Where Vibe Went Wrong With Their "Drum & Bass Pioneers" List

We don't believe you, you need more research.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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We don't want to discourage anyone from contributing to the dance music discussion. Really, we don't. But we can't sit around and let inaccuracies go unmentioned.

Yes, we're talking about Vibe's "Drum & Bass Pioneers" list.

An educated voice is key—both in the intent of the features posted and in the information provided. Drum & Bass is one of the genres that DAD reveres, and wishes would receive more press and exposure overall. The fact that Vibe decided to produce a "pioneers" of the drum & bass scene article to an audience that might not question the selections gives us cause for concern.

We read through it. Then we had cause for rebuttal.

Sure, Andy C, Goldie (an individual we hold in high esteem), Grooverider, and DJ Hype are essential, and rightfully included. Soon enough, though, the list starts to get confusing. For example: On what grounds is Majistrate included? Pendulum is great, but what did they actually pioneer? Where are acts like Photek, Bad Company / DJ Fresh, or Dillinja, artists who have gone down as some of the most forward-thinking, progressive drum & bass producers during the scene's heyday, be it in approach to the drum & bass scene, their huge bodies of work, or the fact that, if you speak to other dnb producers about the genre, these are the names that get brought up as being trendsetters.

Maybe the reasoning is right in front of our faces: The actual facts about the DJs are true, but they're scant and direct in hammering down what makes these folks pioneers. Sure, we get why they are on the list, but the cursory delving into their careers says provides nothing for the reader. Drum & Bass is such a vast genre, with numerous, legitimate sub-genres. Why not explore what made an LTJ Bukem different sonically than DJ Hype or Pendulum.

While, there's not a lot missing here in terms of name, nuanced facts are conspicuously absent. Hopefully Vibe, and any other publications out there riding this current EDM wave, will start doing some homework and get down to brass tacks as opposed to looking like they're wandering aimlessly.

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