The enduring beauty of drum & bass over the year has been its remarkable ability to consistently reinvent itself while maintaining its core identity, and finding ways to coexist across multiple forms and contexts. From underground club origins to the euphoric communal energy of outdoor festivals, drum & bass has always thrived on its duality; but the one of the most fascinating dimensions of this adaptability is how it translates into the live space.
Fabio & Grooverider’s Outlook Orchestra continues to redefine classics, while Camo & Krooked’s collaboration with the Red Bull Symphonic blurred the lines between innovation and high-art tradition gave us an experience on how the genre can expand far beyond decks and dancefloors.
Carrying that legacy forward in a bold, uniquely American way is pianist, composer, and conductor Andre Leonard, a true multi-hyphenate whose vision for the genre is as ambitious as it is soulful. Earlier this year, Leonard unveiled Una In Perpetuum, a showpiece that reverberated across the American drum & bass community alongside his compatriot and American drum & bass extraordinaire, NVRSOFT. Held at Washington DC’s historic Howard Theatre, the event celebrated not just the genre but also the city’s vibrant, diverse musical ecosystem.
Spearheaded by Leonard’s riveting performance that captured the essence of drum & bass within a full band setting, Una In Perpetuum also featured the eclectic rock band HUE and renowned trap violinist Heru, creating a musical dialogue that demonstrated how bass music can serve as a unifying force across different genres and artistic disciplines.
What makes Una In Perpetuum significant is not only its scale but also what is stands for. It speaks volumes about how drum & bass continues to evolve into new cultural territories. It also asserts that the underground, driven by passionate artists sees unbound limits to the genre’s potential. In the U.S especially., where drum & bass has often lived in the shadow of other electronic styles, projects like this carry a special weight.
Now that the debut performance has wrapped, Una In Perpetuum feels less like a one-off experiment and more like the beginning of something enduring. With its promise to grow and expand, it opens the door for new collaborations, new audiences, and new possibilities for drum & bass in America and beyond. So, we sat down with NVRSOFT and Andre Leonard—to dive deeper into what the experience meant for them personally, how the community responded, and what the future holds for this groundbreaking concept.
What does Una In Perpetuum mean? What led to its creation, and what were your goals for the project?
Andre Leonard: “Una in Perpetuum” means “One into Eternity” or “United Forever.” I chose the title because it reflects exactly what I wanted this work to be — a fusion that never ends, a seamless union of worlds that continues to resonate long after the final note.
The piece was born from my vision to bring orchestral drum & bass—a genre long celebrated in European club and festival culture—onto the American symphonic stage for the very first time. I’ve always believed the concert hall and the dance floor aren’t opposites; they’re different expressions of the same human need for rhythm, emotion, and connection. This was my way of tearing down that wall.
I drew on my grounding in the American symphonic tradition, my deep respect for the layering and propulsion of UK drum & bass, and my fascination with how music can both move bodies and tell stories. Una in Perpetuum is through-composed like a symphony, but it drives forward with the relentless momentum of bass culture.
NVRSOFT: We settled on the name “Una In Perpetuum” for our show. It is based in old Latin, translating to “together forever,” or “one in perpetuity” – it conveys the idea of being united as one, for all time.
Andre and I have been the best of friends for many years now, and I think we would both agree that we are muses to each other in many ways. Andre is too humble to say it, but he is one of America’s most prolific classical talents – both as a pianist and as a conductor – and as people, and as artists, we come from different, yet very, very similar experiences.
One of our longtime goals and dreams was to meld our niche musical worlds (classical and electronic.) I think we both feel they have the integrity to continue to stand the test of time, but they both suffer a bit from elitism these days – many people in our communities are hesitant to welcome outsiders and other genres in, and I personally think that’s a detriment to our music.
So, we wanted to put on an event that challenged and tested that theory, starting within our hometown – by showcasing ’s native sounds. We wanted to see if we could take our hometown region (Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia,) its iconic sounds – electronic, Go-Go, trap and folk-rock – and its artists who are prolific in their own rights – and meld and present them to the classical and orchestral world in a way that honoured all of them at once.
We felt that the name “Una In Perpetuum” reflected our mission, and all of ourselves as artists. When you undertake something like this, I think it truly bonds you together for life, and that energy resonates and ripples beyond you in ways you may not understand.
How did it feel to conduct the very first live orchestral performance that fused so many genres on an American stage, and why was it important that drum and bass was included in it?
Andre Leonard: With Una In Perpetuum, I had the honor of becoming the first conductor to facilitate the introduction of American drum and bass to the American orchestral stage – and it was, Katherine, Nvrsoft, to bring drum and bass to us in this way, here. The performance was a crossing point, a meeting of disciplines, and a signal that something new had taken root in American music.
I see my role now as both an artist and as ambassador – I serve as a liaison between the extremes of our musical traditions – classical and electronic, experimental and ancestral, old and new.
NVRSOFT: I remember my greatest inspiration for this was Reini and Markus (Camo & Krooked,) and seeing their incredible live orchestral showcase with Red Bull. I always dreamed of doing something like that – I remember asking them about their process, and was so grateful for the advice they shared with me.
What Red Bull has done to bring modern music to the classical world was such an impactful thing for me, and I really approached this using them as a model. But we wanted to try to take it to another level – instead of showcasing one single artist, we wanted to show as many as we could, and give the audience an experience that reflected our region’s identity. That is what made it new and special for me, and what made it the first of its kind – every artist who was told these genres couldn’t coexist in the sacred space of the concert hall.
In what specific ways has the historic Howard Theatre contributed to the realization of Una [In] Perpetuum’s show, from providing a culturally rich and iconic venue, to supporting the production process, logistics, and overall creative vision that helped bring the performance to life?
Andre Leonard: The Howard Theatre didn’t just provide a stage, it gave us a setting with a soul. Howard Theatre’s walls carry the weight of legends, and that history shaped everything – the tone, the pacing – even the silence between notes.
From a production standpoint, the team was seamless, supporting lighting, tech, and spatial needs with precision. But more than logistics, what Howard gave us was atmosphere – it demanded that we show up with integrity, clarity, and ambition worthy of its legacy.
It’s there, in that energy, that history, that Una In Perpetuum was born as a mission to carry this orchestral electronic fusion to other cultural landmarks around the world.
NVRSOFT: Playing at Howard Theatre was very surreal. Howard is Washington DC’s oldest existing music venue, and certainly one of its most legendary and iconic ones. Howard was America’s first and largest venue for Black music since its inception in the early 1900s, but has always championed a mission of being a theatre for all people.
To me, it was very humbling to perform and be included in Howard’s space. I didn’t really register it until I arrived on site, but I think I was a bit intimidated to play there – I didn’t know if I truly belonged on their stage. I was so touched by Howard’s staff, who made me feel so genuinely welcome. Their team’s professionalism and compassion had such a huge impact on me – especially their GM, Diamond, who I have to shout out – she really went out of her way to help me through my own anxiety, and it made all the difference. I couldn’t ask for more in a venue, and it was such a blessing to have performed at Howard. It was an honour and something I won’t ever forget.
How does America take drum and bass—a genre deeply rooted in UK rave culture—and reinterpret it through its own cultural lens, influences, and regional sounds to create a uniquely American take on the genre?
NVRSOFT: Drum and bass, like most rave/ electronic music, really, has been defined that way since the beginning – simultaneously outside and inside our own cultures. Our genre was born out of, created by, and made for, marginalized people and spaces of all kinds – our roots are in the underground and so is our music. With that being said, drum and bass has always been universal – made to be shared and to connect all people, cultures, and spaces under one sound. That duality of our identity is what makes our genre and the drum and bass community so special.
I think what keeps drum and bass evolving through the ages are the other dominating sounds of the moment, and that’s what gives each country its unique flavor. Hip-hop, sound system culture, and early rave music defined Drum & Bass, and that will never change (well, it better not!) – but our sound evolves with time, and each track and performance is a reflection of a moment in it.
Andre Leonard: Drum and bass originated as a kind of rhythmic, lighting fast, raw, and deeply expressive. That identity is foundational and revered.
In the United States, the response isn’t about changing that formula – it’s about expanding upon it in our own way. America has a diverse musical DNA – jazz harmony, cinematic scope, minimalist textures, gospel tension. As artists, we don’t aim to overwrite our genre – we aim to explore its emotional possibilities in new directions in ways that come from our own unique identities.
American drum and bass artists are just the same – they are seeking to engage in a dialogue with their genre, and seek to stretch its form – not break it. And what emerges is still DNB – just refracted through a wider emotional lens – now echoing across both concert halls and digital frontiers alike.
How were local artists brought into the picture, not just through opening sets and creative collaborations, but as a deliberate effort to ground the show in its local context; and why was it important to highlight homegrown talent in a country that so often showcases international acts?
Andre Leonard: This was about artistic excellence, and that excellence happened to be homegrown. The musical ethos of Una In Perpetuum wasn’t simply a nod to our geography – it was rooted in creating artistic alignment. All of our artists have sounds that resonate on a global scale – and each already shapes their genre’s cultures beyond borders. Nvrsoft, Heru, HUE Band, The Fisherman Band, Kara Levchenko, Sara Henya, and the Washington Conservatory Orchestra helped give Una In Perpetuum its edge, its breadth, its lift.
Kat (Nvrsoft) is one of the strongest American drum & bass artists, and one of a handful who have been recognized and supported by the international community. But she has always supported and pushed American talent, old and new, – we welcomed her singer, Kara Levchenko, and harpist, Sara Henya, who are immense talents and were valuable performers in our group. Nvrsoft’s work has honored those who have come before her, pushed to spotlight upcoming and homegrown talent, and has inspired those in the next generation. This project wouldn’t have succeeded without her bold vision, dedication, and passion.
Heru the Trap Violinist is a global phenomenon in motion – merging virtuosity with genre- blending impact. [Heru] doesn’t just bridge classical and trap – he reinvents the bridge. His presence added a charge that elevated the entire sonic spectrum of the show. HUE Band brings a cinematic, emotionally rich sound that travels. Their music isn’t confined to a region.
I’m also especially grateful to The Fishermen Band for their raw energy and authenticity, and to the Washington Conservatory Orchestra for their artistry and commitment in bringing this vision to life. They helped make this premiere more than just a concert — they made it a milestone. I’m also thankful for my team of incomparable arrangers Andres Diaz and Graceson Moore.
NVRSOFT: It was really important to Andre, Kevin, and I that this show was 100% American, and 100% DMV (DC, Maryland & Virginia) in every way – our artists and performers, our venue and support staff – We wanted to show off the best of our hometown, and see how well we could do this with an entirely local team, that was by us and for our community.
I think one of the major struggles for American underground music is that we tend to showcase and regard international talent as authority and as headliners for events much more often than we do our own domestic talent – and we have so much American artists that are truly worthy to be seen in the same light, and showcased in the same way.
Having such a talented and diverse group of artists come together on one stage to re-interpret our work for the classical world and successfully execute a live orchestral performance was an impressive, and unprecedented, undertaking. It’s a big thing to put on an event that’s the first in America of its kind – It was months of effort by our team of over 40 members, and each brought so much passion, hard work, and diligence to the table.
We all shared the same vision, and had the fortitude to see the project through to the end – through its great and its challenging times – together. We didn’t have sponsors, or major corporate backers – It was all on our shoulders alone, from start to finish, and it succeeded. That is something I’m so inspired by, and will always be proud of.
What does Una Perpetuum mean to you now — and where is it going next?
Andre Leonard: Una Perpetuum is Latin for “One Everlasting”—a meditation on unity, defiance, and endurance. Musically, it’s where orchestral tradition meets drum & bass subculture in a cinematic, soul-saturated collision. Spiritually, it represents the eternal pulse of resistance and reinvention—especially for Black artists who’ve been reshaping classical music, often from the margins.
This project began as an audacious question: what if Aaron Copland had grown up on jungle and Detroit techno? It became a breakthrough moment when I premiered it as the first fully realized orchestral drum & bass work in an American concert hall. Not a remix. Not an arrangement. A new genre asserting its own legitimacy.
Where is it going? Una Perpetuum is evolving into a global suite. I’m expanding it with new movements reflecting different resistance traditions—African diasporic, European, and Indigenous—and collaborating with MCs, choirs, and symphony orchestras. The next phase includes a European tour, a vinyl + visual release, and a conductor’s edition for ensembles ready to push boundaries. This isn’t just a project. It’s a movement—an open door for orchestral futurism and cultural reclamation.
NVRSOFT: It’s a memory that never dies. For me, Una in Perpetuum is a bond that I shared with each performer and staff member that made our show possible – I will feel that connection to them for life. It’s an archive and a prophecy, in my eyes.
I think we’re in a transitional period now with the project — working on expanding the score, digitizing the canon, and setting up international residencies. This isn’t a one-off fusion experiment. It’s the first draft of a new musical order — and it’s global. Perpetuum isn’t just a title. It’s a tempo. Ongoing. The tempo may change, but it never stops.
