I’m currently listening to a lot of Drum’n’bass since I recently got my first DJ kit, so I’ll share some of my favourite producers, most of them British and signed to Hospital Records:

 

London Elektricity

One of the first from the genre that I listened to, and the only one of whom I’ve got all the songs in my playlists. Tony’s been making music since the 70’s, and you can hear a lot of symphonic jazz/rock influences in his music. He’s released music by the name London Elektricity since 1999; first they were a full band but then he moved on to be a solo producer. He’s also the CEO of Hospital Records. Here is The Prescription is Love from his latest album.

 

Danny Byrd

Danny was also one of the first DNB producers I listened to, and the first to be signed to Hospital Records. His music puts a smile to my face; there are always some nice harmonies whether it’s happy synth tracks or heavier bangers. He’s always managed to keep a modern sound as well as staying true to the jungle roots. He’s also a master of chopping vocal samples. Here’s the track Supersonic from 2014.

 

Makoto

Japanese producer Makoto has released both Drum’n’bass and different kinds of soul music since the early naughties. In 2017 he signed to Hospital Records to focus solely on Drum’n’bass. His music is the perfect combination of soulful and atmospheric. It’s often piano- or rhodes-based, and you can tell there are a lot of 70’s soul influences. Here’s Untold from 2010.

 

Fred V & Grafix

Unfortunately they don’t exist as a duo anymore, they’ve moved on to their own solo projects which are also good. As a duo they had a unique sound that included electric guitars and drum kits together with synths and sound design. Their songs had a lot of pop influences which made it easy to listen to. This is Drowning Without You from their last album together.

 

Dossa & Locuzzed

This Austrian duo has a unique, fun combination of funky elements – rhodes, electric guitar and electric bass – and a heavy, smash-in-your-face sound. I first heard them through a bootleg remix of the classic “Move Your Feet”, and last year they made a similar original track called Off Course.

 

Etherwood

Etherwood is not only a producer, he is also a singer and guitarist. His songwriting is on a different level than most drum’n’bass today, and his productions are atmospheric and emotional, often inspired by nature and travelling. Here’s a track called Frozen Grass from his 2018 album that was mainly written in the Finnish forests.