From the depths of the archive comes one of my favorite pieces of atmospheric melodic DnB.
I first heard this on a compilation called “Legally Stoned”, which I’d highly recommend if you can find it, though I think it’s out of print.
At once beautiful, exotic, and neuro-deep, this piece definitely shows where that comp got its name from. It’s 10am, and I feel high just listening to it. I seriously wish they made more jungle like this still…
Well, it’s no secret that I loove liquid DnB - that sweet combination of deep, trancey, epic vibes set to the pounding and skittering rhythms.
Here’s a brief pick me up for your Monday that comes from that place.
This is one of the tunes my sis played out at the campout last month for her dawn set.
Happy Monday (although it’s already Tuesday here in Tokyo).
So I mentioned how my sister was awesome right?
Anyways, together we’ve been working on a bit of DnB tunage on the side, and we made our first tune a while back now.
We’d been sitting on it a while but eventually decided to let it out to the world to see what you all thought!
It’s a pretty dirty little ride through some textural landscapes and flowing hyperfunk bells.
My sister and BluDream production collaborator has become quite the little magician at brewing up sweet Drum n Bass DJ sets as well under the title of Lore Borealis.
This mix is a crazy ride through future funk, hyperdrive pop, and some serious ass liquid. Here’s what she has to say:
Weather’s getting nice, eh? May Day and Cinco de Mayo have had their fun with us and the long summer days stretch ahead, budding with possibility. The world’s our oyster. Kinda makes you wanna get away for a while, don’t it? Me too. Where ya headed? Cabin in the woods? Tropical Paradise (TM)? Big Desert Party, perhaps? So, in the meantime, while you’re suck there in that chair, be it car or office, planning and waitin’, come away on a little vitual vaca with me. Don’t worry, the trip won’t be too long, you’ll be back in time for lunch. But I packed you a nice bass sandwich just in case.
If you dig what you’re hearing, Lore is going to be throwing down the serious grooves at local DnB hodown Shelter (at Underground SF on Haight St) this coming Tuesday, so show up and rock!
We now interrupt your regularly scheduled producer contest to bring you a piece of dance music cultural lore.
Back in the day, actually in 1986, when Detroit Techno was new, a producer named Kevin Saunderson ended up coming with an iconic sound - simple, effective, growling, with tons of built in movement - the essence of low end. Check out his bassline in Just Want Another Chance:
Note: Speakers with bass response or headphones HIGHLY recommended! We mean it!
Whoa, that’s some old school wobble….
Remind you of anything? This sound has come to be known as the Reese bassline (from Saunderson’s nickname “Reese”), and has played a huge part in the development of jungle and drum and bass as we know them!
For instance, Try Ray Keith’s 1994 tune Renegade - Terrorist, a true classic of the DnB genre:
The sound is easy to program and replicate - it’s just some detuned saw waves that beat against each other to cause a pulsating effect (you can find a basic description here if you want) - but has spawned generations of innovation.
Even with all the new craziness going on in the world of DnB today, it’s still a go to sound for many producers.
Check out the recent Commercial Suicide release Trei - Justify:
The sound here is made bigger through additional unison and some extra juice, but the concept is the exact same - it’s our friend the Reese bass! Damn that thing is hot. STILL!
You’ll hear DnB heads throwing around this term all the time, and this is what they mean.
This sound is key to the genre, and completely unforgettable…ever since people have come out with endlesss variations by distorting and mangling the frack out of it, but it all comes back to the Reese bass!
So take this moment to thank Kevin Saunderson for being awesome so many years ago!
Raise a glass and turn up the BASS!
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