1996. The year that the drum and bass scene changed forever, and tech step came through like a digital tidal wave crashing through the ether. To us here, it was also the finite point in time where drum and bass (as a pure artform) came into being.
The term drum and bass had been used collectively since 1991 as we have seen in previous sections, and had also been used to describe the mellower form of music that splintered off from mainstream jungle in '94 and '95, because while it was break driven, it definitely wasn't jungle in a pure sense, because it lacked influence from Jamaica.
Our definition is this. If the snares and percussion are scattered across the whole 4 or 8 bars like traditional analogue drum samples, then it's probably jungle. If there are breaks in the drum tracks (or if there aren't) but there is a clearly defined snare on beat 2 and 4 of the bar (like in many of the tracks featured in this list), then it's definitely drum and bass.
When hardstep and two step came through at the tail end of '95, predominantly with Alex Reece's Pulp Fiction (see our 1995 jungle section) the music redefined itself, and the term jungle just wasn't accurate, or appropriate. The logical thing seemed to be to revert back to the drum and bass moniker, and it stuck ever since.
There was also a splinter genre in this year that focused on the use of American hip hop samples, from vocals right through to noodling keyboard riffs straight out of California. We've included some of those tunes here because while tech step was birthing itself, this style was also a massive part of the scene with its twisted Reese basslines and slapping beats.
So our definition is this: hardcore is hardcore, jungle tekno is jungle tekno, darkside is darkside, jungle is jungle. Everything else is drum and bass, and drum and bass as a musical entity started in 1996 with the advent of tech step. In a nutshell, it was when the breaks dropped away and that relentless stepping drum pattern took control.
Your opinion may be different, but to us, this is the distinct difference between jungle and drum and bass. As you work your way through this section you'll see that the jungle drums didn't fade overnight, and the breakbeat was still a musical focal point, but the intention was completely different, and so was the effect, so for this year we're looking at killer tracks that embody the whole twelve month period, and defined the tech step scene in its own right.
One of the defining features of golden era tech step was the length of the tunes. Averaging 6 minutes and often rolling into the 7's, 8's and 9's, the music was a journey in itself and gave the listener a chance to really get into the zone. We miss this a lot! Enjoy!
1.DJ Trace – Mutant Revisited.
The only genuine way to start the year. I remember the very first time I heard this in the Rollers arena at The Sanctuary in Milton Keynes and wow. I literally didn't know what to do with myself. The intensity and energy behind this track simply could not be paralleled. If ever there was a tune to describe the tech step movement in one go, this is it. An absolute masterpiece of the genre.
2.Ed Rush - Killamanjaro.
Following hotly in it's wake, and proving why Grooverider and the Prototype label has been cited as one of the cornerstones of the tech step drum and bass movement, Ed Rush delivers a deadly weapon of epic proportions. As was common for this period, the breaks are ever present, but the drum play of '94 and '95 gave way to a much more simplified and repetitive pattern, driving the composition hurtling forwards while the synths picked up the slack and became a focal point much like they had in the heady days of the Belgian techno sound of 1991. Murderous.
3.Nasty Habits – Shadow Boxing.
Not released until the end of the year but included early in this list to show the progression the music has made with regards to the breaks dropping out. Coming in at 8 minutes, this absolute heavyweight destroyed everything in its path and is highly regarded as a classic in the genre. Only techno could get away with 8 minutes, and the journey ethos of purist techno carried through into the tech step movement with devastating effect. Baaad!
4.Adam F – Metropolis.
Yikes. Another absolutely stone cold classic from this iconic year for drum and bass. Ther anticipation this creates is second to none. Making us wait for more than half of the tune until the thing kicks is is bordering on cruelty. This thing is the epitome of tech step as a genre. And still kicks ass now.
5.Peshay – Predator
While as mentioned, the defining element of techstep was the breakbeats fading away, their was, is and always has been certain camps and producers within those camps that refused to let go of what became known as 'amen pressure', That is, the intense manipulation of sampled break ala golden era jungle. The tempo and elemntal style of tech step didn't really allow for the same feel or texture of jungle drums, and so tech step fostered its own unique style of breakbeat manipulation, and Peshay was undisputedly one of the worlds finest in this area. One can only guess at the amount of studio hours spent on this monstrous piece of work, but it must have been A LOT! OOSH!
6.Shimon & Andy C – Quest
Straddling the line between jungle and drum and bass, and with elements of both in full play, this shook raves apart with its undulating bassline. It was great fun to dance to as well. Excellent.
7.Mickey Finn And Aphrodite – Bad Ass !
I swear this was made with the sample of somebody bashing a steel dustbin lid. Anyway, while not particularly tech step in composition, it definitely wasn't jungle either, and that mental bassline transposing across just about all of the octaves possible really made it one of the most enjoyable tunes to dance to. Ever. An absolute must when talking about 1996 drum and bass.
8.DJ Hype Featuring MC Fats – Peace Love & Unity
Woooooooi. That bassline though. Still with one firmly in the jungle movement, this absolute belter from one of the scenes most influential and longest standing producers, not to mention the dulcet tones of the late, great MC Fats, makes this just awesome on every level. And that Reese bass just drawing you in too. Supreme.
9.DJ Zinc – Reach Out
Staying with the True Playaz label and still riding on the cusp of the jungle/tech step crossover. DJ Zinc was responsible for some of the biggest tunes of the late 90's and this is no exception. Absolutely rough, tough and dangerous.
10. DJ Zinc - On Fire Tonight
Another absolute masterpiece fro, Zinc. This was a definite pure jungle ('95) overhang, but got absolutely cained during 1996. And it was another one caught up in the US hip hop sampling craze, and carries the sound that Ganja Records became famous for. A BELTER!
11.Tribe Of Issachar Feat. Peter Bouncer – Junglist
We firt met the Rebel MC way back in 1988 where he was already at the forefront of breakbeat usage, and he's popped up several times sine, but THIS! This was and still is and likely always will be THE junglist anthem. If you identify as being a junglist (and we do), then this is the one. This is to junglists what the Skinhead Moonstomp is to golden era ('67-'69) Skinheads. There weren't many tunes that could get an entire crowd singing i unison at a rave, but this was one of them. OUR ANTHEM.
12.Shy FX - Funkindemup (DJ Krust RMX)
Yush! Jump up jungle absolutely tearing your guts out. As stated previously, jungle was still a massive part of 1996 and with bangers like this being cut to wax, there was no chance of it fading out completely. A superb example of that wonky bass so prevalent during '96.
13.DJ Krust - Angles. Krust
A pioneer with a different standpoint and a totally unique sound. This is an absolute standout track from '96 because while the drums are steppy junglism, the bassline is crafted in a way that runs through several octaves, alongside those jazzy brass toots. This is 20th century digital jazz funk. Nobody did it like Krust either.
14.Amazon II – King Of The Beats
Aphrodite in his many forms was one of the leading exponents of the hip hop/jungle fusion that epitomised the early part of the year. He also had a natural flair for ridiculously impactful basslines. This one tore raves apart and that twisted Reese still sounds amazing on a big rig. A pioneer of the movement.
15.Fugees - ?ugees Or Not?
Undoubtedly one of the BIGGEST tunes of 1996, this thing is just relentless. A true jungle/hip hop crossover classic and that bassline that you could seriously brock out to, there is no wonder this was played so relentlessly during this pinnacle year. The absolute definition of jump up jungle. Brilliant.
16.MA3 - Those DJ's.
DJ SS was one of the leading figures in jungle and drum and bass, working under many aliases and really creating tunes that not only defined those eras, but shaped them too. This absolute monster shows how much he'd moved on from the Limb By Limb sounds of the previous year, and how the entire scene had moved on too. The change was dramatic to say the least. BOOM!
17.Tekniq - The Riot
Woiiiiiiii. What an absolute whopper. Again, moving away from the intense drum play of jungle, but still retaining stripped down elements of breakbeat culture, topped off with that wobbling bassline, there's just a hint of the sparser sound of tech step coming through on this.
18. Gang Related & Mask - Ready Or Not
Krust and Roni Size letting loose on this one under Gang Related pseudonym. Dope Dragon was a label to be reckoned with during the late 90's and were guaranteed to do damage. This one is another bass bin basher.
19.The Specialist - Garbage DJ
Dillinja on Dread? Sounds like a pretty good combination to us! This has all the hallmarks of a Dillinja tear out and crushes still, waving a small farewell to pure jungle and welcoming in the sound of '96 with one foot firmly on the floor.
20.The Terrorist – The Chopper
Holy Moly. The Chopper. One of them that smashed up the dance no matter what time of night it was dropped. Pure amen carnage and maximum choppage. Possibly one of the last and best golden era jungle tunes from '96. Wallop.
21.Dark Soldier - Dark Soldier Part 2
Coming back to the tech step vibe for the last part of this list of epic productions then, we give you Dark Soldier. We're fully converted Dreadnoaughts here and always will be, but bias aside, this really set the tone for the emerging tech step sound. With just a hint of the remnants of golden era jungle and a shed load of tech step horror, this had to be heard to be believed on a big rig. Monumental.
22.Ed Rush – What's Up
Now we're looking at one of not only the leading tech step labels in No U Turn, but also of course in Ed Rush, who had the ability to create tunes that annihilated everything in their path. The punch, the power, the fierceness.......it was truly ground breaking stuff when you compare it to a lot of the other music in this list, which while excellent, was clinging to the burning formulaic embers of the developed jungle movement. This stuff right here was totally fresh and new, hammering its way out of sound systems like a digital jack in the box. It is this sound that really went on to inform the modern drum and bass movement. Tech step was to drum and bass what be bop was to jazz. The seeds were sown right here.
23.Technical Itch - The Dreamer
Don't let the intelligent style intro fool you. There is nothing nice about this. With that punching break just relentlessly pounding you in the face, this has classic Tech Itch styling through and through. Filthy.
24.Dom & Roland - The Storm
Run for cover! Dom & Roland (or Dom and his Roland, referring to a piece of studio kit he decided to include in his artist name) came to do serious damage in the tech step arena and he did too. Capitalising on those quick fire breaks and that classic stepping rhythm, this was a sign of things to come.
25.Boymerang – Still
Another absolute banger on Grooverider's seminal Prototype Recordings label from Boymerang. That dark, brooding sub bass and twisted Reese combination are just deadly. At just under 8 minutes long, this thing is a journey in itself. DARK!
26.Ed Rush x Trace x Nico - The Droid
What a collaboration! 3 of the major faces of the tech step movement pulling together to create one big pile of filth. Oh, and Belgium is in the house!
26.Future Forces Inc. – Intensify
Renegade Hardware were another label that were at the absolute forefront of the emerging tech step scene and so were Future Forces Inc., going on to become part of Bad Company UK, one of the first DNB supergoups. This particular track highlights just how hard the tech step sound could get, merging those by now commonplace stepping breaks and morphing the twisted Reese bass that was so prevalent earlier on in the year. This one really kicks ass.
27. Paradox – A Certain Sound
28.Decoder – Circuit Breaker
Melding the twisted Reese bass with a fresh take on the tech step drum sound, this wikked roller on Tech Itch Recordings packs an incredible punch. Boom Bap!
29.Sub Zero - Virtual Drummer
Bizzy B and Pugwash absolutely tearing the guts out of the breaks on this one. Completely re-arranging those samples to create something truly deadly. Fierce!
30. Skyscraper - Liberty 1
Winding up this wild round up of the sound 0f 1996, the mighty DJ Trace and Nico bringing absolute fire to the set. Those clashing breaks and dirty, deadly bass epitomised everything that was excellent about this breakthrough year for DNB. BOSH!
