Dutch DnB scene feature – ATM 2004

Dutch Drum N Bass Scene – Published in ATM Magazine, 2004

Globalisation is not a term you would automatically associate with Drum n Bass, yet it has never been more relevant to this music than today, with a scene gone global in the last few years in all meanings of the word. After years of UK dominance both in production and DJing the scene is enjoying a global expansion that has taken many people by surprise. From the Aussie sounds of Pendulum, to the Latin tinged rhythms of Marky and XRS, DnB isn’t just a London ting no more.

Holland holds a place in many a junglist’s heart for its widely available herbal remedies, yet it also holds one of the longest running electronic scenes in Europe, with the early rave and techno sounds nurturing the birth and growth of what would become Dutch DnB. Take Dreazz, one of the Dutch originators, who turned his love for the music into one of the most successful DnB related companies, Triple Vision. With a shop, record labels covering techno and DnB, distribution company and some of the biggest parties in Holland and Europe, Dreazz is best placed to let us know how DnB grew up Dutch style. “In 1992 I discovered breakbeat and rave and in 93 I started a small fanzine for about 50 people. Through this I started selling tapes and second hand records which I bought in the UK. I then met up with Nubian (another scene originator in Holland) and we started a bedroom style shop, which slowly grew into Triple Vision. At the end of 97 I split up with Nubian and went solo and in 1998 I met up with Edge of Motion, two techno veterans of the Dutch scene, who I managed to persuade into starting a label. We started Black Jack, Piruh and Fokuz (most notably Piruh’s first release was from Black Sun Empire) but closely after the first releases they lost interest and so I started a new label called Citrus and continued to do business with Fokuz and Piruh, using their strength in the Techno scene to push the early DnB sounds. We had no artist yet for Citrus until I met up with Falcon. We did one tune together, and then released about 30 tunes from Falcon solo, as well as more collaborations together on labels like Citrus, Ohm, Synthetic and more. We had one anthem that sold over 8000 (and is still selling 25 a month) a remix of Jill Scott called “It’s Love” which helped to launch us internationally. This led us to playing abroad a lot and it all just progressed from there. Party wise the same happened. We had been doing small things from early 95 and it just expanded. Now as Major League we do the biggest raves in the country with around 1500 people each time and at least 4 UK headliners alongside Dutch and European talents.”

This DIY ethic that helped launch Triple Vision is a perfect example of the strength and resilience of a scene that has survived in a country dominated by Techno and House. By joining forces with producers and people across music scenes (including techno and hip hop) DnB was able to impose itself on the Dutch musical landscape. Black Sun Empire (BSE) who also come from a breakbeat and techno background, are another perfect example of this Dutch resilience. They emerged on the global scene and found acclaim from producers and fans worldwide after getting their first major break in the late 90s through Fierce’s DSC14 imprint. The release of their first LP, ‘Driving Insane’, earlier on in the year only helped to cement their reputation, and with support from DJs worldwide they have proven that now more than ever DnB is a truly global affair. And as seems to be the case for most people in Holland they aren’t just stopping there, instead helping their home scene to grow further. They set up their own label to push home-grown releases and that of other European producers, such as Rawthang and Benjie, and have an established monthly night in Holland, Blackout, to which they regularly fly international names alongside local talents. “The best aspect of our scene is that it’s quite open to new people who want to get involved. Of course it will never be easy to make it as a DJ or producer, but we do see a very good community growing.”

Another Dutch characteristic that always comes up in interviews with DJs and producers is the public’s love of all things hard and heavy. No doubt an influence of the prominent Techno sounds, it seems the Dutch public just love their DnB fast and hard. Dreazz notices that sometimes it can prove difficult to try and open the public to other styles because “Dutch people like it hard and nasty, which automatically means there are loads of productions that are not good enough for them.” BSE admit that their most popular productions have been those that cater to the more dark and techno-y DnB spectrum, yet it seems that things are changing as more international names come through and open up the public’s ears to what makes DnB such a wide and varied musical genre. BSE note that at their nights “people seem to like all genres of DnB, DJs get to play whatever style they like and are not really tied to the latest fad.” Adi-J and Nuala from Dutch based international female DJ Crew B.A.S.S also point out the public’s love for harder DnB but are confident that as more people come into the scene and open up to it, other styles are starting to take hold. Dutch DJs are open to the variety that today’s DnB has to offer and producers new and old are also all keen to prove that they aren’t just one trick ponies. People like Falcon and Dreazz, DJ Predator as well as Th’Acquisition are already offering mellower sounds, and a different approach to DnB and labels like BSE’s and Triple Vision will only continue to open the minds of the Dutch public by not concentrating on just one style.

The scene itself attracts a wide variety of people to the nights, and even though the tendency seems to be towards darker DnB, I had the occasion to experience smaller local nights that catered to a wider musical spectrum, more representative of today’s sounds. The Bootleg Café in Rotterdam holds a monthly night from 9 till 6am with DJs coming through and playing whatever they feel resulting in a more interesting experience as people sit down and chill in a venue no bigger than most London bars. When we spoke Adi-J and Nuala emphasised the open mindedness and variety of Dutch crowds. “The crowd is very different in each part of Holland and it even differs from one location or club to another, Amsterdam seems to have a more ‘mature’ audience, which also counts for Rotterdam but as soon as you get into the countryside the average age is 16 to 22 yet all this remains a kind of underground public.”

This combination of new and old followers, from all backgrounds and walks of life is another strength of Dutch DnB, mirrored in the wide variety of nights on offer in Holland. And in such a small country it is surprising to notice that most nights have been going strong for a few years and show no sign of stopping. The four major crews in Holland cover all of the country with Triple Vision parties in most of the country, while BSE take care of Utretch, Bassground (Retox) play around Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Denhagg and then RedZone cover the Eindhoven area and bits of Belgium. These four crews are helping push the smaller promoters to do better and are fast gaining international recognition, with big name DJs always flying in much to the pleasure of the crowds.

Another important aspect of the Dutch scene is the emergence of MCs. While the Dutch are not an English speaking crowd this hasn’t stopped MCs coming into the game and being recognised and appreciated by the crowd for their diverse and unique lyrical styles that nicely compliment the work of the DJs. The main MCs are MC Jay, MC Dapper, MC Pat and MC Proskript.

Though DnB has become popular throughout Holland and put the Dutch on the global map as fine purveyors of dancefloor mayhem, the popularity of the genre in Holland is seemingly still underground and will be for years to come. The stronghold that other electronic genres such as Techno or House hold on the general public is unlikely to fade just now but Dutch DnB is constantly progressing on many levels, and reaching more people. New labels and nights are starting all over the country pushing the sound and the scene further. As BSE point out “we don’t see [the scene] getting bigger yet, but it is a strong scene. People who are in it are very dedicated.” It is this dedication amongst other things that makes Holland one of the strongest and most interesting scenes in today’s global DnB.

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