2024 has been an absolutely monumental year for bass music. From sold-out shows and viral hits to a wave of fresh talent reshaping the sound. Drum and bass continues to dominate the conversation, evolving beyond its underground roots and cementing its place in the mainstream spotlight. This isn’t just a passing trend—it’s proof of the genre’s enduring relevance and its unmatched ability to innovate while staying authentic to its core.
Meanwhile, UK garage and dubstep have made serious waves, drawing in younger audiences and proving that their influence is far from fading. UKG, now 30 years deep, remains a vital force, while dubstep has found new energy in both its classic and experimental forms.
As the year comes to a close, we’ve had the impossible task of narrowing down our favourite tracks from such a vibrant, diverse 12 months. After plenty of debates and rewinds, the UKF editorial team is proud to present our definitive picks of 2024. These are the tracks that have defined the year, pushed boundaries, and kept us moving on the dancefloor. Let’s celebrate the music that made 2024 unforgettable.
Lens & Sarah Ikumu – Jungle Diva (ft. Pola & Bryson & goddard.)
Laurie Charlesworth
‘Jungle Diva’ is a certified banger and without a shadow of a doubt, my favourite track of 2024! It has all of those gorgeous, jungly elements that we love and adore, with a little slither of naughtiness chucked in there too. It’s dark and rolling, but fun. The rise of Lens continues, Sarah Ikumu sounds exceptional and Pola & Bryson and goddard. sprinkling some magic on it is just the icing on the cake. A beautiful combo. Big tune!
Nectax – Body Talk
Ant Mullholland
The soulful yet energetic ‘Body Talk’ by Nectax is without doubt one of the most impactful jungle rhythms of 2024. Released on DJ Flight’s Play:Musik label over the summer, this was their first release in 14 years and what a thrilling way it was to come back. Forming part of the ‘Body Talk’ EP, the single first came to people’s attention in Nia Archives’ Boiler Room set two years ago, absolutely everyone wanted to find out where the tune came from. The rolling style jungle sound woven in and out of some well crafted vocal synths has made this particular track incredibly popular among jungle selectors. Its expressive nature has made it a huge hit in the dance, appeasing many a type of jungle fan. From the very first drum pattern, the journey it takes you on is euphoric. The Newcastle-based artist finds himself being one of the most exciting talents to come out of the jungle scene. Over the course of the last few years he’s built an armoury of high calibre production under his belt. Being one of the key components behind the up-and-coming label Stereo45, we can expect even more influence on the scene from this talented geordie beatmaker.
Koherent, Klinical & Operate – Classics
Sagar Deshmukh
Since its inception in 2018, Overview Music has consistently demonstrated a remarkable ability to unite distinctive collaborative pairings that frequently develop into legendary partnerships, and etching their name in the label’s quintessential releases. 2024 was no exception, with standout collaborations from Kyrist & InsideInfo, Killa P & Klinical, and Rueben & Grey Code, among others, delivering the unmistakable Overview style of drum & bass brilliance.
The winner of these collaborations however, is undoubtedly this impressive assembly set up by Overview, featuring Koherent, Klinical, and Operate. Their track kicks off with a striking sample that declares, “for my next number, I’d like to return to the Classics.” True to its word, the tune masterfully bridges the gap between the old-school foundations and modern innovations of drum & bass.
Raw, rugged, and perfectly paced to ignite the dancefloor, ‘Classics’ embodies Koherent’s razor-sharp production, Klinical’s emotive depth, and Operate’s signature sound design. Gritty, raw, and unapologetically grimy, this tune packs an explosive punch, guaranteed to shake up the dancefloor no matter the venue—be it an intimate club setting or a massive festival stage. If you’re a DJ reading this, consider this one of your go-to dancefloor weapons.
Halogenix – No More
Sam Yates
An outrageously uplifting track from one of our scenes’ most treasured producers. Whenever ‘No More’ gets teased or dropped in the mix, it’s often the most exciting, positive moment of the set. It sounds like summer festivals or the middle of a club night with its effortless energy – no vocals needed, just an infectious melody and all the right interplay of building and breathing. Halogenix once again delivers.
Adam F – Circles Revisited
Laurie Charlesworth
‘Circles Revisited’ is a culturally significant moment in drum & bass! The original is undeniably one of the most influential tracks in the history of UK dance music – and yet, the waves it caused back in the 90s were only the very start of its journey. Fast Forward to nearly 30 years later, we have seen the track be sampled and bootlegged countless times, most famously by the likes of PinkPantheress, Pola & Bryson. ‘Circles’ continues to make a mark on the scene in such a beautiful way, and Adam F jumping back into the studio – using the exact same equipment he used to make the original track – is the chapter of the story we’ve all been waiting for.
Colours Revisited in 2025 is greatly anticipated too. I can’t wait. Big love to Adam for delivering us some real magic via his revamps, reworks, reboots and revisits!
Fake Two Piece & Lokal – Bad Mouth
Sagar Deshmukh
Shenzhen/Hong Kong based experimental bass music label released ‘Bad Mouth’ just in time to be in consideration for the wonkiest dubstep releases of 2024. Over the past five years, Unchained Asia has cemented its reputation as one of the top purveyors of hyper-innovative bass music, with bold experimentation serving as both its defining identity and greatest strength.
Keeping their yearly ritual going ever since they started putting out music in 2018, Unchained assembled the 12-track ‘The Year of The Dragon’ which runs in parallel with the Chinese Lunar calendar featuring artists that delivered a tightly curated showcase that reflect their addiction to variety – ranging from raw, experimental sounds to unapologetic club bangers.
Leading the charge on ‘The Year of The Dragon’ is a fiery collaboration between Lisbon’s boundary-pushing duo Fake Two Piece and Manchester’s fast-rising trio Lokal, who’ve been turning heads and shaking speakers since bursting onto the scene last year.
Together, they’ve crafted ‘Bad Mouth,’ a track that seamlessly blends dark, gritty textures with infectious rhythms and sharp, dynamic sound design. It strikes the perfect balance between raw, weird, and an infectious groove that is primed to captivate the dancefloor. With its visceral energy and undeniable club appeal, ‘Bad Mouth’ doesn’t just demand attention—it commands it.
Marshmello x Svdden Death – Vortexblade
Logan Sasser
Getting a banger from Marshmello and SVDDEN DEATH was not on our 2025 bingo card, but the MELLODEATH Tapes Vol. I was a welcomed surprise — especially their ‘Vortexblade’ track. It’s a tune that isn’t exactly riddim, but it rides the line with grace and style.
From start to finish, ‘Vortexblade’ is pure energy. The sound design is grimy, and definitely heavy, but there’s a subtle undertone of experimental bass vibes that carry the track to through both high-octane bass drops with SVDDEN DEATH’s classic, spooky sound design.
Joy Orbison – flight fm
Ant Mullholland
Rewinding back right to the start of the year, we were introduced to Joy Orbison’s heavyweight track ‘Flight Fm’ on XL Recordings. Having been teased in the clubs for some time during 2023, electronic dance fans were elated when this heater got its much-anticipated release in January. Throughout the last 12 months, it’s safe to say that this song has virtually been played out in every type of rave imaginable around the world, showing no signs of letting up any time soon. With a multitude of different artists from an array of different backgrounds remixing the track, it only further demonstrates how this exciting number has influenced the whole spectrum of underground music. We’ve witnessed a range of your favourite DJ’s playing at around 140 bpm attempt to double a fresh vocal on top of this unmistakable hefty beat. With the likes of Fred Again, Four Tet, and Skrillex all showing appreciation to the song. As a result, this has seen Orbison’s track reach a wider audience. Sonically, this tune has fused the compelling weight of bass music with the forward thinking style of electro. A track that definitely can’t be shoehorned into one category, its winding build-up followed by a dance floor crushing drop has created a legacy in electronic dance music that’ll live long past 2024.
Channell, Motiv, Luke Truth – Substance
Sam Yates
In his debut EP with The North Quarter, Channell hits a big six. But one particular stand-out was ‘Substance’ – produced with fellow friend Motiv, the two create magic by tossing in equal doses of energy and soul, finding a unique pulsing style that feels like it’s kicked off a trail-blaze of others who want to emulate it. Luke Truth joins for a breakout vocal performance, giving it that extra few strokes of passion, and making a name for himself in the process. Expect more fire from these three in the future.
Tape B x Mersiv – Trippy Land ft. Juicy J
Logan Sasser
Hearing Juicy J introduce Mersiv and Tape B on their track ‘Trippy Land’ never gets old. Southern hip hop and dubstep isn’t exactly a new sensation (Juicy J actually made a song with Boregore back in 2016), but ‘Trippy Land’ is a reminder that some trends never die; nor should they.
Of course, Tape B and Mersiv continue to be some of the hottest acts in bass music, and the energy they captured together on “Trippy Land” proves they both deserve the respect and hype they’ve created for themselves throughout the past few years. Plus, we get a fantastic, high-energy verse AND hook from a hip hop legend. What more could you ask for?
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