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Why Drum And Bass Vinyl Records Represent A Body Blow To The MP3

When it comes to drum and bass vinyl records, it really seems to make little sense to use any other format. Despite all of the advances in technology and computer file storage and compression, not to mention portability, it is gratifying to know that there are still forms of music, genres and sub genres being created today which demand and require a form of storage and media which turns entirely away from the digital era.

For all of the advances in computer power, with CDs and MP3s seemingly everywhere you look, from websites to hanging round the necks of teenagers, from mobile phones to glued to the front of magazines and newspapers, there seems to be no escaping the older formats of music, the vinyl records, with genres of music thriving on the vinyl disks, and not just thriving - but actually needing such a format to be fully appreciated.

I've talked a lot in the past about the way that vinyl adds a quality to music which is bleached out by the digital manipulation of binary files. The computerized digitization of music seems to erase any individuality, any spark of individualism. But the popularity of drum and bass music has meant that vinyl represents more than just a pleasing alternative, an individual style or a more versatile way to experiment with the performance.

The fact is that artists and producers creating drum & bass vinyl records are not expecting the music to be transferred to any other format, and this is more than obvious if you've ever tried listening to a D&B track on your iPod. You might start to wonder why the introduction is so long, and why when the song is finished the drum and bass routine just seems to go on forever. There's a good reason for this - you weren't meant to hear that part. Or at least, you weren't meant to hear that part of the drum & bass track because it was designed to be played about with by the DJs.

As with most house music, whether garage, RNB, hip hop, jungle, breakbeat or the many other genres and sub genres which exist within the urban music culture, it is not intended for you to just sit back passively and listen to the music, but for you to participate in it. This is very true with D&B or drum & bass vinyl records. The intro and outros have been extended deliberately to allow DJs to mix, fade and play around with the tracks, creating unique ways of incorporating the music into the session.

This is so much the case that in several cases artists and producers have provided DJs with either pre-release versions to experiment with, to make sure that the D&B tracks are played, tested and experimented with, or even exclusive D&B tracks with extended intro and outro sections. It's for this reason that it makes almost no sense at all to just sit passively and listen to this extended routine of drums and bass.

This is also the same reason why when it comes to drum & bass music vinyl is the only practical answer. You can't effectively scratch, mix or fade MP3 files into each other. I know that software exists that enables you to simulate these sorts of effects, but they have a real disadvantage - there's no hands on feel involved. Just pushing buttons offers little in the way of spontaneous creativity. Top DJs don't use computers, MP3s or even CDs as the main way to play with and experiment with the music.

It's important to be able to get physically involved with the music - whether that's dancing or actually getting your hands dirty in the vinyl basket. Drum & bass is very much about feeling the music. Most home systems just simply can't handle the bass effectively, and the whole idea of this music is to feel it through your body as much as listen to it. This is another reason why plugging your earphones in and listening to it on your iPod seems to make little sense. You're never going to feel the music. But getting yourself out to a house event, a nightclub or rave party where drum & bass music is in evidence will very much allow you to feel the music.

Whether feeling the music as vibrations rushing through your body as you dance the night away, or getting your hands on the grooves and playing about with the drum & bass vinyl records in a tactile and experimental way, there's no denying that when it comes to drum & bass music vinyl is the only practical form of media to use in order to fully appreciate the genre.

About the Author

Barnaby Milne is a musician, DJ and avid collector of music from the 70s to today, particularly drum & bass vinyl records and for drum & bass music vinyl is his top recommendation.

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