SOUNDS OF THE WEST pt.1 techno/ drum bass/ dub out west

Sounds from the West of England are unique, and suffer from none of the second-city rivalries and hang-ups of other national centers of musical excellence.  This is cutting-edge music - without boundaries, free to experiment, bred from a rich cultural mix-up and fed on an independence of spirit - that has always stood on its own terms. Sounds of the West 1 is the first part of a showcase for this music, its history and influence.

Techno :

The council estates of Bristol produce a raw fast beats-per-minute sound with kit you can buy in the supermarket.  Add real-time vision mixes and live deck-work and you’ve got high sensory overload.  Throw in sophisticated Warren/Wisternoff takes and you have the grooviest techno in the UK.     

Pete Kowalski (Death Row Techno), Producer, Subvision, Way Out West (Nick Warren & Jody Wisternoff), The Advent, Scorpio.

Drum ’n’ Bass :

Drum’n’bass comes from the West – it contributed to the genre, invented parts of it.  The upper body/lower body combinations, the distinct talk-over styles and the commitment to working in groups, thrive in Bristol’s small clubs and studios.

Roni Size, Ray Mighty, Ruffneck Ting (MC Jakes & DJ Dazee), Full Cycle (DJ Krust & MC Dynamite), DJ Die, Virginia Lynch, Flynn & Flora.

Dub Out West :

Jamaica has been linked with the ports of the West coast since slavery days.  The feedback is both ways, to and from the Caribbean, and dub music has been developing here for forty years.  The message is street poetry, one love and raising consciousness.