6 Essential Drum n Bass of Albums of – 1995
As we’ve discovered in the DNB timeline, 1995 was jungle’s pinnacle year, and also it’s last until various resurrections across the following decades. It is now firmly entrenched back into mainstream drum and bass culture, not only a retro sounding genre, but also as contemporary jungle.
One thing we haven’t talked about yet though is the LP culture that sprang up out of the golden era jungle scene. Full length albums were nothing new to rave culture generally, with acts like Adamski and 808 State offering up some fantastic and scene defining collections. But jungle albums? Nah. Not really.
4 Hero and Rum and Black/Shut Up And Dance gave us a couple of real corkers during the early half of the decade, but it wasn’t really until 1995 that producers started sitting down to explore the genre in a little more detail and with an outlook that was a little less dancefloor banger orientated. It was the year that kicked off many artist LPs and set the scene for the rest of the 90s and beyond.
Here we’re going to look at 6 essential albums that blasted their way into the year and left a mark that is still felt amongst purists to this day. With so much music lout there, and much of it lost to history in the eyes of the young, we want to not only celebrate these releases in full, but also potentially open them up to a newer audience that are keen to do their due diligence with the history books.
Please join us as we look back at 6 amazing drum and bass albums from the year jungle blew UP!
OMNI TRIO - THE DEEPEST CUT VOL 1
We did an interview with Rob haigh AKA Omni Trio back in 2022 and he has easily gone down in DNB history as one of the true game changers. He bought a vibe and a melody to the music that was rare then and still is now.
Using his vast experience as a musician across multiple genres, he turned the scene on its head with his beautiful but energetic releases during the first middle of the 90’s.
Highly regarded 30 years on, his work has stood the test of time and is still regularly played (and often remixed/re-booted) by DJs and fans of all ages.
This LP, featuring tracks from ’94, ’94 and ’95 shows his haunting, melancholic yet energetic and powerful drum and bass interpretations to their fullest.
An absolute must have for anybody looking back in the history books.
D*NOTE - CRIMINAL JUSTICE
I interviewed Matt Winn a long time ago when I ran www.oldskoolreview.co.uk back in 2009, but I lost everything when I closed the site down.
It was a fascinating story though, and this is a fascinating album.
With a rich tapestry of orchestral lushness, avant garde beauty, ruff junglism (and in places a blend of all three) AND featuring the mighty MC Navigator who absolutely delivers, this is an album that will almost certainly take you by surprise.
Flipping from ruff breaks to serene orchestration and melodic piano work, this has to be heard to be believed.
A GUY CALLED GERALD - BLACK SECRET TECHNOLOGY
Wow. What an album. Coming at a time when mind bending basslines and crashing amens were eau de rigueur, and stylistically following on from where 4 Hero’s Parallel Lines left off the year before, this simply stunning LP also showed the world what else was achievable within the drum and bass framework.
With stunning melodies, the lushest of chord progressions, stuttering drum edits and vocals and effects that whirled and twirled in and out of the aural consciousness, it was a scene defining moment within the genre.
A Gem!
GOLDIE - TIMELESS
What can be said that hasn’t already come to pass?
It was, is and always will be one of the scenes defining moments in history. Not just because of the huge forward, the international recognition, the firm planting of drum and bass as a musical entity across the musical stratosphere……..
But because of THE MUSIC!!!!
The deadly combination of Moving Shadow’s Rob Playford and Goldie showed with unrelentless ingenuity just what could be achieved via the musical vehicle of drum and bass. With musical reference points used over and over agin at set points across the albums entire length to add continuity to the journey, it is nothing short of genius.
And it’s a hardcore drum and bass album. There are points of extreme beauty AND points of extreme brutality, especially within some of the drum work.
And that 21 minute opening statement……………………
No more words required!
Kemet Crew - Champion Jungle Sound
Rising from an offshoot of the Ibiza Records stable, who we saw way back in our 1991 DNB timeline section were one of main protagonists at that very early stage, this collection of tracks pull no punches when it comes to pure junglism.
With stepping basslines and crashing amens, the LP epitomises the true jungle sound of 1995 and is a must have for connoisseurs and collectors alike.
Play loud, and watch your pictures fall off the wall with great satisfaction.
Maybe not so satisfying for your neighbours though.
Marvellous Cain – Gun Talk
