What makes really good Drum & Bass music?

A

Apostata

New member
Hello guys,

I have been producing for about 5-6 years now and have gotten some good feedback on a couple of my tracks. My main genre is Drum and Bass because I like fast music.
I would like to further advance my non existent career and improve my skills.

However, I have always been anti-mainstream and I kind of have the feeling that a lot of todays EDM music ist just a combination of screeching sounds and noise and people seem to really like it. Since I want to build my own website and start selling music I figured going a bit mainstream would probably be a good idea. But I have difficulties with it because I really don't like most of the popular music, it all just sounds the same and always lots of noise and unmelodic sounds.

I am open minded and really want to improve, because I know I am still not good enough to actually be doing business, so I want to improve.

What are your views on the EDM genre in general?

So what does make a really good Drum and Bass tune?

In terms of composition and technical aspects, which tunes do you consider best?

If you are into Drum and Bass, who are producers you would call a good role model for getting inspiration from?

Thanks for your replies!
 
scrapheaper said:
What kind of drum and bass do you like? That's the only thing that matters...
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Well, I don't think I can give a simple answer to this question, but I will try to keep it simple. When I first started to get into music, I listened to the Prodigy, but the old stuff, I really like that.

I got really into Drum & Bass when I heard Neutral Point for the first time (Neurofunk). By then I just had to know how to make such a bassline. It took me about 4 years to figure it out, but that's not exclusevily what I want to be doing.

Some tracks I like, are from Noisia, Joe Ford and others.

What I am specifically interested in, are artists with good compositions and rythms I can learn from.
 
All popular artists are good composers to someone: hence why people listen to their music.

If you like Noisia and Joe Ford I would suggest Hybris, Mefjus, Billain, Octane and DLR, Break, Calyx and Teebee, Phace, Ed Rush and Optical
 
scrapheaper said:
All popular artists are good composers to someone: hence why people listen to their music.

If you like Noisia and Joe Ford I would suggest Hybris, Mefjus, Billain, Octane and DLR, Break, Calyx and Teebee, Phace, Ed Rush and Optical
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Ok, thank you, there are actually names I haven't heard before. time to go listen to some drum and bass. :)
 
What are your views on the EDM genre in general?
I feel like we should stop calling it EDM...like many great forms of music before it, it is being exploited for corporate gain. Now, gay ass happy, commercial progressive trance now dominates what everyone thinks of when someone speaks of electronic music. The electronic music channels on SiriusXM used to play dope stuff, now its utter faggotry and I can't even tune in anymore. (please no gay people be offended, I just use these words to express, not to offend)

So what does make a really good Drum and Bass tune?
Badass aggressive drums and synth sounds...i mean, what other elements are there to drum n bass? but, you know there are other forms of DNB, depends on what you like to make and listen to. I really like the "choppy" style of the jungle stuff, but theres some pretty cool stuff out there with some crazy resampled and original patterned drums. Dj Hidden, Eye-D, Evol Intent,Tech Itch and other similar artists are my faves. Haven't been paying attention in a long time though. The techniques and styles that Dj Hidden used in the tracks "Inside Us" and "The Painted Stage" are particularly admirable and really innovative in my opinion.

In terms of composition and technical aspects, which tunes do you consider best?
Dj Hidden has some of the best technically challenging drum tracks I've ever heard. The producer who uses drums in a musically sound method but also can delve into alternative timings and even free time for the breaks in the songs are excellent. The style of say, some of the "breakcore" artists, gets too chaotic and sort of overkill IMO. Sometimes I think "alright man, we get that you are anti everything and you embody chaos, can there be at least some sort of groove established now?" I guess that's the kind of drum tracks you get when you give a white guy who is ADHD and is infuriated by the idea of people dancing to music the means to make beats.:monkey:

If you are into Drum and Bass, who are producers you would call a good role model for getting inspiration from?
DJ Hidden, Eye-D, Spor, Evol Intent for starters. To be completely honest, when I first hear DNB the first thing I thought was that it was an evolution of hiphop. That still remains my opinion of it, even though alot of my hiphop head friends diss me for liking it so much. It's basically breakbeats at twice the time with a unique energy to it and obviously different style of synth leads and basses. So I would honestly say that inspiration could be sought from sources other than strictly DNB producers. The 90s style of hiphop has some really great production and people like Pete Rock and Dilla are people that inspiration could be drawn from.
 
AudioPhorm said:
What are your views on the EDM genre in general?
I feel like we should stop calling it EDM...like many great forms of music before it, it is being exploited for corporate gain. Now, gay ass happy, commercial progressive trance now dominates what everyone thinks of when someone speaks of electronic music. The electronic music channels on SiriusXM used to play dope stuff, now its utter faggotry and I can't even tune in anymore. (please no gay people be offended, I just use these words to express, not to offend)

So what does make a really good Drum and Bass tune?
Badass aggressive drums and synth sounds...i mean, what other elements are there to drum n bass? but, you know there are other forms of DNB, depends on what you like to make and listen to. I really like the "choppy" style of the jungle stuff, but theres some pretty cool stuff out there with some crazy resampled and original patterned drums. Dj Hidden, Eye-D, Evol Intent,Tech Itch and other similar artists are my faves. Haven't been paying attention in a long time though. The techniques and styles that Dj Hidden used in the tracks "Inside Us" and "The Painted Stage" are particularly admirable and really innovative in my opinion.

In terms of composition and technical aspects, which tunes do you consider best?
Dj Hidden has some of the best technically challenging drum tracks I've ever heard. The producer who uses drums in a musically sound method but also can delve into alternative timings and even free time for the breaks in the songs are excellent. The style of say, some of the "breakcore" artists, gets too chaotic and sort of overkill IMO. Sometimes I think "alright man, we get that you are anti everything and you embody chaos, can there be at least some sort of groove established now?" I guess that's the kind of drum tracks you get when you give a white guy who is ADHD and is infuriated by the idea of people dancing to music the means to make beats.:monkey:

If you are into Drum and Bass, who are producers you would call a good role model for getting inspiration from?
DJ Hidden, Eye-D, Spor, Evol Intent for starters. To be completely honest, when I first hear DNB the first thing I thought was that it was an evolution of hiphop. That still remains my opinion of it, even though alot of my hiphop head friends diss me for liking it so much. It's basically breakbeats at twice the time with a unique energy to it and obviously different style of synth leads and basses. So I would honestly say that inspiration could be sought from sources other than strictly DNB producers. The 90s style of hiphop has some really great production and people like Pete Rock and Dilla are people that inspiration could be drawn from.
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AudioPhorm, thanks for your input. I have actually listened to lots of DJ Hidden tracks, but some of them just go over the line, which I would consider too hardcore. He has some amazing tracks but some of them are just too much for me, without hardly any melody, just pure chaos, as you have said. However, I can not recall listening to those tracks, that you have mentioned specifically, so I will have a listen.

Thanks for opinion, when it comes to the "faggotry" (no ofense), I agree with you. I hear some much sh** nowadays, that people are obsessed over and I can't understand it. Sometimes I think of it as some form of human devolution (in the music industry and in general).
 
yeah, check em out man, theyre really good reference for anyone into production. the bass and technique is precise and worthy of more praise. I know some of my references are old, but these tracks are timeless to me, as all good music is.

Other songs worth checking out are:

-Dj Hidden and Slacknote (Evol Intent remix)
-Technical Itch "The Ruckus" (D Kay VIP), listen to how they stack and layer the synth sounds and drums, its a pretty good study. One of the most dynamic uses of the amen break that I've heard.

theres a couple other really dope songs that come to mind for recommendation but I will have to locate some old mixes or do some research to find.. good luck
 
AudioPhorm said:
yeah, check em out man, theyre really good reference for anyone into production. the bass and technique is precise and worthy of more praise. I know some of my references are old, but these tracks are timeless to me, as all good music is.

Other songs worth checking out are:

-Dj Hidden and Slacknote (Evol Intent remix)
-Technical Itch "The Ruckus" (D Kay VIP), listen to how they stack and layer the synth sounds and drums, its a pretty good study. One of the most dynamic uses of the amen break that I've heard.

theres a couple other really dope songs that come to mind for recommendation but I will have to locate some old mixes or do some research to find.. good luck
Click to expand...

I am listening to those tracks right now. Really like them, especially the Evol Intent Remix! If you can think of any other examples, let me know please, really want to suck it all in!:victory:
 
Drum and bass... magical genre, IMO.

I'm much into the Neurofunk sub-genre, so basically what is needed for a good dnb song is: resampled reeses, fast breaks, powerful drums AND dark melodies. Noisia, Black Sun Empire, Misanthrop and such.
 
Ddream said:
Drum and bass... magical genre, IMO.

I'm much into the Neurofunk sub-genre, so basically what is needed for a good dnb song is: resampled reeses, fast breaks, powerful drums AND dark melodies. Noisia, Black Sun Empire, Misanthrop and such.
Click to expand...

Me too, that's why I started producing, when I heard the first Neutral Point track I was hooked and needed to know how to make that bass. Took me 4 years to really understand basslines :P

PS.: What exatcly do you mean by "fast" breaks?
 
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Apostata said:
Me too, that's why I started producing, when I heard the first Neutral Point track I was hooked and needed to know how to make that bass. Took me 4 years to really understand basslines :P

PS.: What exatcly do you mean by "fast" breaks?
Click to expand...
One song and you'll understand: Noisia - Shellshock. Those are the fastest breaks I've ever seen, without considering the song Breakcore.
 
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