Spinning Drum & Bass - Jungle Present's Simon Bassline Smith

DJS & MCS

☆☆SIMON BASSLINE SMITH

☆☆SOLA

☆☆RELEASE

☆☆TYCAINE 

☆☆SEMIOTIX

☆☆HIBERNATE

☆☆FLUX

☆☆RANSKI

☆☆CHARLIE BENZ

☆☆FREEON 

☆☆ Attractions: 

☆☆ Inflatable Club Decor

☆☆ Funktion One Sound Rig

☆☆ Cheap Drink Offers

☆☆BASSLINE SMITH Simon ‘Bassline’ Smith Bio Being a major player in the drum ‘n’ bass movement is one thing, but continuing to push boundaries through an ever-changing sonic versatility is quite another. In a career spanning almost two decades, Simon Bassline Smith has been at the forefront of it all, setting new standards with his Technique Recordings label and rinsing dancefloors with ruthless, stealth-like precision. Together with razor-sharp duo Drumsound, the group have slam-dunked drum ‘n’ bass into the 21st century releasing some of the genre’s most pivotal club killers, whilst maintaining a DJ cred second-to-none. Wind it back to the beginning and Simon Smith (who later adopted the middle name of ‘Bassline’ after destroying his fair share of speakers) fell in love with music as a 16 year old, visiting record stores every Saturday to buy up big on electro, jazz, funk, soul and house records. The Derby-born youngster would also spend his weekends travelling up and down the country with mates to attend ‘all dayer parties’ where they’d put their breakdancing skills on full display. It was during one of these ritualistic missions that Bassline got his Djing big-break, by getting the chance to take command of the dex at Nottingham’s Rock City club. As the rave scene grew throughout the 90s, Smith was right there at the forefront, winning over crowds and promoters alike with his ball-tearing brand of hardcore and jungle. As his reputation swelled, he began being booked by some of the UK’s biggest dance organisations including Perception, Mythology, Raindance, Dance '91 and World Dance & AWOL to play slots alongside fellow contemporary jungle stars Grooverider, Fabio, Mikey Finn & Jack Frost. In 1991 Bassline Smith launched his own record label Absolute 2 – one of the early pioneering d’n’b imprints. So astute was the man’s ear for a quality tune, that the label birthed future stars Doc Scott, Nookie, Ray Keith and Danny C (Twisted Anger/Primary Motive), releasing Doc’s seminal ‘Surgery EP’, Nookie’s ‘Give a Little Love EP’ and Keith’s controversial ‘News at Ten’. In 1998 Smith’s career took a massive turn skywards, when he met the Drumsound duo of Andy and Benn G. The trio’s chemistry was instantaneous, with the decision being made to launch a combined imprint in which to showcase their shared musical vision – it was then that Technique Recordings was born. Since its inception the label has gone from strength to strength, with Bassline and Drumsound utilizing their knowledge and enthusiasm to build an imprint of global proportions. Over the past 10 years the label has released over 40 high quality dancefloor killers and sold 150,000 units globally from some of the world’s most respected d’n’b artists including Roni Size, DJ Fresh, MC Tali, DJ Friction, Teebee and many others. The label is also involved in nurturing the talents of up and coming artists of the calibre of Phetsta, Skyver & D Jon, Youngman, Terravita. Amongst all of this, it’s been Bassline’s stunning production work that’s shined the brightest. Having first ventured into the studio in the early 90s to knock out a couple of early d’n’b anthems ‘Music and Life EP’, ‘Palomino’ and ‘Midnight’, the Brit’s career has continued to build with each new year. Together with the Drumsound lads, Bassline has dropped two critically acclaimed LPs ‘Nature of the Beast’ and last year’s ‘Street Technique’ that ripped up the drum ‘n’ bass rulebook with contributions from Roni Size, DJ Friction, J-Magik & Wickaman, DJ Fresh and many others. When it comes to dishing up a red-hot anthem, the trio have plenty of experience under their belt too. In 2004, they dropped the all-time classic ‘Odyssey’, with the track reaching no.1 in the UK dance charts and Mixmag judged it the ‘10th biggest all-round dance anthem’ for that year. No surprise Grooverider snapped it up for his legendary Prototype label. Recently, their form has shown no sign of subsiding, with a blazing ‘Street Technique’ re-rub of their ‘Skumbag/Booty Call’ bombs going straight into the drum ‘n’ bass charts at no.4. Their ‘Cold Turkey/Stories of the Future’ cuts are also shining brightly, receiving big support from Hype, Roni Size, Grooverider and Zane Lowe & Annie Mac on Radio 1. Along with a string of club bangers on Technique, Bassline remains one of the most versatile men in the d’n’b game, with releases on virtually every major label in the genre including Protoype, Full Cycle, BreakBeat Koas, V Recordings, Good Looking, Creative Source and Trouble on Viny /Flex. As a DJ, Smith is prolific as ever, spinning the Technique sound over virtually every continent, including appearances in America, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Germany, Russia, Iceland, Spain, Holland, Sweden, Ireland, Czech Republic, Brazil, Poland, Switzerland, Uruguay, Norway, Italy as well representing for some of the biggest UK organisations such as Slammin Vinyl, Accelerated Culture, One Nation, Detonate, Movement – the list goes.

☆☆MC FLUX The history of MC Flux is the history of Drum & Bass. The man was on the mic at the very beginning and is still going strong today appearing at Drum & Bass raves all over the UK and beyond. A true innovator of DnB and the scene that we know and love today. With his career originating in the reggae sound-systems of the 80’s he was rapidly sucked into the growing rave scene and established himself as the MC of choice for fellow titans Fabio, Grooverider, Jumping Jack Frost and Randall. Growing beyond the rave, Flux was signed to Moving Shadow as resident MC, leading the charge at their flagship London event, ‘Voodoo Magic’. Flux was soon absorbed into the Metalheadz family, hosting the likes of Goldie, Bailey, Kemistry & Storm, Fabio and Grooverider, touring his distinctive London sound across the whole world. Flux’s microphone technique is one of the most versatile around, enabling him to let the music breathe when required or unleash the power and rolling energy of a seasoned crowd-hype MC. His undeniable skills on the mic see him busier than ever, as comfortable hosting for the darkness of Source Direct as he is for the jungle vibes of Bladerunner, the liquid elegance of Lenzman or the jump up sounds of Hype and Hazard. With such a deep history in the scene and with such a wild life, it’s almost impossible to describe here all the twists and turns of Flux’s career. Thankfully the man himself has saved us the trouble and recently released a book, ‘Dirty’, detailing the highs and lows of MC life, and much, much more besides. Having been involved in the pioneering sounds of Drum and Bass for more than 25 years, 2018 now sees Flux busier than ever. They say styles come and go but class is permanent and the new generation of drum and bass heads are equally prepared to recognise Flux’s talent and flow on the mic. Appearing in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, London to name but a few locations the man continues to be in high demand.

☆☆MC RANSKI For those who don't know Ranski has been involved within the Midlands rave scene from its humble beginnings, working alongside MC Lenni at Pure Records whilst being resident MC at Pandemonium.

☆☆SOLA SOLA is a Drum & Bass trio comprised of James, Robbie and Paul. They have releases on Ram's sister label Program, Formation, Korsakov Music, Play Me, Dance Concept, Gorilla Warfare, Dub Damage, Deep In The Jungle, 24 Karat, Soul Deep, Nuusic, Boomslang, Riot Dubs, Heads Bass and their own imprint Grand Theft Audio. After many singles and EPs, their debut album Stars Align, released on Grand Theft Audio in September 2022 to widespread critical acclaim. The promo journey for the LP landed them an upload on UKF Drum & Bass as well as an interview for UKF with Dave Columbo Jenkins and a guestmix for Mollie Collins on Kiss FM. They've hit 2023 running with high profile EP and Single releases on Korsakov Music, Play Me, Boomslang & Formation, which have seen them receiving support from as far afield as Pendulum, Sub Focus & Ray Keith. In April, they won the DJ Rap remix competition against 658 other entries and in May they released the remix album Stars Realigned on GTA, including the anthemic Cliques remix of Pico De Gallo. They are preparing for their first tour outside of Europe with confirmed performances in Canada, USA, Vietnam, Australia & New Zealand. Their sets are a fast-paced and unpredictable with an emphasis on crowd reaction and stacked to the brim with tracks that won't be heard anywhere else for months, sometimes years as well fan favourites from their back catalogue.