Music / drum and bass
Inside Bristol’s legendary drum and bass scene
Drum and Bass is alive and well in Bristol. With legends like Roni Size, Krust and Randall still fuelling the scene, they’re what’s keeping the old school sound of jungle beats prominent.
Orion manages events and production at one of Bristol’s most popular venues for drum and bass, The Crown in St Nicks Market. The DJ and events promoter spoke to Bristol24/7 about how the pub has become a hotbed for dance music, and the wider drum and bass community in the city.
Why is Bristol’s Rave scene so prominent?
“The amount of students definitely plays a big part in how Bristol is able to sustain so many venues and events, although a lot of the music came from a time before the large amount of student interest in the city. I also think it’s the down to amount of stuff going on.”
What would you say is the main thing that Bristol has that makes the drum and bass community so strong?
“I’d say the passion for the music, new labels and artists are emerging all over the place, and people just keep pushing the sound. People work together, and the bigger names will work with the smaller labels and venues.”
Would you say there are any up-coming artists that people should look out for here in the drum and bass scene?
“Right, to name a few: Gyrofield, Spektiv, Azifm, Cheetah, Janaway, YAANO, K8, No Nation, Bleach, the whole BadB!tchDubz crew – I could go on.”
How do you promote your events? Do you think the Bristol community helps with this?
“Headfirst definitely, what they do for the community is mad, by pushing independents and donating huge sums of money to local charities.
Finally, What venues would you recommend to someone who has never been to Bristol before and wants to explore the drum and bass scene?
I’m gonna have to say The Crown. Biased? Nah, it’s become a great hub for upcoming talent in dance music, as well as hosting some big names such as Gyrofield, Grey Code and more. There are plenty of other spots with even more drum and bass events on a bigger scale, such as Crofters or Clock Factory.
Main photo: Abby Gawman
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