History Part 2: 93-96 The Rough And The Smooth

History Part 2: 93-96 The Rough And The Smooth

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
By 1996, when this DJ DB-mixed compilation came out, drum & bass was in transition. L.T.J. Bukem and his crowd had smoothed jungle out to something mellow and oceanic; Grooverider and the crew at the No U-Turn label were turning it into something harsher and more martial. DB's first great achievement on this record is to represent the mellow style of drum & bass (as well as ragga and jump-up flavors) while still hinting at where the music was going. Alex Reece's loping "Pulp Fiction" is here, as is Bukem's woozy "Horizons." But so is Rufige Kru's (a.k.a. Goldie) proto-techstep "Fury" and Renegade's self-explanatory "The Terrorist." DB's second great achievement is to make these opposites attract, somehow turning this into a narrative rather than a jumble. Pretty soon after, jungle dance floors went their separate ways, and no one had to take this kind of risk again. --Jeff Salamon

Tracks:

Valley Of The Shadows - Origin Unknown
The Terrorist - Renegade
Da Bass II Dark - Asylum
The Lighter (Vip Mix) - Sound Of The Future
We Enter - Aphrodite
The Bomber - Aphrodite
Fury (Goldie's Dub Plate Remix) - Rufige Kru
Running The Family - Dead Dred
Spiritual Aura - Engineers Without Fears
Wishing On A Star (Urban Shakedown Mix) - 88.3
Pulp Fiction - Alex Reese
Horizons - LTJ Bukem
Circles (Alternate Mix) - Adam F
Complex - Photek
Music Is The Key (Omni Trio Remix) - Foul Play
Can't You See (Dub Mix) - Technical Itch
Free Rolling - Rae
Expressions - Dave Wallace
Who Are You? - Omni Trio
This Time (Original & Dub) - Jonny L

Amazon.com

By 1996, when this DJ DB-mixed compilation came out, drum & bass was in transition. L.T.J. Bukem and his crowd had smoothed jungle out to something mellow and oceanic; Grooverider and the crew at the No U-Turn label were turning it into something harsher and more martial. DB's first great achievement on this record is to represent the mellow style of drum & bass (as well as ragga and jump-up flavors) while still hinting at where the music was going. Alex Reece's loping "Pulp Fiction" is here, as is Bukem's woozy "Horizons." But so is Rufige Kru's (a.k.a. Goldie) proto-techstep "Fury" and Renegade's self-explanatory "The Terrorist." DB's second great achievement is to make these opposites attract, somehow turning this into a narrative rather than a jumble. Pretty soon after, jungle dance floors went their separate ways, and no one had to take this kind of risk again. --Jeff Salamon

Customer Reviews:

Truly a History Lesson.......2006-05-27

For anyone interested in the origins of Drum and Bass, this is a great history lesson, as well as an excellent mix. DB takes some of the greatest anthems of the era and weaves them into a finely crafted mix that educated as much as it entertains. One can trace the transitions of early drum and bass -- from the crazy aggressive chopped up drums of the early days to the more smoothed out steppers of the latter years -- and see how these styles continue to influence the genre 10 years on.

The CD liner notes include the month and year each track was released, enabling one to easily place the tunes along a timeline. This helps emphasize the diversity of styles that coexisted at the time, as well as the rapid pace at which the genre was evolving.

This mix is an essential buy for anyone who enjoys drum and bass, from the casual listener to the hardcore DJ.

Even if you don't like drum & bass..........2006-03-04

get this cd. One of the best dj sets I've ever heard, and I usually listen to house, trance... etc.

Discovering a classic..........2005-12-14

I just got finished listening to this compilation for the first time and was very moved by the selection and mixing. Being a fan of DB's mixes and style of music, I was naturally attracted to this album. Just like the album cover says it's "Rough & Smooth" and extremely enjoyable--especially for any jungle fan. The smoothed-out jungle on the last couple of songs of the disc is probably the best I've heard yet, including LTJ Bukem. THIS IS A MUST OWN, even non-junglists can get down to a mix like this.

Best CD ever.......2003-03-02

When I first heard this cd in early spring of '99, I was just entering into the rave scene, from that day forward I knew that drum & bass was for me! This CD is the best ever put together, the power and feeling behind it are absolutely incredible. It's one of those CDs that you can listen to from beginning to end and be completely satisfied. As a matter of fact, I recommend that the listener does listen to it from beginning to end, if not then the whole feeling behind the cd is almost lost. Finally, just buy the damn cd. Trust me it's well worth the money and effort.

Research..........2001-04-19