2013 was without a doubt a big year for drum and bass… I think it’s fair to say trends in the commercial music industry are cyclical, and 2013 saw a clear revival of drum and bass in the charts. Wilkinson got a place in the top 10 with ‘Afterglow’ and Rudimental reached number one in the singles and albums charts. I will be honest and say that certain commercial strands of the genre, for example, the likes of Hospital Records who continued on their path of pristinely packaged drum and bass, their releases for the large part tantamount to a dnb equivalent of house music’s David Guetta aren’t really our thing over at In-Reach. Neither are releases on the somewhat cheesy and infinitely predictable side of things. I’d also like to illustrate, without identifying the culprits, that in 2013 some of the larger labels leaned dangerously close to what I’d consider ‘dnb boyband’ material with their choice of press shots. Harsh words aside however, despite facing the presumptuous ‘you’re one of those’ glares (by ‘one of those’ I mean the ones that like jump-up or the ultra polished, synth heavy Ibiza dnb sound) whenever illustrating my passion for the genre, I think the success of drum and bass in the mainstream is perhaps a wider reflection of heightened interest all round, and if this is something that’s going to get more people through the ‘gateway to the good stuff’ then why not?
Beyond the strict confines of commercialism and out with the mainstream limelight is where we at In-Reach believe the genre has been at its finest. Undoubtedly a year in which underground drum and bass has thrived, once again, 2013 saw a group of producers, DJ’s, Promoters and labels that through their dedication and passion for the genre continued to push drum and bass in innovative, imaginative and truly pioneering directions. We felt it only right to relive 2013 and highlight what we at In-Reach believe were the biggest events, the stand out tunes and most memorable moments in drum and bass!
Beyond the strict confines of commercialism and out with the mainstream limelight is where we at In-Reach believe the genre has been at its finest. Undoubtedly a year in which underground drum and bass has thrived, once again, 2013 saw a group of producers, DJ’s, Promoters and labels that through their dedication and passion for the genre continued to push drum and bass in innovative, imaginative and truly pioneering directions. We felt it only right to relive 2013 and highlight what we at In-Reach believe were the biggest events, the stand out tunes and most memorable moments in drum and bass!