We’ve added another essential edition to our best-selling annual album series with the ultimate drum & bass document for 2015. Featuring 60 tracks, 13 exclusives, three massive CDs, and a vinyl version limited to 1000 pressings, we’re back with our longstanding annual spring collection. Once again, it leaves no sonic stone unturned.
Uniting the most important players in the game with consistency and clarity we’ve done our best to explore, embrace, represent and celebrate the entire spectrum of the scene, shedding light on all its many corners: – Heavyweight chart-topping influencers? Check: Sigma, DJ Fresh, Wilkinson, Chase & Status, The Prodigy, and Matrix & Futurebound… Unequivocal scene legends? Check: Calibre, LTJ Bukem, Calyx & TeeBee, Spor, TC, Drumsound & Bassline Smith, Digital, Break, SpectraSoul… Super-sharp underground heroes? Check: Black Sun Empire, SCAR, Serum, Serial Killaz, Current Value, Eastcolors, L 33…
Check the album megamix to get a taste of what to expect…
In the wake of Sigma scoring two massive UK number one hits, more D&B artists achieving daytime A-list playlist airwave action and more D&B artists representing on festival main stages around the globe, Drum&BassArena 2015 testifies the genre’s strength, size and influence in all directions. Not just in terms of context and success, but its stylistic elasticity too. At points super-soulful, understated and slick. At others electrifying enough to power a sleepless city, Drum&BassArena 2015 is a widescreen technicolour print that portrays the true breadth of drum & bass in a genuinely unique way as 13 of the tracks are 100 per cent exclusive to this album and have never been heard before.
The double gatefold double vinyl package, limited to 1000 pressings, features incredible specials from the likes of Total Science, Bladerunner, A.M.C & Six Blade, KG, L 33, Mark System and more. Yet another example of our dedication to all aspects of the scene – in this case, the mystical, hushed-toned holy grail that is the dubplate – the vinyl version is an early sign of the full album’s explosive content.
We went behind the scenes at TenEightSeven Mastering to see the process behind the production of the vinyl. Big ups to Beau Thomas and all in the studio for allowing us to film…
Few genres owe as much to vinyl as drum & bass jungle. A scene thrust to the very fringes of the forefront by wax, both technically and sonically, every blistering breakbeat, bruising bass and suckerpunch drop you experience within drum & bass exists because of the scene’s once-ruthless dedication to the dubplate.
Rewind to the mid 90s: the UK-born, globally renowned genre is a technological nuclear arms race as young pioneers such as Adam F, Andy C, Grooverider, Ed Rush & Optical, Fresh and many more elite D&B marksmen all swap tactics and battle weapons at London cutting houses. Big bad business behind closed doors, plates would pass hands on a need-to-know basis. Only the best tracks would command dubplate status and only the best of the best would continue to enjoy full releases months later. 19 years deep into the game, we continue to celebrate the scene with open-armed, and open-eared authority. No other album comes close to representing the entire genre.
Drum&BassArena 2015 is out now. Get it from our shop / iTunes / Amazon / Beatport /Â Google Play / Spotify / HMV
Tracklist
CD1
1 Wilkinson feat. Talay Riley – Dirty Love (TC Remix)
2 Dimension – Love To Me
3 Maduk – How Could You
4 Matrix & Futurebound feat.Tanya Lacey – Don’t Look Back (Matrix & Futurebound Remix)
5 Rene Lavice – The Calling
6 Sigma feat. Paloma Faith – Changing (Sigma’s VIP Remix feat. Stylo G)
7 Chase & Status – International (Dimension Remix)
8 TC – The Countdown
9 T-Phonic – Cinematic
10 Serum VS Serial Killaz – Hold On
11 Voltage – How It Should Be Done
12 Liz-E – Need You
13 Bladerunner – Sequence
14 KG – Unbroken
15 Fourward – Foot Soldiers
16 Livewire & Soul Method – Hologram
17 Mindscape feat. Coppa – Most Wanted
18 D*Minds & Strikez – Blacker VIP
19 A.M.C & Six Blade – Posse
20 Recs – Afterlife
CD2
1 The Prodigy – Nasty (Spor Remix)
2 Dimension – Whip Slap
3 Drumsound & Bassline Smith – Spring Heel Jack
4 Spor – Aztec (Calyx & Teebee Remix)
5 BTK, Maztek & Optiv – Footprint
6 Tchami feat. Kaleem Taylor – Promesses (Calyx & TeeBee Remix)
7 Dub Motion – Buss It Up
8 Current Value – Dissonant
9 A-Cray – Diverted
10 Soul Intent – Rude Raver
11 Mortem – Midnight Analogs
12 Safire feat. Morph – Deep Architect
13 Zombie Cats feat. MC Kryptomedic – Life After Death
14 SCAR – Call It What You Want
15 Eastcolors – Could Be
16 Black Sun Empire & State of Mind feat. PNC – Until The World Ends
17 Heamy – Motion
18 L 33 – Jailbreak
19 Funk Effect – Devil Dance (Locuzzed Remix)
20 Black Sun Empire & State of Mind – Ego
CD3
1 DJ Fresh feat. Ella Eyre – Gravity (DJ Marky Remix)
2 Dusky – Yoohoo (LTJ Bukem Remix)
3 Eavesdrop feat. Keshia – Into The Sun
4 SpectraSoul – Always
5 Artificial Intelligence feat. Steo – Forgotten Truth
6 Future Prophecies – September (Maduk & Champion Remix)
7 Alix Perez feat. Peven Everett & SpectraSoul – Foresaken (Calibre Remix)
8 Ownglow – Gold
9 Vandera – Ring The Alarm (Instrumental Mix)
10 Phil Tangent feat. Steo – Bedouin
11 FD – Change Please
12 Vandera Feat. Alicia Romero – Make Believe
13 Philth & Collette Warren – Don’t Let Go
14 Paul T & Edward Oberon – I Still Love You
15 Mark System – It’s You
16 Ulterior Motive – Sideways
17 Total Science – BS9
18 Beta 2 & Zero T – Election
19 Break – Temptations
20 Digital – Death Wish
Vinyl Tracklist
A1: BTK, Maztek & Optiv – Footprint
A2: Dub Motion – Buss It Up
A3: Bladerunner – Dream Sequence
B1: Total Science – BS9
B2: A.M.C & Six Blade – Posse
B3: L 33 – Jailbreak
C1: Mark System – It’s You
C2: Mindscape Feat. Coppa – Most Wanted
C3: KG – Unbroken
D1: Funk Effect – Devil Dance (Locuzzed Remix)
D2: Zombie Cats Feat. MC Kryptomedic – Life After Death
D3: Livewire & Soul Method – Hologram
