The latest Serum soundbank from Oblivion Sound Lab, Timeshift, is inspired by the mid-90s golden age of atmospheric drum & bass, and to accompany its release I have compiled a list of genre-defining tracks and personal favourites.
Atmospheric drum & bass evolved from breakbeat hardcore during the early 1990s, but distinguished itself by focussing on ambient textures and melody, in contrast to the tougher ragga jungle sound that dominated at the time. Its hallmarks include lush chords, otherworldly soundscapes, aquatic and forest sound effects, jazzy instrumentation, rolling breakbeats and seismic 808 bass.
By the late 1990s the more hard-edged techstep sound was in ascendency, and for a while atmospheric drum & bass took a back seat, resurfacing during the 2000s in the form of liquid drum & bass, a polished, jazzy style that is simultaneously laid back and dance floor friendly. Today an atmospheric drum & bass revival is underway, with labels such as Omni, Scientific Wax, Violet Nights, OKBRON and Spatial devoted to showcasing ambient D&B releases by both contemporary and veteran producers.
LTJ Bukem “Demon’s Theme” (1992)
If one track can be credited with creating the template for atmospheric drum & bass, it is LTJ Bukem’s “Demon’s Theme”, the first release on his genre-defining Good Looking Records. The combination of rolling amen breakbeats, 808 bass, smooth strings, ethic instrumentation and nature effects (the Emulator II’s Shakuhachi and Loon Garden presets) sounded like nothing else at the time, and set the stage for the nascent genre.
Metalheads “Angel” (1993)
Future Metalheadz label boss Goldie teamed up with members of 4 Hero and 2 Bad Mice to create “Angel”, a forward looking track that fused 150bpm breaks with samples from Brian Eno and David Byrne’s “My Life In the Bush Of Ghosts”. The dark “hoover” synths that enter half way through “Angel” are a reminder of drum & bass’s hardcore roots, while Diane Charlemagne’s jazzy vocals signal the genre’s future.
Aquarius “Dolphin tune” (1994)
Jungle pioneer Photek may have single handedly invented the “aquatic drum & bass” micro-genre with this track and its flip side “Aquatic”, released under his Aquarius alias.
Parallel World “Contagious” (1994)
Parallel World was an alias of JMJ & Richie. A mellow parallel chord progression, dolphin sample, soulful vocals and booming 808 bass make “Contagious” an excellent example of mid-90s atmospheric drum & bass.
The Chameleon “Links” (1995)
The Chameleon was a side project of Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard, the pair behind Global Communication’s classic chill out album 76:14. “Links”, which was included on Bukem’s seminal Logical Progression compilation, kicks off with a sample from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, followed by dreamy rhodes piano, soulful vocals, and aquatic sound effects.
Blame “Visions of Mars” (1996)
Blame started out producing blissful breakbeat hardcore (see 1993’s “Feel the Energy”) and was instrumental in pioneering the drum & bass sound. He started 720 Degrees, initially an offshoot of Good Looking Records, as an outlet for drum and based that features sci-fi themes and techno atmospherics. “Visions of Mars” is a hypnotising sci-fi journey, full of alien chirps and bleeps over spooky chords and flanged synths.
Omni Trio “Sanctuary” (1997)
Omni Trio was one of ambient drum & bass’s earliest innovators, fusing influences as diverse as Pere Ubu, Can, Miles Davis and King Tubby. He put out a string of full length albums on Rob Playford’s influential Moving Shadow label, gaining a reputation as one of the finest album-oriented producers in the scene. I could have picked almost any track from 1995’s Skeleton Keys LP for this list, but I love “Sanctuary’s” combination of mellow digital keys, resonant filter sweeps and soaring strings.
Intense “West Side Blues” (1997)
A great example of the jazzier side of atmospheric drum & bass. The track features electric piano and saxophone licks (by tenor saxophonist Molly Duncan, father of group member Dan Duncan) over rolling beats and a groovy double bass that will get your hips moving. The flip side was “Eastern Promise”, showcasing a more ambient and introspective side of Intense’s production skillset.
JMJ “Gravitational Pull” (1997)
A ridiculously smooth roller from JMJ, who also had a number of excellent collaborations with Richie and Flytronix. Mellow electric keys, marimba, wah wah synth, and course a deep 808 bass.
KMC “Alpha Centauri” (1998)
A wonderful example of the spaced out atmospheric sounds championed by Blame on his 720 Degrees label. The drum programming and squelchy bass have something in common with the techstep style that was ascendent by 1998, but the ambient pads and flute melody are pure atmospheric.
Seba “Camouflage” (1998)
Delicate arpeggios and filtered pads combine with tech-y stabs in this AA side from Seba, who had a string of excellent releases on Bukem’s Good Looking Records and its subsidiary labels.
Omni Trio “First Contact” (2001)
Another certified classic from Omni Trio, this time off 2001’s Even Angels Cast Shadows. An acid sequence screams over a bed of subdued rave chords and dark strings, punctuated by cavernous drips and a mournful whale call.
Digging deeper
A Beginner’s Guide to Atmospheric DnB
Tim Cant has put together an excellent video charting the history of atmospheric drum & bass, from its roots in hardcore through to the 2020s revival. He has also included a breakdown of one of his own tunes, which demonstrates some the genre’s production techniques.
Renegade Snares: The Resistance And Resilience Of Drum & Bass
Pieced together from original interviews conducted with all the scene’s main players, Renegade Snares traces the history of jungle/drum & bass from its early roots in sound system culture and rave music through to the present day, and includes a chapter about the atmospheric/intelligent sub-genre.
Simon Reynolds on the Hardcore Continuum #2: Ambient Jungle
Written for The Wire in 1994, just as ambient jungle was poised to blow up, Reynold’s essay is a fascinating insight into the origins of the fledgling scene.