He also discusses the mood for changes within the music, and how promoters could be more adventurous. Personally, I’ve noticed all sorts of previously unheard influences appearing in the music, such as punk, world music, and rock, for starters. Although the author has his roots very firmly in the underground scene, (which you’ll learn if you check his book) he has left, in my opinion, some important names out of his writing (for example, artists and labels featured on www.unsound-system.org).
Maybe he just doesn’t think they’re any good.

I guess it’s impossible for anyone to be totally comprehensive about every branch of the D&B scene, but he is so obviously totally into the music, that reading his descriptions of the parties just makes me wanna drop everything, check out what’s happening, and get out there now.

It’s also very inspiring to read how the music has spread so widely around the world. D&B has gotta be one of our best exports in the last decade or so!

The full 2006 update of All Crews is absolutely essential reading for anyone into what’s new on the D&B scene, and will only be published in the next issue of Knowledge Mag

All Crews Update Extracts...

**I’m strolling up Tottenham High Road. A Merc pulls alongside. Smoked black window scrolls down. Pendulum reverberates. Colin Knowledge beckons. “Alright B.” We chat and catch up. Then comes the question. “It’s a couple of years since All Crews came out. People wanna know what’s been happening since ‘04.” “Apart from me ‘n’ Kate getting married?” “Fancy writing an update? Here…” Throwing me the keys to the company car. “Take the ride. Hit the road. See what’s gwannin’.”**

You’ll be shocked to know that Knowledge’s budget doesn’t run to a company Mercedes. So Colin just e-mailed me. But you get the metaphor. And I’m always up for travelling through Our music; meeting All Crews.

The road’s familiar. But the land is always changing. What’s new with the music, clubs, DJs, pirates, producers and on the streets? Who’s on the up? What’s going on back stage? Which tune will people always remember? And are there still global unknown soldiers ruffin’ it out for the love of Jungle Drum & Bass?

A TALE OF TWO NIGHTS

**Fabric Friday night. Pendulum are inside. Outside the queue’s around the block. Big beefy bouncers greet us. “Yeah. Jho Oakley’s guest list.” Stairs are filled with tiers of ravers sitting, hugging, chatting. Beyond double doors, it’s rammo in the main room. Feet are stomping, hands reach up into cascading purple haze. Pendulum’s digital rasping guitars cause a frenzy outside that caged DJ box. No wristband. No entry. Up next is Annie Mac. They chant, ‘Tarantula’, moshing in room one. Hype’s rinsin’ room two. And bodies wallow horizontally in the chill-out space between the two. Room three’s across the bridge. The intimate club within a club’s heaving. Beneath the bridge, above the musical melee, mobile screens float through the throng. Lasers bounce off chrome. Fingertips tease apart scraps of Rizla. “Got any water?” Feels like Freshers week. Smells like teen spirit. It is Fabriclive.

Herbal Friday night. Shy FX the Digital Sound Boy is inside. Outside the queue’s manageable. Big beefy bouncers greet us. “Yeah. Jo’s guest list.” She appears at the door. “Alright B. You’re late.” It’s rammo in the main room. Vibes are supercharged. Industry headz appear and dissolve in the throng. Inside the DJ box – no wristband necessary, Roni Size packs away his laptop. Breakage spins tunes. Navi’s voice syncopates. Shy circulates. Tie-dye T-shirts hug multicultural bodies rebounding in heavy b-lines. Speakers bear down on the groove corner. Loki raps, “All crew muss big up.” And Bryan Gee pours champagne. Heads, shoulders, minds all grooving. Two bredahs one dreaded, one shaven move their limbs dancing Wu Tang stylee. Opposite the DJ box, Breakage’s afro covered head floats in the flat screen above all our heads. The air’s Herbal. And Bryan Gee pours champagne. **

PRODUCERS

Pendulum blew up as All Crews was going to press. They’ve been riding high ever since. Crissy Criss: “There’s definitely a change in the music with people like Pendulum changing the sound. They do techy, commercial, rocky, jump-up; all combined into one track – pretty amazing. Producers are upping their game. G Dub have blossomed. Flight’s championed many, many producers whose turn it is to shine; notably Marcus Intalex, D Bridge, Amit, Logistics and the whole Cambridge posse.

Chatting with L Double: “Production is on fire. Producers are getting to understand the whole computer thing. When it all kicked off it was all musical equipment. But now it’s all soft sims and soft samplers. A lot more music manufacturers are getting on board making software versions. There’s a lot more access to equipment nowadays. New producers coming in are like, “Raas! This music’s difficult.” It’s not just that we’re fussy. But we’re getting so much well made music, that you got to come with something good to get in that record box.”

On the downside, there have been complaints about producers making beats using clichéd sounds that they think will sell. Origin’s DJ Massacre appreciates hearing tunes by producers who love music, rather than those who try cashing in on the latest catchy sounds. “Twisted Individual made that ‘waw, waw’ sound and everybody jumped on the bandwagon. I don’t know if it’s more about money nowadays. Flight agrees: "There was a phase where I was getting so many samey tunes of the liquid variety. It was almost like 'liquid by numbers', but the music’s got much more interesting over the last 12-18 months."

Jho Oakely of the Echo Location agency agrees. "I don’t know how anyone can describe the music as ‘same-y’. There’s so much of it and it’s so different. You can get tunes that sound like Pendulum or Sub Focus but that’s just kids being inspired. In that process of making tunes they’re learning. Perhaps too much makes it onto vinyl. Some should stay as ideas or DJ tools." True. Fresh produces a ton of tunes that he’s not releasing. He’s not satisfied they’re ready. One of the most original and biggest tunes around has been TC’s & Jakes’ ‘Deep’ with its quirky Ian Dury-esque vocals. Promoting ‘Deep’ Jho’s press release read: "If you don’t get it, play it again”. On Radio One Fabio & Rider did. Annie Mac and Zane Lowe caned it…

All Crews Update
Knowledge Mag