Bassline
Fast, bass-heavy garage from northern England with chopped R&B vocals.
History
Bassline, also called bassline house or niche, began in South Yorkshire in the early 2000s s1. It has a four-to-the-floor beat at about 135 to 142 beats per minute s1. The bass is heavy and often made of several weaving lines s1. It uses chopped-up R&B and pop vocal samples s1. The music has a bright, poppy feel s1. The style grew from speed garage played in northern after-hours clubs s2. The most famous club was Niche in Sheffield s1s3. A bootleg of Double 99's 'Ripgroove' with Tina Moore's vocal was a local favourite s2. DJ Q became the leading figure, playing on Radio 1Xtra from 2004 s2. Big Ang's 'It's Over Now' reached the UK chart in 2005 s2. In 2007 T2's 'Heartbroken' reached number two s2. Niche was raided and closed in 2005, and police pressure continued s1s2. The sound later influenced a new generation of producers s2.
Sound
- A four-to-the-floor beat at about 138 beats per minute
- Heavy, weaving basslines
- Chopped R&B and pop vocals
- Organ and piano stabs
- A bright, energetic mood
Key figures
- DJ Q — Producer and DJ who became the leading bassline figure
- T2 — Producer behind the bassline chart hit 'Heartbroken'
- Big Ang — Sheffield producer behind a bassline chart hit
- Shaun Banger Scott — Niche resident DJ important in the early sound
Labels
- Reflective Records — Sheffield , 2002
- All Around the World — Blackpool , 1991
- Jump Records — Birmingham , 2003
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Speed Garage , UK Garage , Grime
Sources
- Bassline (music genre) — Wikipedia
- A history of bassline — DJ Mag
- Nightclubbing: Sheffield's Niche — Red Bull Music Academy Daily (2015)