Atmospheric Drum and Bass
A calm, melodic form of drum and bass with soft chords and long, floating pads.
History
Atmospheric drum and bass appeared in the early 1990s as a calm answer to the darker jungle sound s1. Producers softened the drums and added long chords, called pads, and gentle melodies s1. LTJ Bukem was the central figure, and his labels Good Looking and Looking Good released much of the music s1s2. His track 'Horizons' (1995) is one of the widely known examples s1. Adam F's 'Circles' (1995) used a soulful sample and became a much-loved record s1. PFM's 'The Western' (1995) was another important track on Good Looking s2. The style was also called intelligent drum and bass, though some producers disliked that name s1. It was popular for listening at home as well as in clubs s2. Labels such as Good Looking released compilations that collected the style's most popular tracks. The sound was played on specialist radio shows and at calm club nights s1. Some of its tracks became favourites for home listening s2.
Sound
- Soft, rolling breakbeats
- Long, warm synthesizer pads
- Gentle melodies and soulful samples
- Deep but calm bass
- A spacious, dreamy atmosphere
Key figures
- LTJ Bukem — DJ, producer and founder of Good Looking Records
- Adam F — British producer behind 'Circles'
- PFM — British duo behind 'The Western'
- Fabio — DJ who championed the atmospheric sound
Labels
- Good Looking Records — London , 1991
- Looking Good Records — London , 1994
- F-Jams — London , 1995
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Jungle , Ambient , Drum and Bass
Led to: Liquid Drum and Bass
Sources
- An introduction to LTJ Bukem in 10 records — The Vinyl Factory
- Good Looking Records — Wikipedia