#liquid drum n bass

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DYINGPHARAOHS.COM

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Liquidity still dropping bangers

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NAMO - DHOMOCHEVSKY

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I released my last record on vinyl. Brought a couple of copies to Japan to give to homies. This was at my friend Koki’s spot. There are still some copies left (11 as of this post!) Check it out if you’re into Jungle/Drum & Bass. nigelthreetimes.bandcamp.com

Setagaya City. Tokyo, Japan.

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Yves - LOOP (Feat. Lil Cherry) (LOOP EP, 2024)

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Tim Reaper & Kloke’s In Full Effect

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Reactive Lines 2.

Music: Simula - Behemoth

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Today's compilation:

Plastic Surgery 2 2001 Drum n Bass / Liquid Funk

There are so many different strains of drum n bass that are out there, folks, but one specific type that ended up proving pretty dang popular in the UK is one with the groovy name of liquid funk. This is the kind that, more or less, removes an absolute necessity for the drums and bass to be the focal points of the songs, and allows them to serve as more of a steady and foundational backdrop for whatever melodic, harmonic, or ambient fuss is made to surround them. But while this proved a surefire way to expand dnb's reach to people who hadn't originally been fans of the music in the first place, some true heads also naturally bristled at it too, because it seemed that the genre that they had loved was having its sharper edges sanded off a bit.

Beloved dnb DJ and producer Fabio was a pioneer of the liquid funk style, though, and so was Hospital Records, a label that was founded by the duo of London Elektricity, which is now a solo act. And back in '01, when LE were still making music together, Hospital dropped a fantastic liquid double-disc called Plastic Surgery 2, which featured a bunch of exclusives from the label on the first disc, and then a full DJ mix from London Elektricity themselves on the second, with that latter one incorporating a bunch of the tracks from the former.

But another key aspect of this era was the use of the 2-step break, which is typically defined by a snare hit on every second and fourth beat, and ended up giving the music a bouncier feel. Almost every song on here utilizes one.

So, if you like the liquid 2-step stuff, or are just interested in hearing it, this comp is a total can't-miss. Everything on here is dope and should have your head happily bobbing up and down in no time, but one that really stands out among the rest is High Contrast's "Suddenly," a powerful jam with glorious splashes of orchestral strings and a layer of swift hand-drum taps. And for an example of how liquid funk could effectively serve a broader audience, there's London Elektricity's own "Round the Corner," which features Liane Carroll providing soulful verses alongside and between LE's grinding hoover grooves.

But not all of this comp seems to have had its wagon hitched to the 2-step trend, either. Oxford duo Total Science deliver a deep and adventurous stunner in "Let It Go," which is a track that's sure to keep the real heads satisfied, as it does an excellent job of combining drum breaks, and is nowhere near as stable as the rest of the tunes in this crop.

So, drum n bass sure has spawned a whole lot of different branches since it started to emerge from jungle in the mid-90s, but liquid funk was one of its most popular during the early-to-mid-aughts. And this double-disc, from one of the labels that was on the style's forefront before it ended up reaching its zenith, is fantastic.

Highlights:

CD1:

London Elektricity - "Wishing Well (Danny Byrd Remix)" London Elektricity - "Superstructure (John B Remix)" High Contrast - "Suddenly" Yukihiro Fukutomi - "I Am (London Elektricity Remix)" London Elektricity - "Round the Corner (Origin Unknown Remix)" DJ Kalm + Citizen - "Venus" Total Science - "Let It Go" Carlito + Addiction - "The Ride" Liane Carroll - "The Trap (Calibre Remix)"

CD2:

London Elektricity - "Continuous Mix"

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NAMO | FUTURE PRIMITIVE