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[Chaotic Electronic Music] A Collection of Classic Drill ’n’ Bass Tracks
If you’re familiar with the electronic music scene of the 1990s, you’ve probably heard of the genre known as “drill ’n’ bass.” In English it’s written as “Drill ’n’ bass.” While it’s hard to pin down musically, it’s characterized by rhythm patterns and programming even more complex than drum and bass, yet with a chaotic atmosphere rather than a heated groove.
Although it influenced genres like breakcore and glitch, there aren’t actually many works that are pure drill ’n’ bass.
In this article, we’ve selected and introduced essential drill ’n’ bass classics you should know first.
If you’re interested, please have a look!
[Chaotic Electronic Music] A Selection of Classic Drill ’n’ Bass Tracks (1–10)
Girl/Boy (NLS Mix)Aphex Twin
Girl/Boy (NLS Mix), a solo project track by British musician Richard D.
James under the name Aphex Twin, was released in 1995.
It’s a piece with a rather unusual atmosphere, combining an elegant string melody with a torrent of beats.
It was created under a strong influence from British musician Luke Vibert, known for his work under aliases such as Plug and Wagon Christ.
It’s also said that the EP’s cover features a photograph of the grave of Richard D.
James’s brother, who died at birth.
The result is a mysterious track with an indescribably dark aura.
Squarepusher ThemeSquarepusher
Squarepusher Theme, released in 1996 under the Squarepusher name by British musician Thomas Jenkinson, is a track that lets you enjoy a distinctive musical world where retro, live-feeling fusion-jazz sounds are mixed with electronic, mechanical drum sounds.
It appears on his debut album Feed Me Weird Things.
On the strength of that album’s reception, Squarepusher signed with Warp Records, the prestigious electronica label that also counts Aphex Twin among its artists, and he has continued to be active ever since.
KimiBogdan Raczynski
Affiliated with the label Rephlex Records, run by Richard D.
James and Grant Wilson-Claridge, the Polish-American artist Bogdan Raczynski is another figure I’d like to introduce in the context of drill ’n’ bass.
He made his debut in 1999 with an album titled “Boku Mo Wakaran,” and it seems this peculiar title stems from a period when Raczynski attended an art school in Japan.
Let’s highlight “Kimi,” a track with a Japanese title as well, included on his album “Samurai Math Beats,” also released that year.
Amid the pastoral atmosphere created by a mysterious, childlike vocal effect and whistling, sudden bursts of unruly electronic tones and breakbeats jump in, producing a strangely captivating charm.
The album as a whole is packed to the brim with Raczynski’s wildly original sensibilities, so I highly recommend checking out the entire record.
HajnalVenetian Snares
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the drill ’n’ bass genre itself lost momentum in the late ’90s, and its musical elements evolved into subgenres like breakcore and glitch.
As a developmental offshoot of drill ’n’ bass that you should definitely check out, let me introduce “Hajnal” by Venetian Snares, a representative breakcore artist from Canada known for complex, meticulously programmed beats, anything-goes sampling, and music that unfolds at blistering speed.
The track appears on his landmark 2005 album Rossz Csillag Alatt Született, a groundbreaking work that brilliantly fuses elements of classical music with high-velocity breakbeats.
Considering that the album was released on the esteemed label Planet Mu, run by Mike Paradinas (aka µ-Ziq), it’s also interesting to listen to this piece in the context of drill ’n’ bass.
Come On My SelectorSquarepusher
Squarepusher is the stage name of British musician Thomas Jenkinson.
What’s especially noteworthy about his 1997 release “Come On My Selector” is the music video directed by filmmaker Chris Cunningham! Set in Japan, it plays out like a horror movie, yet the way the beats and rhythms sync perfectly with the visuals makes it irresistibly addictive to watch.
Also, the Japanese line at the end—“He’s a bit like Goldie, isn’t he?”—is hilarious (Goldie is a drum and bass musician).
Be sure to enjoy the track together with the music video!