D Kay - Quiet Earth

Part of the Trouble on Vinyl music family, Renegade Recordings was a deep / liquid d'n'b label. Far removed from the music getting released at the same time on Renegade Hardware, this label was at the forefront of the liquid d'n'b movement.  Liquid d'n'b, for me, was the best part of musical house music and d'n'b rhythms combined and many of my sets included this sort of groove to contrast the more common hard and dark sounds d'n'b is mostly known for.

This Sunday's selection Quiet Earth by DKay was released in 2002 and a favorite late night or late in the set type of track.  I loved ending with this one.  Sweeping pads, tight drum work, a latin style guitar sample shines over the deep but punchy bass line making it difficult not to smile when hearing it.  Enjoy.  joorgiz for the upload credit, thanks.

Tee Bee - Catch My Breath

I love the Subtitles label, I love TeeBee and I love the original sound that the label boss brings to the world of d'n'b.  Largely considered a neurofunk label Subtitles was always a great resource for me as a dj as their sound was built around "different but dance-able" - music for thinking while still being straight forward enough for the dance floor, a tricky combination.  TeeBee and Polar started Subtitles in 2000 as an alternative output for the legendary Certificate 18 imprint. Subtitles has grown and shifted with the d'n'b movement over the years and it's become a consistent and important label for the neurofunk sound.  I should note that Polar is to this day one of my all time favorite producers and it's good seeing his name again on more up to date releases.

For this selection I was looking for a funky tune for the weekend and came across the Snakefunk / Catch My Breath 2005 release.  I prefer the B side on this one and it's my choice for your weekend groove.  I think it exemplifies what Subtitles and TeeBee can do, this one on the more funky side of things.  I love the bass line, synth work and drums on this one. The vocal hook seals the deal.  Enjoy!

TeeBee - Catch My Breath  thanks to Drumstep for the upload.

Pendulum - Still Grey

Timeless Recordings was another extremely important label with roots in early jungle and hardcore, and for me during my time collecting it reflected an alternative sound output for most producers.  A Cause 4 Concern release - High Down/Strange Nature is the first to come to mind as it showcased the group's ability to go a little deeper into the neurofunk realm. Today's track - Still Grey by Pendulum was an absolute sleeper for a couple reasons, it sounds absolutely nothing like most of their upfront dance floor oriented work, and most Pendulum fans would miss this because of that fact.  For me it was a splash of fresh air from the group as I wasn't much of a fan of their usual style of d'n'b.  This one has a liquid vibe, original guitar work, a deep and bouncy bass line and that awesome female vox hook, "still grey" - again, a complete departure from Pendulum's average releases.  Pendulum - Still Grey  - thank you to Jordan Williams for the upload.

Dom & Roland - Sky Spirits

I thought about doing some sort of organization with this blog, but decided to go with the flow and post as randomly as possible.  It seemed boring organizing by date, artist, labels, etc... so rather than trudge through 7 posts on the same producer, sub-genre, or particular era I wanted this to be more spontaneous - truth is I've never been very keen on being too organized any way.

Dom & Roland was an easy first pick as an artist but going straight for the A side here would be too obvious (although it's still my favorite D&R tune) so I'll leave you on the Y side - Sky Spirits... thank you to 83DNB for the upload.  Dom & Roland - Sky Spirits

I'm not sure what else can be said about the Movin' Shadow label that hasn't been said already.  It's certainly our genre's seminal record label and their early releases helped defined the early break beat oriented tracks. For some reason I was slow to add MS records to my catalog, but very proud to own this one.

Welcome to my drum 'n' bass collection! Circa 1997 - 2007

This is something I've wanted to do for years - compile a detailed listing and story for my drum 'n' bass / jungle record collection.  As a drum 'n' bass dj in the late 90s and early 2000s I compiled a satisfactory record collection that I thought would be interesting to share with a broader audience, beyond the narrow scope of even my old fans - I believe that our music is timeless and that it has always invoked thought and emotion beyond the club and dance floor.  Years later my music collection has increased and while I still keep current on the latest offerings of the genre I think it's important to look back at some of our music's history.  It's just a taste of the immense d'n'b discography, obviously.

I was exposed to drum 'n' bass as early as 1996 but didn't become a fan until 1997.  By 1998 I was convinced to buy a set of Numark belt driven turn tables and my love of all things d'n'b was cemented.  My collection reflects this time period up until about 2006 and just a bit into 2007 when I finally made the switch to a fully digital dj routine. I continue to listen to drum 'n' bass music in 2014 and it still inspires me the most of any musical genre, and I think it is very important to look back at just a glimpse of the history and the tunes, labels and producers that shaped me and many others into passionate junglists and djs.

The format is simple.  I'll do my best to post one tune at least once a week.  I'll do my best to credit the producer(s) and labels and hope not to get sued.  I'll provide a you tube link if the song is already there or add it if necessary.  I hope to engage in conversation about the song, the memories it brings us, and at least a little back story about how and why it made it into my collection. Thanks for reading and please share with others who share our passion for music!

breaks, bass, pads and synths,

Ian B