In the last 20 years, the Drum and Bass subgenre of Electronic Dance Music has gained huge popularity due to its fast-paced, energetic rhythms and beats, and the community it has built. By blurring the boundaries between electronic music and mainstream Pop, the subgenre has opened itself up to new audiences.
The global appeal of artists like Fred Again.., Sammy Virji, and Vibe Chemistry can be connected to their presence at live events such as festivals, club nights, and raves which allow fans to come together to experience their favourite artists performing in immersive environments. Elaborate productions and visual effects such as strobe lighting, connected to beats, increase enjoyability and production value for fans.
The set and lighting at Boardmasters of 2023 when Vibe Chemistry performed their hit Balling encapsulates the vibrancy of the Drum and Bass community. Despite it being the middle of the day, people still showed up with incredible energy. Much of their album Entropy was performed, such as Dreams, In Your Arms and On My Mind all of which have anticipated drops and effective build-ups where the energy of the track builds up. Another notable artist here would be Rudimental, who also performed this weekend. The song Dancing is Healing really demonstrates the blend of traditional electronic music and the drops and beats associated with drum and bass.
In November 2023 I went to see Sammy Virji in Newcastle, where he performed several fan favourites such as Shella Verse, On and on, Daga Da, Whippet, and Believing. These tracks heightened the energy in the venue through his trademark prominent basslines, which vary from deep and rumbling frequencies to more melodic and playful dependent on the mood and style of the track.
One thing that is eminent in the Drum and Bass subgenre of Electronic Music is the increased use of vocal samples and chops. Something really exciting about the community is that, when there is an exciting new track released, many artists like to concoct their own spin on it, which can be exemplified by the many versions of Balling, originally released by Vibe Chemistry. Balling has now been remixed with artists such as Songer, Mr Traumatik, OneDa and Devilman. This truly shows how broad the impact of new releases is on the Drum and Bass community.
Ultimately, this subgenre brings together music from across many genres, and provides something fun to dance to for an increasingly extensive audience. It provides an experimentative opportunity for many artists and offers a new spin on pop classics we know and love. The modern music scene would be amiss without EDM’s most thrilling subgenre.
Song suggestions:
· Balling - Vibe Chemistry, (featuring Songer, Mr Traumatik, Devilman, OneDa)
· On My Mind - Vibe Chemistry
· Dreams - Vibe Chemistry (I recommend checking out the album Entropy)
· Delilah - Fred Again..
· Whippet - Sammy Virgi
· Wasted Youth - Goddard and Cat Burns
· Shella Verse - Sammy Virgi
· Dancing is Healing - Rudimental, Vibe Chemistry
This list should provide a comprehensive introduction to the Drum and Bass subgenre of Electronic Dance Music.
Photo Credit:
shutterstock.com|440 × 293 jpeg
|2 yrs ago
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