Short history of Drum n Bass
The UK, its 1991, a new style is blowing up the spot all over the country - its name is hardcore. Hardcore was a totally new type of music that was nothing like anything before it - events occurred in huge fields in the middle of nowhere or in warehouses that someone had just broken into. For these few years the rave/hardcore scene flourished and grew.

Unbelievable though it was to those involved at the time, the scene was doomed. Tracks such as Urban Hype's "Trip To Trumpton" and the Prodigy's "Charly" gained chart success and hardcore music lost its underground culture, the original ravers searched for something new. The scene divided into two sections of music that were destined to grow further and further apart. Born from the hardcore style were two new genres - happy hardcore and jungle/drum and bass. Happy hardcore continued along the path set by the chart successes of the later years of hardcore - manic pianos and chipmunk vocals and samples from any number of dubious sources. The scene thrived for a while drawing in all those still seeking those same euphoric sounds - however, it has always had difficulty escaping from the original collapse of hardcore - without innovation, the music slipt into a trend of the same kick drums the same synth sounds with the only variation being which popular vocal was sampled and used as a hook. Much confidence was put in the survival of the music through its sub-genres - and the scene apparently still exists. Personally, it seems happy hardcore's only living incarnation seems to be the trancecore sound that still manages to turn out a Bonkers compilation every so often.

So, what is drum and bass itself - drum and bass is the style characterized by the breakbeat sound that oldskool hardcore pioneered, at first these were hip-hop beats sped up to BPMs around the 160-170 mark, this sound was pushed by the likes of DJ Hype in his turntablist sets and others. Soon DJs and artists began sampling and creating more complicated breakbeats and the jungle scene was born - classic drum breaks such as the Amen and the Incredible Bongo Band's Apache break were cut and sped up into rolling monster junglist breakbeats. The style began pulling in influences from across London, its home city - the ragga scene provided the vocals and hooks with tracks on the legendary Congo Natty label and the releases of M-Beat, hip-hop played its part as well, samples of Method Man and the Wutang appeared across all types of tracks and DJ Zinc's equally legendary "Super Sharp Shooter" was being name-checked by the aristocracy of US rap.

Whilst the jungle scene developed problems of its own - violence and criminal connections surrounded the clubs - it survived. New producers from new locations brought in new influences and new sounds - LTJ Bukem (whose label Good Looking had been shunned by the raving crowds for being too light) continued to turn out refined and chilled cuts proving the versatility of the sound. And the producers advanced past the obligatory Amen break to new original drum loops. Eventually, late on its life under the name of jungle, the whole scene threatened to break cover and go overground. With 160+BPM soundtracks to TV commercials becoming more and more popular and jungle remixes appearing on B-sides to pop singles, it seemed popular acclaim was only a matter of time. But in an incredibly fortunate twist in the jungle story, the emergence of speed garage usurped jungle's position as the popular sound of underground dance music in Britain - ultimately, drum and bass' failure to gain widespread popularity saved it. Whilst the predicted musical revolution of the big beat scene also failed to materialise, drum and bass retreated back into the underground clubs and the urban raves. With its underground credentials intact, it has remained the most cutting edge of music styles.

And now, well the most major feature of drum and bass' recent history has been the emergence of UK Garage. (for those who don't know, its a style of soulful 2-step breakbeat that uses drum and bass type beat patterns giving it an R&B vibe) In the UK, garage has risen into the public eye and has broken into commercial popularity in a way drum and bass never did. Coinciding with this rise, came the descent of drum and bass into its darkest run of tunes - many fans of d&b abandoned it for the more uplifting UK Garage sound - (the period is branded as drum and bass' worst year). Fortunately for all the junglists, the music has survived this exodus, survived the popularity of garage and is in the midst of a new regeneration that shows the middle finger to a certain dance publication who predicted the final days of d&b in a recent article.

Garage's impact on drum and bass has been a major kick in the arse for a lot of producers who had become too bogged down in the whole hardcore-darkness movement. Consequently, the new breed of d&b producers are pushing the funky sounds of "liquid funk" and after a considerable absence, vocals are returning to the music with collectives such as Kosheen pushing out a whole new sound.

And, whilst drum and bass may never regain the popularity it once had, the crowds at the raves and clubs are more than ever the lovers of the music creating a whole new atmosphere - so fuck what the music press say.....the future's here for those that know.

What Jungle Means To Me


Before 1994, the word "jungle", to me, meant a steamy, tropical area dense with plants and wildlife. Being a regular club goer and, dare a say, "raver" around that time, I started to hear the word tossed about with a fair regularity to describe the hyperactive, choppy, ragga drenched "breaks" of the era. There used to be this local club that me and my friends hung out every Wednesday night, and down on the ground floor, the "chill out" bean bag room was slowly mutating ... spurred on by the DJs selections of "intelligent jungle" beats. At first, I was skeptical. I liked the fact that is was "new" and "different", but it simply sounded like a breakbeat record on +8 with a whole lot of atmospherics swirling around.
About a year later, I was hearing more and more of this blossoming genre and artists like Ray Keith were slowly beginning to dig their claws into my music senses. It was really around this time when a veil of darkness befell the steamy jungle and I was sucked in perminently. At parties, the "jungle" rooms resembled the dank, sweaty halls of the temple from Apocalypse Now. The lights were low, the candy kids were gone, and in their places were darkened faces, nodding in unison to the sounds emanating from the speakers. It was like another world, people were put under a voodoo spell. It was night and day between that and the "regular rave" scene. Of course the mere nature of the word beckoned a style to follow it - a style of attitude ... a style of dress ... a whole life style. I watched in amazement as kids flaunted their best army attire and danced like mechanized droids to the sinister bass and thundering drums. Of course I continued to love the funky breaks and downbeat vibes, but there was something about this "jungle" that I could really relate to. It did something for me ... moved me in a way no other music had. The hard, dark, demons of drum 'n' bass inspired me. Listening to them drowned out aspects of my life I was unhappy with and became a more positive outlet for my anger.
Over the years I've been involved in the jungle scene I've watched many things happen - many new sub genres, fashion statements, clubs, labels, producers .... I've observed jungle infect the music listening populace of open minds ... convert those that were non believers ... and make it into kids cartoons. And although periods of stagnation have caused the genre to get somewhat stale for someone who's been there from it's birth, I still feel the breath of life flows through the music. It's now up to the listeners and dancers to tell the DJs and Producers what they want to hear where they want the music to meander next. It's up to the DJs to "take some chances" and think outside the box to turn the listeners and dancers on to new sounds. It's up to Producers to let their creativity rule supreme ... to pump new life into the genre and take it in new directions. Our jungle is an ecosystem not unlike it's earthy counterpart: a cyclic evolution which depends on each organism to do its part in order to survive. Only then can the system can truly flourish and grow.

Underground vs. Commercial

In industrialized nations, hip-hop is as close to a culture as feasible in a diverse urban environment. Culture is a combination of customs that reflect a society. Customs are social interactions such as artistic expression, family and interpersonal relations, politics, or economic transactions.

The distinction between "underground" hip-hop and "commercial" hip-hop is largely a matter of politics and economic transactions. "Under ground" is a political and economic term, as is "commercial."

The term "Under ground" first entered the U.S. lexicon in the 19th Century as a reference to the sophisticated network of individuals who where smuggling slaves from the South to the North and freedom via the Underground Railroad. The institution of slavery was/is both a political and economic entity.

"Commercial" is a term used to describe a product that is commonly available to a market. Markets are economic institutions, but they are political in that government structures play large roles in creating markets. An example of how markets are affected by political institutions is the recent legal actions against Napster that have had repercussions within the music industry and it's perspective consumers.
True "underground" hip-hop is expression that has come into existence without the blessings of economic or political support. "Commercial" hip-hop culture is encouraged and exploited by economic and political institutions.
Historically, hip-hop has deconstructed, reinterpreted, and reconstructed (mostly through social interactions, painting, music, and dance) the interpersonal, political, and economic institutions it had existed within. This model holds true whether you believe hip-hop started with the first blues musician on the Mississippi delta or a West Indies immigrant in New York who experimented with a messed up record player, a scratched record, and broken English trying to make sense of a new environment and culture.

The thin threads that hold "commercial" and "underground" hip-hop together as a culture are the interpersonal and artistic factors found on the airwaves and in the clubs.
Historically, artistic expression is a cultural institution that seeks to bring people together, to communicate, to enable them to transcend the pain and sorrow of everyday life, to celebrate what is beautiful, and to attempt to make sense of existence as individually and collectively experienced through the senses.

Turntable Terminology

For all you tech heads out there, the following list contains terms and a short explanation of that term.

All laminated core :
A special permalloy laminated core production process is used to reduce eddy current loss and improve the linear response range of the cartridge's magnetic circuit.

Aluminium diecast :
Made by pouring molten aluminium into a mold. Designed to offer greater precision and vibration resistance than parts made of stamped sheet metal. Used for quality turntable platters.

Anti skating device :
A carefully calibrated, adjustable device acting on the tonearm near its rotational center to counteract the natural tendency of the tonearm to move toward the center of the record, thereby holding the stylus centered in the record groove. Spring-mounted or suspended weight systems are typically used.

Armature :
The moving portion of a magnetic circuit. In a motor, the rotating center as opposed to the stationary stator. The coils in a MC cartridge; the magnet in a MM cartridge.

Balance weight :
A weight to balance the tonearm and adjust the tracking force. Also called "counterbalance".

Boron :
An element nearly as hard as diamond and having a high modulus of elasticity. Therefore, ideal as a phonocartridge cantilever material.

Boron nickel :
Nickel with a crystalline boron surface layer. Used for the contruction of the tubular portion of tonearms, this material maintains light weight (low mass) while raising rigidity and strenght.

Boron titanium :
Titianium with a layer of crystalline boron on the surface for increased rigidity. Because of its light weight (low mass), high strenght, and corrosion resistance, titanium is often used for aircraft parts.

Brushless motor :
A motor eliminating sliding contact conductive material or carbon blocks and using instead an electronic switching circuit to change the polarity of the stator. There is no direct contact between rotor and stator.

Cantilever :
The part of a cartridge that transmits vibrations, first picked up by the stylus tip from a record, to the electro-magnetic generating unit.

Cartridge :
A transducer that converts the mechanical vibrations caused by the record groove undulations into an electric signal.

Direct Drive system :
A turntable system using a low speed motor (that turns at 33.3 or 45 rpm) directly coupled to the platter so that the motor shaft is one with the spindle.

Elliptical stylus :
A stylus tip having an elliptical cross section, as opposed to a conical shaped stylus.

FG Servo motor :
A frequency generator in the motor produces a signal dependent on motor rotation. This is compared to a reference signal and the motor is controlled so that the two signals are the same. Compared to an electronic governor motor, the FG motor has less speed deviation or drift and is less affected by temperature.

Friction :
Pivot friction occuring at the tonearm support. The less the friction, the more freely the tonearm moves to accurately trace the record grooves.

Full automatic turntable :
A turntable that, when turned on by the operator has all the necessary functions to lift the tonearm from rest post and place it on the lead-in groove and return it to the rest post when it reaches the record's end. For example; the SL-Q310/SL-1300/SL-1350 are automatics.

Headshell :
A device for attaching the cartridge to the tonearm.

Insulator :
An insulator or shock absorber intended to prevent outside vibrations from exciting the turntable. Turntable cabinet feet are often constructed to act as insulators.

Moving Coil cartridge (MC) :
System in a cartridge in which a coil moves to generate an electro-magnetic force. Features low impedance and special characteristics.

Moving Magnet cartridge (MM) :
System in a cartridge in which a magnet moves to generate an electro-magnetic force. Easy-to-use and most common type.

Pitch control :
A control allowing speed changes of the record within a certain range, usually 6% or 8%.

Quartz-phase-locked control turntable :
A turntable with motor rotations controlled by very precise quarz oscillations. Like the SL-Q310 or SL1200Mk2.

RPM :
Number of times a turntable rotates in one minute.

Semi-Automatic turntable :
A turntable designed to automatically return the tonearm to the rest when it reaches the lead-out groove on the record. For example; The SL-1400/1410 D.D. turntable.

Servo motor :
A motor with a built-in automatic speed control device to stabilize motor rotation.

Skating force :
Force drawing the tonearm toward the center when playing a record.

S-shaped tonearm :
A tonearm shaped in a S-shape as opposed to a straight tonearm.

Starting torque :
Force that makes a stopped turntable platter start rotating. Listed in KG*cm, larger values mean that platter rotation will be less affected by stylus or record cleaner friction.

Stylus :
Needle-like object that follows the record groove and picks up vibrations.

Tonearm :
Device that holds the phono-cartridge, applies the necessary tracking force for tracing the grooves of the record.

Tracking force :
Weight or force pushing the stylus down into the record groove.

Wow and flutter :
Instantaneous variations in the rotaional speed of the turntableplatter.

WRMS :
Stands for the weighted root mean square, a method of using filters to give more "weight" to 4~6Hz modulations in the 3~4kHz region when making wow&flutter measurements since the ear is most sensitive to such speed fluctations. Root mean square is a formula for deriving a virtual value from a fluctuating waveform. In contrast, sometimes wow & flutter is listed as a weighted peak (W peak value).

Breakbeat
Breakbeat Era, a.k.a Bristol based singer/songwriter Lennie Laws, DJ Die and Roni Size, finally release their debut album, a record which has been eagerly anticipated by those in the know ever since the classic and ground breaking "Breakbeat Era" track, first laid down as a template a couple of years ago. At a time when Drum and Bass seems to have driven itself down a dark and dead end alley, Breakbeat Era take hold of the reins and prove that they can push the genre further than anyone ever believed it could go. As Melody Maker recently wrote, "Breakbeat Era are a welcome antidote to pre-millenial darkcore, injecting some humanity back into the equation. Best of all though, it ain’t coffee table."

Even the mutating Drum and Bass scene hasn’t produced anything as innovative and accessible as Breakbeat Era since Reprazent’s Mercury award winning venture "New Forms". But where the latter spun smooth soundscapes out of jazz breaks and elegant vocals, Breakbeat Era takes the funk out to a harder edge and brings the vocals deep down and dirty. The real difference between Breakbeat Era and anything that has gone before in Drum ‘n’ Bass is to be found in Lennie Laws. The trio first collaborated on "Breakbeat Era" which was originally released on the Full Cycle Music Box compilation. The story began almost three years ago when Roni and Die were putting together the track.

They were already aware of Lennie’s vocal and song writing talents through friends and she provided them with a home tape of one of her songs which they quickly incorporated in to the track. They called it "Breakbeat Era", which was also to serve as the name for the new collective. Drum and Bass afficionados will know the track well as an enduring anthem on the scene. XL licensed that track and released it last summer - continued club and radio support made it a Top Twenty hit. The critical response from the three vinyl-only releases "Rancid", "Bullit Proof" and "Ultra-Obscene", put out over the last two months, has been phenomenal, and all three tracks have taken up permanent residence in the clubs and on specialist radio.

The release of "Ultra-Obscene" has achieved both commercial success and critical acclaim, and the album, released on the 30th August, will ensure that Lennie Laws and Breakbeat Era will be firmly established as one of the most important live dance acts this year. On stage Lennie is a force to be reckoned with. She is joined by FX wizard Liam Duggan, rip-tearing bassist Joe Allen and the breathtaking drummer Toby Pascoe, who defies all human limitations to reproduce the most complex, chopped-up breaks in real time.

Although Die and Roni take a back seat on the live proceedings, any sceptics were quickly silenced by Breakbeat Era’s storming sell-out performance at London’s Jazz Café in June 1999. Lennie belted it out to an ecstatic crowd with such personality, verve and raw energy, that she was immediately hailed as "one of the dance world’s finest frontwomen" (The Times). A clutch of glittering reviews from the likes of NME, Melody Maker, The Guardian, DJ, The Evening Standard and Touch, confirmed Seven magazine’s prediction that "Lennie Laws is a star in the making."