It was like Christmas coming every month. In an increasingly divided scene, Bandcamp Day became a reminder of the camaraderie and shared purpose that can exist at the heart of electronic music. Compilations for worthy causes gained traction too, with artists banding together to raise funds for the NHS, bail funds, anti-racism initiatives, mental health charities and NGOs around the world. On social media, Bandcamp Days provided a much-needed sense of unity, excitement and positivity, as artists and labels shared their drops, and fans exchanged extensive round-ups of their favourite releases. The enthusiasm stuck, and Bandcamp Day became a vital lifeline for independent producers and imprints, many of whom would schedule new releases around the date to ensure that fans had something new to support and share each month. It stirred up unprecedented vigour in fans and creators alike, and on the first “Bandcamp Day” in March, $4.3 million was spent in 24 hours.
On the first Friday of every month, artists and labels received 100% of revenue generated from sales, as opposed to the regular 80%. With countless artists left out of pocket due to a lack of gigs, the online marketplace stepped up, updating its already viable transaction model to introduce a monthly “fee-free” day. Want to know what the biggest jungle tracks of the year are going to be? You heard them here first.”īandcamp became a more crucial platform than ever in 2020. Thankfully, Double O and Mantra have provided a lifeline through their Rinse FM show. “It’s been tough without the best party on the planet to look forward to. Mix, radio show or podcast: Rupture, Rinse FM
An instantly recognisable intro and a spring-loaded bassline make this utterly irresistible.” “It feels vaguely counterproductive to pick a tune produced in 1995 as my favourite of 2020, but it’s simply a fact that no other track comes close to being rinsed as hard as this one has. “Sully is one of modern jungle’s most unique talents, and 2020 saw him drop his best release yet, packed with his signature cluster-bomb breakbeats and enough hype to keep Tempa T satisfied ‘til Judgement Day.” “Futuristic rave fission from artists like Swisha, Nikka Nair, Yazzus, Jon1st, bastiengoat and Stranjah - it’s crystal clear from the tracklist how hard this compilation slaps."
Their debut collaborative album has a primordial, proto-rave vibe, making it my number one for 2020.”Ĭompilation: V/A ‘Worst Behavior Vol. “AceMo and MOMA Ready have been leading the charge with joint projects and amazing compilations on the latter’s HAUS of ALTR label. Whether 150bpm evolves into a scene of its own or stays part of a larger spectrum remains to be seen, though the latter seems rather more enticing a prospect. The 160 end of jungle has been rampant with rave sounds for a while now, as has the 140 end of breakbeat artists like Mani Festo, Special Request, Yazzus, Local Group, Dead Man’s Chest and Coco Bryce are now filling the void in between. The second reason for the rise of 150 is that the aforementioned hardcore/ jungle sound is very much back in vogue among non-purist acts - Foul Play in particular, after Sneaker Social Club dropped their fantastic ‘Origins’ compilation earlier this year. Though there have been tricks for jumping between ‘unmixable’ tunes since the dawn of DJing, to achieve smooth blends when moving from, say, 140bpm dubstep to 160bpm footwork, stepping stones are needed: enter 150bpm. With sounds from across the world evermore accessible, and DJ technology making once complex tasks evermore simple, artists have become more adventurous with what and how they play. The first is practicality the past decade has seen multi-genre DJing explode like never before. Though technically there’s actually nothing new about it - nosebleed techno has been happily ramping itself up to around that speed the past few years, and hardcore/ jungle producers like Foul Play and LTJ Bukem were doing it in the early ’90s - this year has seen a fresh wave of 150bpm beats sweep the UK scene. Just when you thought conversations about tempo were over, along comes 2020 with the hot, new, must-have bpm: 150.
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