Keep It Locked

7 Reasons

Why Drum and Bass

Is Auditorily Orgasmic

Drum and Bass:

The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats (typically between 165–185 bpm, occasional variation is noted in older compositions), with heavy sub-bass lines. Drum and bass began as an offshoot of the United Kingdom rave scene of the very early 1990s. Over the first decade of its existence, the incorporation of elements from various musical genres lent to many permutations in its overall style.

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BassDrive is a 24/7 drum and bass radio station featuring live shows with guest DJs, as well as live broadcasts from venues all over the world. Representing the best in drum and bass & jungle music.

1) Layering:

Dnb is substantiated by overlapping beats and melodies fading in and out in indistinguishable patterns. Vocals, rhythms, and instruments are calculatedly introduced into the music either in sequence or simultaneously to create rich, complex sounds not unlike classical music.

2) Continuity:

Given dnb’s frequent transgressions and shape shifting, there is an endless quality to the music in which the listener  becomes deeply absorbed into the music for extended periods of time. Rather than repetition, there is a sensation of soothing pulsation that persists even hours after listening to dnb, accompanied by a compelling interest in what turn the music will take next. With the constant subtle shifting of the music, there is a sense of never having to step away from it to asses what song is playing or if you like the track, because (good) dnb is too intricately blended to dissect. By inserting new bass lines at optimal points within the music and removing them to then replace them with others, there is always an anticipation of which beat will drop next, not a mourning of a particularly good beat that has ended.

3) Harpsichordination:

Yes, I made that word up. But, with the continuous layering of sounds, the effect is that this blend presses several auditory buttons at once, likened to having several pressure points being activated at once by Shiatsu massage, or to the sensation of pressing several keys on an organ. Through precise switches in beat, accompanied by overtones of various pitches, the brain is able to pay attention to two or more sounds at once, resulting in a physical experience similar to clitoral stimulation during penetration. Listening to large amounts of high quality dnb is not only pleasant ~ it is a physical pleasure.

4) Funk:

For those who enjoy break beats, or even funky house, dnb can emulate the same booty shaking festivity, but with an added intense, complex drive. Once one has listened to drum and bass extensively, new school breaks will sound lacking in something – the up, down, up up, down pattern seeming almost naked, hungry – unfulfilling. There will always be funky, and often heavenly breaks, and the breakbeat is closely related to dnb, but in extensive listening sessions drum and bass can provide a larger variety of funkadellic sounds, sustaining its drive by exploring a wider range of musical  nuances. This music thrives on deep, wobbly, shaken, trippy, soulful, defiant rhythms.

5) Deep Impact:

Some who are not familiar with drum and bass ask: “so what – is it just a drum and some bass?” Well… (not even) close. Perhaps a better way to define drum and bass would be an interplay of deep bass and carefully interspersed treble. Its beauty lies in the variation between sounds, in the sheer range of sound spectrum, always sustained by a low, gyrating rumble – the anchor of the music. This deep beat you can feel in your gut is ideal for dancing to (and has technically created a new genre of dance), and also invites healing.

6) Emotional Healing:

Because drum and bass embraces a wide spectrum of sounds, from the gutteral bass to the dreamy layered tunes painted, lobbed, or injected into it, it is able to stimulate the range of chakras. The sacral chakra – re-igniting primal urges while soothing the broken heart with its musical tear-dropper; the root chakra – building strength and a sense of presence in one’s environment; and the solar plexus chakra – easing digestion and anxiety. Dnb often produces such joy and satisfaction that it leads to a natural release of overwhelming emotion. Beyond which, it provides a sense of  well-being which can act as a blank slate to address other arising emotional issues, or simply allow the third eye chakra to wander.

7) Narrative Essence:

In its shifting complexity, drum and bass conjures a series of unique atmospheres, inspiring distinct abstract  sensations and igniting matching visuals, and/or creating musical storylines linked together only by one’s own navigation. It is the navigational essence of dnb (also present in trance) that sets dnb apart from other genres, the extensive sense of unfolding as it brings you places. Dnb stimulates the imagination not only in images, but through stories – imagined sequences of events churning and developing with the progression of the music.

*Tune in to BassDrive, you won’t be sorry!

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