck up bastard, decent coach in his day, we finished second five years in a row under him (it was hilarious).
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Jul 12, 2011 01:13
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Ras Het posted:Do you support Motherwell? They signed MyPa's manager Harri Kampman after we played them in the UEFA cup (or maybe the cup winners'), but he didn't last long. Dude is an unbearably stuck up bastard, decent coach in his day, we finished second five years in a row under him (it was hilarious). Wow I totally forgot he was even our manager for a bit. I was going to say he must've signed Simo Valakari, but he was there a couple of seasons before. He did sign Mikko Kaven but he wasn't so hot. Mind you it probably would've helped if he could have spoken English. Bah why am I complaining at least he signed people. Unlike now where we get left with some out of contract folk and English Championship players loaned to us. Scottish football, it's poo poo outside the Old Firm and no-one else has any money. Anyway guide coming up...
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Jul 12, 2011 01:23
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Welcome to the fourth part of my UK Bass history guide. I intend this to be a rough guide to the history of the current UK dance music scene. An attempt to educate and show people what came before. It's not meant to be a completely 100% accurate in-depth report of the sound and scene at the time, but is hopefully good enough that people will be able to understand and form the links in what has turned out to be a 20+ year old musical scene.   Timescale: Late 1992-Late 1993 Key Labels: Reinforced Records, Moving Shadow, Suburban Base, Basement Records, Formation Records, Dee Jay Recordings, Lucky Spin Records, RAM Records Last time in the guide we looked at the Hardcore Rave sound, both the overground and underground styles of that particular scene. Now though we continue further down that evolutionary river, now we enter the Jungle. A brief word here though, this type of sound has had several names over the years. Some were contemporary while others have been added later. Jungle Tekno, Hardcore Jungle, Jungle, Darkside Jungle, Darkcore. Many many names, all meaning the same thing really. But for this part when I say Darkside Jungle I just mean the type of Jungle that was made from roughly late 1992, to the end of 1993. If I use the term 'Jungle' on it's own in this part, this is what I mean. Again like in the rest of my guide don't get too hung up on the dates, they're more rough guidelines than rules and not meant to be some kind of 100% canon thing. So Darkside Jungle. As the Rave scene got bigger and bigger, the original core of the dance scene was either driven away, or abandoned it entirely. This could be said to generally consist of the more working class and streetwise type of folk, which also included a significant number from Britain's black community. Forced out of the mainstream these people developed their own sound, initially as a response to the mainstream (as can be seen in Part 2 of this guide). Darkside Jungle is just a further mutation of that Underground sound. More rougher, more dark sounding, Jungle was hated both in the clubs and the all-important music press when it first appeared. However the true heads kept it going, kept progressing the sound until eventually come the mid-point of the 90s the sound had so much force behind it it would explode globally and the pioneers reaped the commercial and critical success they had worked so hard to gain. But that was in the future. In late 92/early 93 the Jungle sound still had a lot of the Hardcore embedded in it's core sound, with things like fast energetic vocals and piano lines not uncommon. But juxtaposed with the sweet highs, the Darkside tracks could often harbour a type of musical bi-polar disorder, showing great big sudden swaps in mood as the upbeat piano would quickly switch to say a synthline that wouldn't be foreign to some kind of apocalypic wasteland, with booming low level sub-basslines and some sort of Ragga chanting over the top of it. All this just further reinforced that this was the music of the street. This was the future. This wasn't sugary, jumping in a muddy field off your tits in some raggedy anne clothes. This was do or die morning after, knife wielding, strung out hardcore street dance music, so full of character and attitude. That's why I love this sound. Jungle would never progress as fast as it did during 93, and never again would it harbour such ferocity and ingenuity in it's pursuit of the groove. But why take my word for it? It's time to get off the boat and explore that Jungle for yourself. Be careful though, you may not come back quite the same as when you left. Tube-Tape Playlist Link Kaotic Chemistry "Illegal Subs" (Moving Shadow, 1992) Kaotic Chemistry was just another name for Moving Shadow act 2 Bad Mice (remember them?). Here though, in this tune, they show a more extreme example of the rough, Ragga influenced music they were making as 2 Bad Mice. Pounding, tribal-esque breakbeats just sound like an futuristic army marching band as they form the central core battering ram of the track, constantly hammering away only for them to be rewound back, giving brief respite before they march forward again. Even the siren that blazes away shows a marked difference to the sirens of the mainstream sound. There they sound like just like some Italian football match, supporters chanting away together in support of their team. Here though, it just sounds like the sound of war. You half expect to see Hannibal crossing the Alps everytime that siren booms out. Nasty Habits "Here Come The Drumz" (Reinforced Records, 1992) Well as if the title of the tune didn't explain it all. I can only describe this as what happens when carpet bombing meets some kind of War Of The Worlds phaser-equipped alien invasion. With barely a intro, barely a brief warning that shouts "here comes the drums" comes in the earthquaking, rolling breakbeat that is like a infinite in size flight of Lancaster bombers while over it is just a constant high-pitched, laser like sound, like after the bombers come the UFOs that just burn and obliterate anything still alive, leaving the place barren. Dark, demonic synthetic choirs Oohs and Aahs as you're pitched headfirst down the rabbit hole, the only place left to go to escape the bombardment above. Truly welcome to the darkside. This sound will evolve underground, in the darkness. Like a Morlock, just biding it's time for the suckers in the light to come and open that cave door. Mega City 2 "Dark Child" (Extra Terrestrial Recordings, 1992) Definitely a more upbeat member of the Darkside circle here. Well I use the term upbeat loosely here. A more energetic, galloping break shines a bit more of a lighter vibe on the tune. Of course the rest is pretty much sheer darkness. A massive Reggae-ish bassline plods away in the background, spraying out it's low frequencies while an evil sound flute glides on top like some kind of bizarre Japanese samurai ritual. Things should take a turn for the lighter when the high, circus-like synth comes in but instead of happy fun times it just sounds like some demonic nightmare clown that's come into your dreams to kill you. Now I love all the Mega City 2 stuff, but it's to my eternal shame I don't actually own any of their actual 12"s. I have their stuff on compilations, I have stuff on mixtapes, but no actual singles or EPs. Shameful, but even I put my foot down at the £50-100 some of these tracks are trading for. DJ Mayhem "Cold Acid" (Basement Records, 1992) A really slick tune that, to me, really doesn't seem like a track made in 92. Very thin and frosty sounding with a squelchy, acidic stab that gives the impression that when this was played the dance floor was empty. Completely empty bar one hardcore follower who even in the dead of winter kept the faith and came out, when all others backed off because of just the sheer evilness that this track harbours. Cybernetic Empire "Ozone Storm" (Paradise Records, 1993) A Dave Charlesworth original. Truly a real Hardcore and Jungle pioneer that doesn't get anywhere near the recognition he deserves if you ask me. As much as people give a lot of credit to the likes of Moving Shadow and Sub-Base, Charlesworth and his After Dark Recordings label (of which Paradise was one of several sub-labels) really helped move the sound from the happy, mid-range of Rave to the darker, Jamaican influenced Jungle sound. Here is probably one of my most favourite tracks he put out. A fantastic number that shows how this early Jungle sound still could seem quite familiar to the more mainstream listener. In between warping, buzzing synths and rolling drums, and the dark, slowed down 'bridges' (for lack of a better word), lies a kind of lead line that if lightened up just a fraction probably could fit into a Happy Hardcore tune. Keeping just enough upbeatness and euphoria in order to not completely fall into the darkness. Two Dark Troopers "Darkcore" (Basement Records, 1993) Really when you name a track 'Darkcore' there's not much to say. An aboslute mental track that has just a rampaging tornado of a pad that just sits in the middle of the track sucking everything up into it. Ultra high scratchin' action with a screaming female vocals attempts to cut through the maelstrom of drums and pads every now and then but barely succeeds as the tune slows down to sub-sonic speeds in a nod to it's Hip-Hop progenitors, but that state of reverie doesn't last long as the hoover is quickly switched back on to continue the wipe out. Foul Play Productions "Finest Illusion" (Section 5, 1993) Welcome to my ringtone for the past 6 years! An utterly, utterly fantastic tune. Probably ranks as one of my favourites of all time. Just a perfect mix of Hardcore Rave and Jungle. Surpremely energetic yet it's a dark energy. High pitched vocals (that would eventually have to be stripped off it due to legal concerns) chipmunk over a massive bassline and one of the most loving jump up building synth lines I've ever heard in my life. It's just... oh man what can I say, just listen to it for God's sake! Tango "Future Followers" (Formation Records, 1993) Tango (and occasional production partner Ratty) is probably one of the Darkside producers. Not to say he didn't continue on doing the Jungle/D&B thing, but definitely the string of singles and EPs he had out in 92/93 on Formation is definitely what he's best known for and what he best did. Here is all his style and skill in one ultra refined package. A rough, yet simply cut breakbeat provides a solid foundation for haunting, Gothic cathedral-esque choirs and forward looking, metallic synth sequence that groans out Hardcore ecstasy in order to keep the track flowing, without turning it into a real dour and inward looking thing like many would so easily come to do. DJ Hype "Weird Energy (Hell's Bells Remix)" (Suburban Base, 1993) Definitely my favourite mix of this track by DJ Hype, who if you were paying attention you'll remember from Part 1 of this guide, where he was the button pusher for those tracks by The Scientist. After splitting from that Hype hooked up with Sub-Base records and began pushing his own dark, Hip-Hop influenced jump-up sound. Definitely not an introspective back stroking track, this mix of Weird Energy may start off with some spacey bells but it quickly powers forward as a real hardcore dancefloor track. It even features a kind of middle break with scratching and cutting like you found in old Hip-Hop tunes(Hype originally was a Hip-Hop DJ remember) which just gives the tune a real Hype-r energy about it. International Rude Boyz "Paragone (Remix)" (Formation Records, 1993) Formation bringing the darkness again! This time in superior remixed form! International Rude Boyz were Formation owner DJ SS and future Neutrofunk Drum & Bass master Matrix. It's that intro that gets me everytime. That Ooh/Aah synth sound leads into an ultra thin, yet ultra sharp scratchy sound. Perfection. Not that the original is bad or even all that different, just this remix just adds that little bitta something special to the mix. Again though like all good early Jungle tunes it still keeps a little bit of Hardcore in it's pocket, with a quite frankly futuristic, uplifting pad to keep things looking up. Boogie Times Tribe "The Dark Stranger" (Suburban Base, 1993) I definitely think sometimes I can be a bit harsh on Sub-Base. The fact they occasionally stepped too far on complete cheese side of the Hardcore spectrum is probably what does it. But the majority of their catalogue is actually really solid, as this track proves. Now I think the remixes are probably more well known than this original mix, but this is the one I really like. I think it's just so dense, it throws at you the drum line, the bass, a pad or two, vocals not to mention the sheer eerie laughing. All of it just attacks you at once, trying to pull you under. Just when you think you're a goner it pulls back up for the middle, letting your head above the water just for a moment before you feel that tuck on your leg again and your head slips beneath the black waves. DJ Crystal "The Dark Crystal" (Force Ten Records, 1993) DJ Crystal really is a wonder. Probably no more than a dozen singles passed from his hands during the early/mid-90s (and most if not all of them engineered by Pete Parsons) and all of them are just fantastic. Breakbeats driven at hyperdrive speeds are snapped at the heels by a massive, deep, all engulfing bassline that is like if your speakers have thrown a brick at your head. A fantastic twinkling synth line really does give it that Star Trek feel. To boldly go where no man has gone before. Both dark and dangerous but there's that hope, that feeling that no matter what we are moving forward into something else entirely. Bay B Kane "Dark Zone" (White House Records, 1993) You have no idea how close this entry was going to be Bay B Kane's classic anthem 'Hello Darkness', but you know, I like to try to shake things up a bit. This is off what's probably one of my favourite Bay B Kane releases, his Guardians Of Ruff EP. Classic Bay B Kane it's not a massive jump-up track but is a true low-level burner. Just a massive tar-like pool of Darkside goodness. Low rolling basses sweep infinitely underneath slowly building pads while the lead synth line plunks out of the darkness occasionally like the fin of a shark, warning you of the danger that surrounds you. Q-Project "Champion Sound" (Legend Records, 1993) Roll up, roll up! You've heard the remixes now hear the original for the first time in your life! The first Legend release has long since been overshadowed by it's many, many remixes. But I really like this original mix. Engineered by The Invisible Man (like most Legend titles) it achieves a great balance of ruff and the smooth. Ragga enough to get the street posses up and dancing, it has this really nice, simple but oh so smooth that just powers you on through the night. Plus it has that awesome farting synth line. Johnny Jungle "Johnny" (Face Records, 1993) Again this is another track I think is overshadowed by the remixes of it that came out on Dee Jay and Sub-Base. I think this Face release is the only place you can find the original. And how great it is. That opening sample is a class act, "help me Johnny!" Really sets the tone for the whole track. Between that and the twisted, warping synth it really sends this track into the dark zone, creating a really creepy and paranoid atmosphere that few tracks are able to ever create. 4 Hero "Journey From The Light" (Reinforced Records, 1993) Do I go on about 4Hero and Reinforced Records a lot? Yes I do, and why loving not. Just listen to this track man! A bleep that sounds like it's from one of those heart monitors keeps the real pace in this track, almost like the kick in a house track. It stays the same but around it the entire track just shuffles around, swapping in completely different pieces of completely different puzzles that still somehow miraculously fit. From light, plucking strings with a soaring female vocal, to massive sub-bass with a burping synth on top, to pitchshifting drums. It's got everything in it including the kitchen sink and yet is still able to make it into just a phenomenal track that uses all these disjointed elements better than anyone had done before, or has done since. Apollo Two "Atlantis (I Need You)" (Good Looking Records, 1993) Ah LTJ Bukem doing what he does best - lifting wholesole from other records. See you young 'uns who try to do the whole remix/sampling thing and pass it off as your own on Youtube, no one cares if you can actually make a loving classic song. What you're doing right now in your cracked version of Fruity Loops, isn't a classic song so put it down and listen to this. Pointing the way to the so called 'Intelligent' or 'Ambient' Jungle future, this track is just immense. A ball of complete hyper energy as soon as you hear that first sample come in. Guaranteed to get everyone up on the dancefloor this track really takes you on a journey. I've always thought it's real secret is those mid-range congas and female vocal samples that help fill up that middle frequency, giving your ear and subsequently your body something to really bite it's teeth into. Now I know this was a bit of an obvious track, but it ran neck and neck with my other favourite early Bukem tune which is Enchanted, the flip of Music. It and this tracks vague nautical theme really do it for me somehow. Maybe being in a traditional ship building city? Mind you I can barely swim or put my head under the water without completely spazzing the gently caress out so who knows? Cool Hand Flex "Mars" (In Touch Records, 1993) Probably the second greatest tune Flex ever wrote (those of you who read my deleted tracks posting will know what my favourite is). Cool Hand Flex is one of the many classic Jungle producers that has been kind of forgotten about a wee bit and it makes me sad. Pretty much nothing but an amazing, ultra intense drum workout with the added bonus of some real oppressive buzzing synths that cut in now and then just to work you over some more in case the drums missed a spot. An uplifting middle section picks you up, dusts you down just in time for some sub-bass action to lay into you. Fantastic. Cloud 9 "You Got Me Burnin' Up (Original Mix)" (Moving Shadow, 1993) Let's be honest most people nowadays probably now this because of Skream's appropriation/tribute of it, but it was a massive Jungle anthem in 1993. Moving Shadow seemed to be on a role in 93 with seemingly every release a massive hit. From the moment you hear that Twilight Zone/alarm synth intro you know you're in for something good. Again it keeps that bit of Hardcore energy, having a lot of uplifting moments in between pockets of heaviness. The "House is a feeling" to me really sums up Jungle. It respected where it came from and attempted to keep hold of that positive energy and drive it had from the turn of the decade, while also making sure it developed and progressed it's sound. Sadly as history shows that idea would quickly fade away as more and more people jumped onto the bandwagon, and those heads in the know left for greener pastures, while the others who kept the course with Jungle would come out the other end very, very different and with an entire new name and sound - Drum & Bass. Origin Unknown "Valley Of The Shadows" (RAM Records, 1993) Wow another massive anthem. I must be slipping. But really who can blame me? That glacial synth just hooks you so bad, and to borrow from the tune itself, really escalates you down that long dark tunnel. From then on it's just drum and bass. The good kind! The Invisible Man "The Beginning" (Timeless Recordings, 1993) Ah now we're cooking. Like I said before The Invisible Man engineered a lot (all?) of the Legend Records releases and like so many great engineers before or since was kind enough to grace us with some fantastic tunes of his own. Most releases appeared on the Timeless label(that exists to this day though is a shadow of it's former self - if I do say so myself). For this time we bring back the pure darkness. Evil sounding synths and screaming open the track putting you in the right frame of mind before the opening battle cry of "strictly drum and bass" is yelled, well sampled. And strictly drum and bass it is. The drums pound away before subtly shifting pitch and a dark pad sweeps in sucking you up and really making you want to take the place of the sample and scream. While I wouldn't say Trance with a capital T, it definitely has a very trance feeling, really enveloping you in the tune and pushing you forward with it, dropping in and taking out extra elements every now and then that just perfectly fit the feel of the track and don't allow it to ever wander of it's pumping, breakneck beat. FBD Project "The Core" (Bang-In-Tunes, 1993) FBD Project (also known as Neil Trix) is another artist I feel is kind of forgotten about nowadays. This particular track is an early example of his sound. Spacey bleeps and pads buzz around the track like a rocket, sweeping in from the left, the right, above, below, everywhere. Like seeing a wormhole in some sci-fi movie. Nothing but a swirling, dark vortex with the occasional dot of light that streaks by you like a shooting star in the night sky. Orca "Underwater Science" (Lucky Spin, 1993) Again continuing with the nautical theme. A lot of Jungle either seems to delve into the deep dark sea, or shoot upwards into the great wide beyond. Orca obviously if you can't tell by the artist name or track title does the former. Really a truly great Jungle producer that outside his big hit - 4am - I feel people don't really know much about. At least I don't see many people pulling out his many EPs released on the likes of Lucky Spin. This particular track is a classic example. It's just such an oppressive, dark track that tries to drag you down, deep down into the blue black depths. It even has one sound that wails out like a Siren, trying to lure you onto the rocks. But where others would fail with such a heavy track, Orca succeeds known a Siren's voice only works if it's seductive and sweet, so this track keeps things where it should be and that is danceable. Metalheads "Saint Angel" (Synthetic Hardcore Phonography, 1993) Really the most impressive thing about Metalheads/Rufige Kru/Goldie is just how far and how fast he learnt and evolved. Coming from his first track, the rough yet obviously promising Krisp Biscuit, so this in just about 18 months or less. I guess that's what happens when you get people like the Reinforced crew and Moving Shadow's Rob Playford to engineer for you. Truly skilled and talented engineers. Like they say it's the company you keep. Here we have Goldie taking the formula 4 Hero created but directing it towards a darker, more heavier place than where 4 Hero would eventually take it. Electrical sounding synths crackle out in the tune, the current discharging on top of the shifting breakbeat. But the vocal stabs give it a real air of humanity about it, something the many copyists who would come in after the likes of this and others like it came out, wouldn't understand this need for humanity, this need for life and energy and euphoria and crucially leave it out of their own productions. And there we have it, Darkside Jungle! The first dark and confident steps of a genre and sound that while technically continuing to this day in the form of Drum & Bass, I feel this sound and the attitude it had largely worked it's way down the Hardcore Continuum instead, landing and energising the likes of Garage, Grime and Dubstep. Next time on the UK Bass History Guide we explore deeper into the Jungle. Additional & Recommended Listening: Luckily despite the Darkside sound being a more niche market, it was still very popular and there are a lot of contemporary compilations that were released to document it. First up React records put out two volumes called The Dark Side. The first called The Dark Side : Hardcore Drum & Bass Style while the second called The Dark Side II: Jungle & Technology. Both while not exactly rare, can get a bit pricey for the CD editions. Next we have the usual fallbacks of Jumpin & Pumpin's Jungle Tekno series. In this case I suggest the first 2 volumes. While Kickin Records Hard Leaders series you want the 3rd volume. Also I'm going to recommend something blind here. Moonshine music in the States put out several compilations called Speed Limit 140bpm+. Now these aren't common around here so I've not heard them, but looking at the track lists there are some good picks in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th volumes. In terms of label comps, well Moving Shadow and Sub-Base collaborated to put out a compilation called The Joint which I highly recommend, it features the best of both labels(there is a second volume but that's for next time). I'd also recommend another joint release of theres - a 2CD set called A History Of Hardcore, simply fantastic pair of discs that go a little further in timescale than what we're dealing with right now, but highly recommended nonetheless. Formation had out a label comp in 93 called A New Breed Of Ravers. Again highly recommended. And finally the real find, Reinforced's Definition Of Hardcore album. All Reinforced, all classics. Simple. In terms of record prices, well here's where things can get pricey. Some tracks can be had cheap for just a few pound. Others meanwhile can hover around the £10-15-20 pound marks. Stuff like most(but not all) of the Mega City 2 catalogue and Finest Illusion, well let's just say if you manage to pick up for less than £50 I'd be impressed. 28 Gun Bad Boy fucked around with this message at 02:23 on Jul 4, 2016 |
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Jul 12, 2011 01:24
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28 Gun Bad Boy posted:Wow I totally forgot he was even our manager for a bit. I was going to say he must've signed Simo Valakari, but he was there a couple of seasons before. He did sign Mikko Kaven but he wasn't so hot. Mind you it probably would've helped if he could have spoken English. Haha, Kavén was a pretty solid keeper in his top form, third choice for Finland for a while, and goalkeeping is the only area where we've consistently produced top European level players. I think he's still technically active, but his club went bankrupt last year and I'm not sure if he's signed anywhere else yet. Valakari was always wank for the national team though.
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Jul 12, 2011 01:57
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28 Gun Bad Boy posted:Another amazing installment! You are a knowledge monster. EDIT: Oh my god Finest Illusion is amazing, you weren't kidding. Sleng Teng fucked around with this message at 02:10 on Jul 12, 2011 |
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Jul 12, 2011 02:06
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Ras Het posted:Haha, Kavén was a pretty solid keeper in his top form, third choice for Finland for a while, and goalkeeping is the only area where we've consistently produced top European level players. I think he's still technically active, but his club went bankrupt last year and I'm not sure if he's signed anywhere else yet. Valakari was always wank for the national team though. Valakari was with us for a good 4-5 years but never once scored a single goal. Fantastic on the ball though, great passing skills. Don't know why we ever let him go. To be fair to Kaven he probably was better than Stevie Woods who had a habit of letting the ball go in the net, and we did end up signing Andy Goram around the same time to that never helped him. UK Bass (Dubstep, Grime, Garage, UK Funky, and obscure Finnish and Scottish football teams) Shitpost Gaze posted:Another amazing installment! You are a knowledge monster. Thanks man, you posting that Fact mix in the D&B thread was good timing actually as it fits perfectly in with this.
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Jul 12, 2011 02:15
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28 Gun Bad Boy posted:Valakari was with us for a good 4-5 years but never once scored a single goal. Fantastic on the ball though, great passing skills. Don't know why we ever let him go. To be fair to Kaven he probably was better than Stevie Woods who had a habit of letting the ball go in the net, and we did end up signing Andy Goram around the same time to that never helped him. UK Bass (Dubstep, Grime, Garage, UK Funky, and obscure Finnish and Scottish football teams) Hah, there's a firm footballing bond between Scotland and Finland: Mixu Paatelainen was warming up at Hibs and Kilmarnock before becoming the Finnish national team manager this year...
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Jul 12, 2011 02:30
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Just wanted to chime in to thank 28gbb for all the hard work. Keeping my fingers crossed for a garage installment
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Jul 12, 2011 06:23
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Once again, thanks a lot 28GBB, another bunch of decent tunes and some history. http://butterzisthelabel.tumblr.com/post/7419054050/elijah-skilliam-rinse-fm-7-7-2011 This has been going into my ears for the last couple of days, Elijah & Skilliam's Rinse set from a couple days ago. Some good loving tunes on there, as well as one of P Money's Rinse exclusives which i've not been able to find anywhere. quote:Royal T - Space Cowboy (Rinse)
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Jul 12, 2011 08:29
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No Renegade Snares?
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Jul 12, 2011 10:34
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infinity2005 posted:No Renegade Snares? Never fear! That's being saved for next time as since it was a very late 93 tune I think it's a great bridging point between that 93 sound, and the later stuff especially the Foul Play mix which is what's going in. I actually was going to put in Mainline, but then I remembered it was the 95 mix off The Deepest Cut that I really love.
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Jul 12, 2011 13:33
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Lysis posted:Just wanted to chime in to thank 28gbb for all the hard work. Keeping my fingers crossed for a garage installment Oh god, this please.
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Jul 12, 2011 20:02
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Anae posted:Oh god, this please. Never fear guys, it's all planned. We're going all the way up to the present(roughly) with these guides so you'll just need to meditate for wee bit as we'll get round to it eventually. Sooner rather than later for garage. There's going to be at least 1 more Jungle entry, then from there we follow the musical current and get into the garage ting. Whether it'll be one entry or maybe 2, seperating the original 4x4 UK thing/Speed garage, from the later 2-Step stuff I'm not quite sure yet, we'll see.
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Jul 12, 2011 20:25
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