Some thoughts on "mainstream" Drum and bass.

LG18

Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2014
Whenever drum and bass artist hit the charts or make it to the mainstream, it's usually always followed with a swarm of hate.

Why is this?


I can understand it with Fresh, and Pendulum (Well, pendulum sucked from the get go :L )
But the reason I ask, is Drum and bass duo 'SIGMA', have recently reached big success.
They've had one number one record already, and came close with there second one released a few months ago. They've had numerous collaborations since then, and are said now to be working on their debut album.

They'd been doing the clubs for years before this recent success, and their musical style hasn't changed.
While their track 'somebody to love' was very commercial and not my cup of tea, since then they've done numerous tracks and remixes that I'd deem textbook drum and bass.

After this they released 'Rude boy', a track they said was homage to the Jungle days, and then 'Changing', another commercial track, that I actually really enjoyed. I thought the mix of gospel and D'n'B was great.
They're putting out some great stuff.

They've always made the same music, and haven't sold out to a big corporate record label.


However, they still get a ton of hate, and the only thing I see people hating on, is the fact that they've been successful, which is ridiculous. It seems people just basically do it because they're jealous of their success, rather than a comment on their music.


I understand the frustration when people sell out, make crappy music compared to what they used to etc; But they're not, and this is the case with quite a few people that have had success, yet they still get this hate.


Thoughts?
 
When Metallica released their Black Album, they were hated by the majority of their old fans, because they've turned "mainstream". When Dimmu Borgir signed woth Nuclear Blast back in 1998, they were hated by the majority of their old fans because they've turned "mainstream". When Mozart made his 40th symphony in G minor, he was hated by his old fans, because he's turned "mainstream".

There's an overall hate on sucessful artists, because sometime it means that they abandoned their underground roots to make their sound more "radio friendly" or "crowd friendly".

In this case you mentioned, even though they didn't change their sound to fit "radio" or "crowd", there's been a change in interest towards dnb, IMO. People are seeking more dnb, and as those people are accostumed to "radio friendly" songs, they'll listen to what are equal, to them. And this exposition the djs and artists are receiving brings the hate of the old hardcore fans.
 
. When Mozart made his 40th symphony in G minor, he was hated by his old fans, because he's turned "mainstream".

I remember that time :p


No seriously, i think most of people are hatters because they are just jealous.
When somebody is reaching the top place (in sports, music, cinema, modelling etc etc), they are plenty of people who hates them, just because those people will never famous or top at what they are doing.

Since the beginning of the humanity till it's end, it'll be like that....
 
I remember that time :p


No seriously, i think most of people are hatters because they are just jealous.
When somebody is reaching the top place (in sports, music, cinema, modelling etc etc), they are plenty of people who hates them, just because those people will never famous or top at what they are doing.

Since the beginning of the humanity till it's end, it'll be like that....
I don't think it's only jealousy. what is mainstream now? Pop music, right? People tend to think that these dnb artists, when hitting No1 tracks on billboard will start making collabs with Myley Cyrus and the likes.
 
That just reinforces my theory.

Well yea, I'm kind off a hipster with my music...

But, if I got that correct, you say the artist their sound doesn't change, they just get more attention. But I do think their sound changes... Alright, Sigma, they didn't change too much, but Netsky, Fresh, Sub Focus,... You can't say some of their tunes are the same sound as a few years back
 
(Well, pendulum sucked from the get go :L )

Alrighty, im outta here boys, catchya in the next life, nice knowin ya all...

out-of-here.gif
 
I don't think it's only jealousy. what is mainstream now? Pop music, right? People tend to think that these dnb artists, when hitting No1 tracks on billboard will start making collabs with Myley Cyrus and the likes.

maybe they will
and if it is the case, some people would love it, some would hate it.....
 
Well yea, I'm kind off a hipster with my music...

But, if I got that correct, you say the artist their sound doesn't change, they just get more attention. But I do think their sound changes... Alright, Sigma, they didn't change too much, but Netsky, Fresh, Sub Focus,... You can't say some of their tunes are the same sound as a few years back
Yeah, I was mentioning what the OP said, about that specific artist .
 
I see your points.


I'm into lots of different variants of drum and bass.

I can quite happily stick MetalHeadz Platinum breaks on and listen to it all day, but I also appreciate the merging of traditional song writing with D'n'B.
For me, there doesn't really have to be that distinction.
I love the sound of drum and bass. The energy that the breaks and the bass lines bring, and I think that can come in many forms.

In my opinion, just because a track isn't the hardcore-est underground song out there,doesn't mean it isn't good, or shouldn't be classed as a good drum and bass track.

I think the merging of traditional song writing and drum and bass is a good one. Sure, there's allot of crap, but when someone gets it right, it's awesome.


There's always the danger of doing a DJ Fresh or a sub focus, but it doesn't have to be that way.
 
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Just my opinion, doesn't mean you can't like them does it. :L

I just feel they fell off after hold your colour.
 
Just my opinion, doesn't mean you can't like them does it. :L

I just feel they fell off after hold your colour.

You said 'from the get go'... Pretty certain that means from the start.

I guess you haven't heard; Spiral, Back to You, Vault?
 
That's not what I meant.

I should've been clearer, but I was referring to the time they made that transition into the more commercial orientated stuff.

I didn't mean from the start of their career. By "from the get go", I meant from the time period onward that they changed their style.


For example, I still think fresh put out some alright tunes when he made that transition, for a little bit that is.

Pendulum, however, I feel did not. Hence, the from the get go comment.


Poor choice of words looking back I admit . . .
 
Pendulum had some huge tracks - my fav's were Vault, Still Grey, Back To You. But as we all know, they changed and really fell off. i don't think it's fair to group Sigma in with Pendulum, Sigma is still staying true to dnb. i've been a big fan of Sigma for years. they've started to blow up recently and i still love alot of their songs. they try different things sometimes and isn't my cup of tea but i still consider myself a Sigma fan.

btw does anyone know when the hell is this song gonna be released?

 
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Re: Some thoughts on "mainstream" Drum and bass.

Anyone who gets pissed off about Digna being successful clearly has issues within their
Own life and is looking for someone to moan at.

I can't say I'm into the stuff which is being played on the radio but who cares? Don't listen to the radio. This can only be a good thing really. It will bring more people into dnb, clubs will be busier, hopefully clubs such as ministry of sound embrace dnb again.

A lot of people who are into dnb now it's listened to pendulum and started digging from there.

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I'm reading through this thread and I feel like my hair is falling out
 
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