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20 classic drum 'n' bass tracks

News
By Computer Music ( Computer Music ) published 22 October 2009

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The Black Dog - Virtual

The Black Dog - Virtual

Remarkably, the history of drum ‘n’ bass can now be traced back 20 years. To celebrate this landmark, here’s a list of 20 DnB classics, one for each year from 1989 onwards.

We kick off with The Black Dog’s Virtual, which was one of the first records to combine breakbeats, techno synths and big basslines in a recognisably DnB-like fashion. What’s more, it still sounds fresh today.

Page 1 of 20
Page 1 of 20
The Scientist - The Exorcist

The Scientist - The Exorcist

An early darkside jungle tune, The Exorcist combines a collision of funky hip-hop beats with sinister horror samples and a sprinkling of rave-style synths.

Page 2 of 20
Page 2 of 20
Son'z Of A Loop Da Loop Era - Far Out

Son'z Of A Loop Da Loop Era - Far Out

Far Out is a pure slice of piano-fuelled fun that fuses the then-emerging jungle sound with more euphoric elements.

Page 3 of 20
Page 3 of 20
Liquid - Liquid is Liquid

Liquid - Liquid is Liquid

Foreshadowing the sounds of atmospheric drum ’n’ bass, this cinematic, dub-influenced roller was well ahead of its time.

Page 4 of 20
Page 4 of 20
Omni Trio - Renegade Snares

Omni Trio - Renegade Snares

A rave anthem to this day, Omni Trio’s masterpiece showed the musical possibilities of drum ’n’ bass, as well as the potential for audacious drum edits.

Page 5 of 20
Page 5 of 20
LTJ Bukem - Horizons

LTJ Bukem - Horizons

This breakbeat classic took the mellower side of DnB to new heights, combining chilled chords and hypnotic riffs with crispy beats and epic 808 hits.

Page 6 of 20
Page 6 of 20
Alex Reece - Pulp Fiction

Alex Reece - Pulp Fiction

A true game-changing moment for DnB, Pulp Fiction boldly moved the focus away from the chopped breaks of jungle to the funky sound of two-step.

Page 7 of 20
Page 7 of 20
Ed Rush - Skylab

Ed Rush - Skylab

Ragga jungle’s dominance gave way to the bleak, gritty sounds of tech-step, focusing on fills and edits more than polyrhythmic madness, as this minimal masterpiece perfectly illustrates.

Page 8 of 20
Page 8 of 20
E-Z Rollers - Retro (Guardians of Dalliance remix)

E-Z Rollers - Retro (Guardians of Dalliance remix)

Retro’s catchy chords and brilliant vocal sample make it a timeless and accessible DnB classic, and one of the Moving Shadow label’s finest moments.

Page 9 of 20
Page 9 of 20
Ram Trilogy - No Reality

Ram Trilogy - No Reality

The Ram Trilogy series of 12"s took tech-step by the horns and injected it with faster beats and bouncier, more twisted basslines.

Page 10 of 20
Page 10 of 20
Bad Company - The Pulse

Bad Company - The Pulse

Bad Company utterly dominated the DnB scene at the turn of the century, and this classic release on Grooverider’s Prototype label sums up their sound to a tee.

Page 11 of 20
Page 11 of 20
John B - Up All Night

John B - Up All Night

The iconoclastic John B brought the rave back to drum ’n’ bass with this tribute to the chipmunk vocal-fuelled sound of breakbeat hardcore’s early 90s heyday.

Page 12 of 20
Page 12 of 20
J Majik vs Hatiras - Spaced Invader

J Majik vs Hatiras - Spaced Invader

Fusing house and DnB, J Majik’s f­ilter-tastic take on Spaced Invader pumps up the energy to previously unimaginable levels.

Page 13 of 20
Page 13 of 20
Adam F and J Majik - Metrosound

Adam F and J Majik - Metrosound

Metrosound combines Adam F’s Metropolis and J Majik’s Your Sound into a cacophony of tearing synth lines and rolling breaks.

Page 14 of 20
Page 14 of 20
Pendulum - Spiral

Pendulum - Spiral

Before they got their rock on, Pendulum were dab hands at the trance-tinged DnB sound. This euphoric vocal anthem was their ­first release and a real corker.

Page 15 of 20
Page 15 of 20
High Contrast - Twilight's Last Gleaming

High Contrast - Twilight's Last Gleaming

In this old-school-R&B-in­fluenced epic, the Welsh wonder cleverly fuses a soulful vocal and ­filtered David Shire samples. A classic Hospital release.

Page 16 of 20
Page 16 of 20
Clipz - Slippery Slopes

Clipz - Slippery Slopes

This notorious chav-stepper from the Bristolian legend is dancef­loor dynamite, and love it or hate it, you can’t help but admire its brazen basslines and rolling beats.

Page 17 of 20
Page 17 of 20
Noisia & Mayhem - Moonway Renegade

Noisia & Mayhem - Moonway Renegade

The ultimate combination of kung-fu samples, slamming beats and gnarled bass, Moonway Renegade is glitchy DnB at its most intense.

Page 18 of 20
Page 18 of 20
Sub Focus - Druggy

Sub Focus - Druggy

Sub Focus is a true master of big beats and basslines, and here he combines them with a catchy percussive hook and electronica-esque breakdown to create a dance­floor monster.

Page 19 of 20
Page 19 of 20
Icicle - Spartan

Icicle - Spartan

A moody, minimal roller, Spartan’s back to basics approach to DnB brings the beats and basslines to the fore, supplementing them with dubbed-out vocals and Amen edits.

Disagree with our selections? Got a nomination for the finest drum ‘n’ bass track of 2009? Let us know in the Comments below.

Page 20 of 20
Page 20 of 20
Computer Music
Computer Music
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Computer Music magazine is the world’s best selling publication dedicated solely to making great music with your Mac or PC computer. Each issue it brings its lucky readers the best in cutting-edge tutorials, need-to-know, expert software reviews and even all the tools you actually need to make great music today, courtesy of our legendary CM Plugin Suite.

Get over 70 FREE plugin instruments and effects… image
Get over 70 FREE plugin instruments and effects…
…with the latest issue of Computer Music magazine
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