Why Do People Hate Jump Up DNB?

Why Do People Hate Jump Up DNB So Much?

 

Jump up DNB is one of the many sub-genres in the drum and bass world. Those who are new to the world of drum and bass may not yet be able to distinguish it, but those who have been listening for many years will instantly be able to identify a jump up dnb track. Some of you may be able to tell the difference but simply don’t care.

 

In the community there appears to be a very divided opinion on this particular subsect of the scene. It’s a very marmite subject and we have had several conversations about this between friends and colleagues in the office. So much so, that we thought it would be a good idea to write an opinion piece on it and air some of the thoughts that split the drum and bass nation.

 

What is jump up?

Before we dissect the in’s and out’s of why people like and dislike this type of drum and bass music, 

we thought it best to give a clear definition of what jump

 up dnb actually is. So, what is Jump Up? Well, in its simplest form, jump up dnb is defined by aggressive, bass heavy tunes that use plenty of LFO to give it a wobbly sound. You can be sure to hear screeching synths, face-melting growls and any other number of bold and manic sounds. They are also characteristically faster tempoed that other styles of drum and bass and will often combine reggae or ragga style melodies and samples to give it a rudebwoi flavour.

Jump up dnb could be described as a more simplistic style of drum and bass due to its reliance of heavy basslines, 808’s and samples from other music genres. It’s designed to make people get up and dance. On the face of it, jump up dnb sounds great and in my humble opinion it is.

 

What record labels and DJ’s play jump up?

Ok, so you’ve got the general idea of what to expect when listening to jump up. So, who’s actually playing it? Well, if you know nothing about jump up dnb, then you’d be surprised to know that massive DJ’s such as Andy C (The King), Hazard, Hype, Macky Gee and the drum and bass supergroup, SASASAS. All of these legends of the game have produced some absolute classics that are still played at festival, nightclub and house party alike.

Now would be as good a time as ever to link to some of those tracks, so here you go. Some of the best jump up tracks:

 

Bricks don’t roll

Mr Happy

Krunkstep

Cheater cheater

 

There are of course plenty more than this, but if I kept adding tracks I’d never finish this bloody article.

 

The labels that are playing a lot of this, again surprisingly, are some of the bigger names in drum and bass. Most notably, Andy C’s Ram Records, Hype’s True Playaz, Low Down Deep and Souped Up Records.

With such big names, it might be hard to see why people dislike jump up so much and this is where we get to the crux of the matter.

Why the animosity towards jump up?

If you have been part of the drum and bass scene for any sort of time you will probably know the answer to this. It’s not so much the music that people dislike, it’s the people who are associated with it. At jump up raves you can frequently see what are more commonly known as chavs. You can spot them quite easily. They are the skinny lads at the front with no shirt on, usually sporting a variation of a skinhead, wearing a baseball cap with a fag tucked behind their ear.

Usually they will be getting very rowdy and not necessarily showing much regard for fellow ravers.

Unfortunately, jump up dnb has gotten a bad name because of a few people who go to a rave with an agenda other than to have fun and dance. As the old saying goes, ‘Jump up for chavs, neuro for nerds.’ Quite frankly, it seems a bit ridiculous that people, not the music, are the reason why others’ don’t like the genre. Which is a shame as jump up music is supposed to be about having fun, bouncing around and enjoying the music.

There are the purists out there who think that jump up dnb is simply too monotonous. There is a case to be made for this. The tracks typically are quite long and focus around a central theme of heavy basslines. Some would even argue that the production on jump up tracks is simply not as good as it used to be with the sound coming across as rushed, badly mastered or not well thought through enough for the modern raver. It would appear that a combination of a few bad apples and those jumping on the bandwagon have somewhat tarnished the reputation of this once (and still today) much loved part of drum and bass culture.

In a recent interview with mixmag, DJ Hype went on record saying, “Let’s be honest, there’s all kinds of shit tunes, in all styles: liquid, jump-up, neurofunk. The problem is that a shit liquid tune is still listenable, but a shit jump-up one isn’t!” Basically, as the genre has become a little more mainstream over the years, it has been somewhat hijacked, leaving it open for manipulation and infiltration by those who chase a trend and not a vibe.

 

Why we love jump up.

This piece is not about bashing a particular sub-genre. The whole point of this article is to help people understand a little bit more about the reasons as to why jump up dnb is perceived in this manner. In actual fact, jump up is making a huge impact in the mainstream field and some hugely respected artists, both old and new, are beginning to change its perception.

We love jump up for many reasons in the office. We love it because it reminds us of our youth. There is a certain nostalgia to listening to tracks from 15 years ago. They still sound as fresh today as they did back then.

You always know what you are going to get. A big bassline, some speaker shaking growls and more than your fair share of face-melting drops that are 

certain to get anyone’s heart racing. They are fun tracks, designed to get the whole crowd bouncing and should you go to a jump up night (the recent success of Andy C’s XOYO nights are a prime example of this) you will see exactly how much fun and energy there is from both sides of the decks.

For me personally, jump up dnb is the epitome of drum and bass. It’s what its all about. Others may have a different opinion on this to me, and that’s fine. Drum and bass is about inclusion and acceptance whatever end of the spectrum you hail from. Some of my favourite artists are jump up dj’s and so I feel a great affinity and connection with them and the music.

 

I really hope that this article has shed some light onto a subject that had even myself mystified for some time. If you feel differently about it drop me a message in the comments section and let me know how you feel about jump up dnb as well as your own favourite section.

If you are a jump up lover, great! You can take a 10% discount on any of our jump up products by entering the code JUMPUP10 at checkout.

 

Peace and love and Drum & Bass.

 

Aaron.

Amen Breaks UK.