Drum and bass music has garnered quite a following in recent years. Even at Electric Daisy Carnival, drum and bass is featured, though it’s not a drum and bass or DNB-exclusive event. After a decade, Chase and Status have returned to Phoenix for the Phoenix Warehouse Project on June 21. The crowd in attendance at Warehouse 215 showed up in neon or dark colored rave outfits. Their energy and style are very much like the music itself, relentless and raw.
Compared to most others, drum and bass is considered a niche genre. The genre originated in the U.K., but its tempo is much faster than typical music. Hence, it rarely blends into the mainstream.
The pulse-pounding bass of the music created a danceable atmosphere that you could not just see, but feel. The lyrics of the songs, however, are on the back burner of music in this genre.
There was a main stage and a semi-outdoor stage with string lights on the patio of the venue. Since the second stage was both inside and out, the crowd was split. With some ravers enjoying the cool Phoenix air as midnight approached, others enjoyed the indoor dance floor. The crowd got denser as the night progressed. The line was consistently out the door until everyone was shoulder-to-shoulder watching the main performance
Chase and Status came on stage around 1 a.m. on June 22, after an energetic performance from JMAU5. The duo came out in the dark before some electric blue lights that resembled lasers shot towards the ceiling. The lighting was fitting for the futuristic synthesizer sound that was building up to an enormous beat drop. The crowd’s enthusiasm and cheering drastically increased after the long wait. The energy was familiar considering the pace of the music. Drum and bass music is 160 to 180 beats per minute; in contrast, most genres linger around 100 to 140 beats per minute.
The set from Chase and Status was noticeably distinct from the other performances from Fred V, Arietta, Chiief., JMAU5, Troneva, and Pola & Bryson. Chase and Status did a unique blend of an unknown reggaeton song that transitioned into a head-bashing drum and bass tune. The pendulum swing of the slow reggaeton tune to the fierce drum and bass track was jarring. The volume was already cutting through the speakers, but the bass only hit harder as the performance went on. The crowd even responded to the change in the music’s aggression, and the dances became much more frantic, which was fitting for the sonic palette.
There were some commonalities between the performances. The event presented by Aftershock and Relentless Beats was marketed as a “360 Stage Experience.” With any spot on the floor, each audience member had a great auditory and visual showcase of the performers. Each performer used lights and dancers in their own ways. Whether the lights were blinding or the dancers were flowing with the music, the performances remained captivating. As the genre’s name implies, drum and bass music emphasizes one of the hardest-hitting elements of music, the drums and the bass. Drum and bass music is often absent of lyrics or the calm tunes you would hear in acoustic music. The unusual structure and breakneck pace of drum and bass music are what make the genre so special
Drum and bass has a diverse audience spanning across the globe and various age brackets. The scene is something exciting for the Phoenix area. Drum and bass is chaotic in comparison to mainstream music, but it holds a special place as the bass-fueled, percussive music genre. Phoenix showed up for this event with a diverse group of attendees, letting loose for the U.K. style music, travelling to the States for a lively night.