Bru-C feat. Skepsis - Take It Slow

Feeling this new tune. Both Skepsis and Bru-C are new artists to me along with Darkzy who I mentioned in a previous post. I’m not sure if the title of this tune has anything to do with my interest in the slowing down of Bassline but this is at 130 bpm either way. I would definitely describe this as Bassline regardless of its speed simply for the way it sounds and its attitude. The video is surprisingly good and I fully rate it. I think I saw somewhere that Mistajam was saying this is the crossover tune that UK Bass needs. Not sure how much it will crossover or if it’s UK Bass (only I care about this lol) but as Bassline or UK Bass or whatever continue to grow this tune may bother the charts in the future if not now.

Flava D

Recently saw Flava D perform on a night out for a friend’s birthday. Was a top night from the bits I can remember! Went a bit hard on the drinks so don’t have a detailed memory of what happened but I do remember dancing non-stop till 5am. This video is a recording from another show she did in London in October last year. She played a lot of the tunes in this video when I saw her and I’ve been searching out most of these style of beats since then. When finding these tunes and loading them into my DJ software I’ve noticed that a lot of what was played is much slower bpm-wise than the traditional Bassline (and Grime) bpm of 140. While anything slower than 140 bpm with a Bassline style might previously have been denoted as Jackin’ by nerds like me the difference now is that the tunes being played by Flava D and others are pretty much full-on Bassline just at a slower tempo. Jackin’ was more of a House style with a Bassline twist to it. Would be interested to find out more about how this slowing down of Bassline occurred.

TS7 - Motion Shift

One more tune from the Corrupt mix. TS7 is one of the original Bassline producers and DJs. Around 2007-2008 there was a shift in the up north Speed Garage scene into using Grime sounds which resulted in Bassline being invented. Having been into Grime for a long time and forever complaining about producers not using more 4x4 style House beats it was a revelation upon hearing Bassline.

AC Slater & Shift K3Y - Come Back

This is another tune off the Corrupt Tank Mix. There are probably about ten really good tunes in the Bassline scene as a whole at the moment from what I have heard which is a lot. I mean tunes that actually bang and aren’t just good or okay. There is nothing wrong with those type of tracks as most sound good in a club and are needed so that you don’t just hear all the same tunes the whole night. I was about to write that the main problem with other scenes is that there is probably only like two or three bangers in those but I might be just being biased as Bassline is my favourite. Regardless, this Come Back tune has a really good atmospheric intro followed by a kind of laid back sounding yet energetic still bass line which bangs.

Corrupt - Kidz Get High

Been getting bored in the evenings recently and been trying to find a solution. The other day I randomly went on Soundcloud and looked up a DJ Majesty set and then listened to about another two or three of his mixes which were all spot on. Following that evening I spent the next one doing the same thing but with Jamie Duggan mixes. During the Jamie Duggan evening I noticed he had reposted a Corrupt Tank Mini Mix half hour set. Quite a few tunes on that mix got me hyped including this Kidz Get High track.

Migos feat. Lil Uzi Vert - Bad and Boujee (Ussy Bassline Remix)

Not too much to write about this one. When it drops it sounds serious. Has a well known vocal sample which would work nicely in a club at the right moment. Very bouncy and bad ass at the same time.

Bassline needs to have another moment in the limelight just for a bit like back in 2007-2008. Remember when Jamie Duggan at a certain point was on every flyer across the country even if he wasn’t there when going to one of these nights? The Sound of Bassline mix CDs’ popularity through television advertising made him a household name for a bit.

JAIKEA - Q Riddim

Downloaded this track a week or so ago after a quick listen on Soundcloud. Went to make a mix with all the new tunes I’ve recently downloaded and randomly put this on first. Wasn’t expecting much as it starts but when it drops the bass is so underground and danceable. I like the reverbed female vocal that peppers the track now I’m on my second listen while writing this. The alternating different mid range-ish bass stabs seem to almost talk to each other with the first setting the pace and changing most. The lower mid range bass stab seems to stay the same throughout with the other one changing significantly enough through the track to seem like another voice on occasion. Just makes me want to dance.

Bassfest Live

Randomly found this video of Bassfest streamed live in May 2017 and thought it useful as a guide to what could be happening in Bassline at the moment. The early warm up DJs and audience seem quite nerdy and internetty but once Chef and Jamie Duggan get on they drop some serious bangers and a more varied audience appears. What surprised me was the DJ after Jamie Duggan called Darkzy who I hadn't heard of before. I may be wrong but his sound is different to what went before both that night and in general in the Bassline scene.

0 mins: Deadbeat b2b JG
57 mins: Phatworld b2b Thorpey 
1hr 41 mins: DJ Chef
2hr 9 mins: Jamie Duggan 
2hr 38 mins: Darkzy 
3hr 9 mins: Skepsis
3hr 40 mins: DJ Q