A new documentary from Spotify and Drumsheds captures the 21st century evolution of drum ‘n’ bass.
The sound originated in the bass bins of the early 90s, with breakbeat house slowly morphing into darkcore and jungle. Refined into the pristine engineering of drum ‘n’ bass by crews like Metalheadz, the sound has entered the bedrock of British music.
If you’ve entered a rave or attended a festival in the post-pandemic era, you’ll know that drum ‘n’ bass is back in a big way. A fresh generation of ravers are adopting the sound as their own, working within those storied lineages to forge something new.
Spotify have noticed this, with streams of DnB artists surging by 94% since 2021. Together with North London event space Drumsheds, they’ve crafted a special documentary, exploring this phenomenon with both artists and ravers.
Online now, the documentary features broadcaster, DJ, and bass guru Charlie Tee, alongside Kanine, Sota, and Singer – amongst others – who explore the sounds evolution from community centres and underground raves to global stages.
As one person puts it…
“I think the music has lasted this long because no one’s managed to get a hold of it. It’s been DIY for so long since the beginning. It stayed that way…”
Watch the documentary below.
