- The last few years have seen a seismic shift in the musical focus of drum & bass. Growing weary of the spatial limitation imposed by the frenetic 172 BPM launch point, producers such as Commix and Marcus Intalex have absorbed influence from the sparse side of techno and electro respectively, while former d&b cult heroes Martyn and Kryptic Minds stopped writing within the tempo range altogether. Few producers inside drum & bass, though, have had as much external musical impact over this time as D Bridge and Instra:mental.
The trio has had a plethora of heartfelt, iconoclastic productions charted by DJs as diverse as Andy C and Ricardo Villalobos. And, in the process, they've broadened the lexicon of what is accepted as drum & bass, which made their booking at Spoonfed in Cambridge—easily the most progressive of the town's few regular drum & bass events—a natural paring.
Photo credit: Conrad Whittle
Founded four years ago by Cambridge-raised Metalheadz and Hospital Records veterans Commix, Logistics and Nu Tone, the Spoonfed vibe is often akin to an oversized house party with a majority of attendees on a first name basis. On entering at 11 pm, Commix were rounding up with a selection of solid, unfamiliar sounding dubs and a fair proportion of the crowd were already moving.
Instra: mental took to the booth next, and didn't move above 140 BPM for the hour-and-a-half they played. For the packed floor to be with them for the duration was, for this reviewer, a heart-warming sight. Sure, there were occasional grumbles along the "…thought this was meant to be a drum & bass night" lines, but with tracks such as their own sublime "Leave It All Behind" effortlessly mixed into emotive electro, techno and dubstep, and with SP:MC ably guiding people through, their set rooted many to the floor.
Photo credit: Conrad Whittle
After this cerebral experience, D Bridge raised the energy level with a selection of tough, sparse drum & bass cuts underpinned by dark funk. His own "5th Floor," and Data's "The Causeway" satisfied those who were confused by the drop in tempo during Instra:mental's set. Logistics and Nu:tone, meanwhile, brought things to a climax with a set encompassing Spoonfed anthems such as Nu:Tone's "Balaclava," eliciting whoops from the responsive crowd.
For a scene that has sometimes felt removed from the wider spectrum of electronic music, nights such as this one—and the Autonomic ethos as a whole—are a welcome respite. No longer music just for diehards worshipping the past, Autonomic seems to be looking forward to the future. Which is, ironically, just like the good old days.