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Playlist for Guestlist | Beat Assassins
Drum and Bass | Thursday 11th February 2016 | Arren
Beat Assassins is on a mission to bring fun and quirky drum & bass back to the table!
Beat Assassins is a name with a long history. Before it was widely associated with the breaks scene and the duo was a global success.
Things change over time, namely genres and their popularity. The group dropped off the radar about 2010 and went separate ways. Both members, Jimmy and Joe went on and focussed on different projects, Jimmy looked into Trap under the alias Koshii with DJ Sai whilst Joe is one half of drum & bass supergroup, Sigma.
After a few years, Jimmy couldn’t shake his love for drum & bass either. Now producing and releasing music, he brings back Beat Assassins as a one man job. His style is a lot more fun and quirky than a lot of the music being released, and it’s nice to hear.
Resurfacing last year, Beat Assassins will have his first track of 2016 out next week on the 18th. Entitled The Raid, it’s a roller that distorts the lines between jungle and drum & bass. Old Skool vibes with a modern approach to production. The single with also come with a hefty remix from Calliade and a bouncy house remix from Jay C.
With a new focus on drum & bass, Beat Assassins has dropped us his top 5 drum & bass.
1. Chase & Status feat. Plan B - Pieces [Ram Records]
"When I first heard this track I really didn't like it. I thought, "why do they have this whiny guy at the start moaning about his X girlfriend?" But then of course the penny dropped. It's genius! Emo & dnb fused together in a glorious teenage angst. Plan B at his finest and angriest. I remember being at Matter (near the 02 Arena London) taking a piss when The Scratch Perverts dropped this tune. The whole of the cubical toilet I was in began to shake violently from the amount of bass coming through the floor. A remarkable piece of music."
2. Bad Company - The Nine [Bad Company Recordings]
"I first heard The Nine in a record shop in Battersea and my jaw hit the floor. I was even questioning whether it was dnb? I hadn't heard anything like it!
It's dark, it's menacing, it growls but yet it chugs and thumps and in my opinion, it changed the way a lot of producers made dnb! It launched a whole new age in tech-step production. A defining moment in dnb for sure."
3. Adam F - Brand New Funk [V Recordings]
"I guess this might sound a little dated now but this track holds a place in my heart. I used to promote a night at the Borderline (London) called Mofo. We mashed together drum & bass, hip-hop & breaks. This track became that end of the night classic that everyone lost it to. At the time Brand New Funk was an anthem because of that long tension build at the start."
4. Aphrodite - Listen To The Rhythm [Aphrodite Recordings]
"I've always felt that Aphrodite gets a bad rap on the dnb scene. Yes his music is on the cheesy side. It's cheeky and doesn't take itself too seriously. Put his productions up against Bad Company and dnb headz will probably dismiss him. But I've had so much fun in the past dropping Aphrodite tunes. I've dropped Listen To The Rhythm in many clubs and watched the floor ignite. How can you deny that rolling jungle bassline? This track is perfect in bars, small clubs or mixed dance floors where the crowd is looking for a fun party away from heavy dnb. A great track to drop around carnival time."
5. Sigma - El Presidente VIP [Life Recordings]
"Of course a Beat Assassins top 5 dnb tunes wouldn't be complete without a nod to my old partner in crime Joe Lenzie from Sigma. I still drop this tune today and I think it's one of Sigma's finest moments. Off course they have now gone on to be a massive pop sensation but I do miss the old Sigma productions. El Presidente is that cheeky roller that drives the floor between the big hitters. It's the kind of track DJ Zinc would make. It combines really catchy riffs that never get boring."
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