Jungle to drum&bass

What is your view on how DnB has evolved?

K: “It’s evolved and it’s done its thing. The spirit of what it is has changed a lot. What it is now hasn’t got the same ethos as it did when it started and I think that has got lost in translation. I get kids coming up to me and saying ‘you’re old school’ but to me ‘old school’ is James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder. When people listen to the source of the sound, they only go back 20 years. But jungle and the attitude of jungle is coming back. It’s evolved through what drum&bass has become which I think was an offshoot of jungle; we’ve now come full cycle… without making a pun! There’s more to it than what we’ve explored.”

“The commercialisation of music and the monetisation of music always drives it to a certain place that isn’t the best for the music. Commercialisation of art has ravaged the creativity of it and that needs to be readdressed in whatever way. People are seduced by the opportunity to be famous for the weekend. It’s got its appeal and I understand that. Lots of young people who are looking to make their mark and looking for some self respect can get it in this music. It’s not as difficult as it used to be. It was very hard back in the day to be accepted by someone who had a recording studio and they let you in. You had to really know your shit, know someone who had a studio, you had to prove your chops and have a lot of respect. You couldn’t just call yourself a DJ back then, you had to earn the title. Can you hold a set down at peak time at these raves? It was the same in production – you earned your chops.”