Its New Years Eve, a time to reflect and of course a time to party. And what a party 2023 has been for bass music. We’ve seen our beloved genres dominating the festival season and reaching mainstream acceptance. Here you can find the artists who smashed 2023 in bass music according to our regular writers.
SAMMY VIRJI
Anthony Mulholland
It’s Virji Isn’t it? The name that’s been on everyone’s lips over the last 12 months. Sammy Virji has had a year that is sure to put him at the pinnacle of the electronic music scene for years to come. Although there were no EP or LP releases for him this year, Virji has been responsible for some of the best UK Garage anthems of the summer. ‘Shella Verse’, featuring Flowdan has consequently found its way in virtually every set this year. It’s unmistakable theatrical build up before a weighty drum pattern allowed Flowdan to spit some of the most recognizable bars of 2023. Having also been on releases with the likes of Salute, Unknown T, and Champion demonstrates how much of a sought after producer Virji is to work with. His energetic DJ Mag live stream has done the rounds to say the least. With over a million views, the world got to see a UK Garage and Bassline set that pushed the boundaries of what can be achieved within these genres. Its house and r’n’b influenced style has undoubtedly created an experience which draws on a musicality the likes of which these underground genres have not yet experienced. The crowd’s reaction really does the quality of the performance justice. This set noticeably summarizes what Sammy Virji is all about – the joy on his face is evident throughout the stream. Now with a number of big sets under his belt at main stage Boomtown, Warehouse Project, Parklife, his tour of Australia & New Zealand, and his ‘Isn’t it’ tour up and down the UK, it’s clear to see that Virji has absolutely smashed this year out of the park. With the announcement that he’ll be touring the States in 2024, it seems global domination is next for the producer from Witney.
IYRE
Sagar Deshmukh
Few years ago, finding drum & bass in the South Asian side of the world was quite difficult let alone finding a quality drum & bass producer. But Sri Lankan DJ and producer, IYRE has defied all the odds and led the charge to put his country and the region he belongs to on the international map.
Making his debut on Goldfat Records in 2019, IYRE career graph has only scaled upwards. Over the years, IYRE has released his music on Pilot Records, Fokuz Recordings, Celsius Recordings and Soulvent before landing the big one on Hospital Records this year, which made him the first ever artist from the region to feature on the mighty imprint.
The release was followed by an extensive Europe Tour which saw him play at Printworks’ final run of shows followed by appearances at Hospitality On the Beach, Liquicity Festival, Let It Roll and Standon Calling among others. The travels didn’t stop there; IYRE finally made his way to India for his long-anticipated 5-city tour where he played alongside Sully, his compatriot Janaka Selecta, and a host of Indian drum & bass talent. The icing on the cake was IYRE’s nomination at the Drum&BassArena Awards 2023 for the Best Newcomer category.
Closing the year on a high and gearing up for a busy 2024 which bring his remix for Bassment Jaxx on XL Recordings to life, IYRE has dropped two tunes on UKF that are an exhibition of his signature crisp and pulsating style of music. Take your eye off this man at your own peril.
IMANU
Annelies Rom
His album ‘Unfold’ was barely one year old, or IMANU already had another one ready: ‘Paradise’. With this album he established himself once again as a force to be reckoned with in the larger bass scene. He celebrated this with another showcase at ADE, the largest electronic music gathering in the world. Another milestone for him this year was the very first editon of ‘De Verte’, his brand new party concept celebrating the entire spectrum of bass music, which took place at NOX On The Beach. Around the same time IMANU launched his very own fashion line called 14SAINTDENIS, together with designer Cynthia Liu. And to top it all of, he’s currently in the US for his ‘Paradise Tour’. Safe to say this was a legendary year for him.
NIA ARCHIVES
Anthony Mulholland
After what was an outstanding 2022 for this multi-talented producer she’d be forgiven for taking her foot off the pedal in 2023. However, Nia Archives has yet again, continually, showcased her brilliance throughout the course of the year. With her EP ‘Sunrise Bang Ya Head Against The Wall’ having come out in March, we were treated to a body of jungle art that provided melodic breaks and plenty of vocal creativity. It’s been widely considered as one of the best drum and bass EP’s of the year. Namely with ‘Baiana’ and ‘Conveniency’ leading the way as Nia Archives anthems for the summer. There was even a remix edition to this eclectic EP which had the likes of Special Request, Bakey, and Mall Grab paying homage and putting their spin on some of the tracks.
She is, undoubtedly, a leading figure for this new wave of jungle mania that has been growing stronger as a result of her efforts – joining other household jungle artists like Tim Reaper, Sully, and Sherelle. Her rising star Brit nomination this year not only highlights how far the jungle movement has come in the UK but demonstrates the prowess of Nia’s production levels – and with her contagious personality on stage, there really is no limit to what this artist from Bradford can achieve. She even got to open for Beyonce’s ‘Renaissance’ tour at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium which really goes to show how highly she’s regarded in the world of music. Whilst being at the top of her production game right as we speak, she decided to introduce to us her ‘Up Ya Archives’ events brand which has taken the scene by storm, providing the UK with events that promote, and celebrate, the collective underground dance music scene. Also giving a platform for women and non-binary artists to flourish.‘Up Ya Archives’ rounded off their infancy year at Warehouse Project, which had a stellar line-up that included Interplanetary Criminal, Skream, Sammy Virji, and Shy FX (just to name a few), affirming Nia Archives’ status as one of the best creatives in the music game.
LENS
Laurie Charlesworth
Lens has absolutely smashed 2023 out of the park. From her incredible releases, linking up with the likes of Bcee and Whiney to her remix of Hybrid Minds ‘If Love Could’ve Saved You’, she continues to excel and develop her sound as a producer. Not to mention her second-to-none, monstrous, out of this world DJ skills, which we can see have taken her here, there and everywhere this year. A true boss behind the decks, matched perfectly with her ever-changing, deep yet nostalgic, thoroughly impressive track selection. I am very excited to see what the future holds for her.
TRAIL
Sam Yates
A quietly fantastic year for Charles Fourcassié. His natural, acoustic style – particularly on the more soulful tracks – has become so unique, and immediately recognisable. It’s all in the details. You can hear fingers moving up the guitar, sticks hitting drum skin. It feels live. It’s perfectly imperfect. Generative AI could never…
This is all on show on his ‘Resident’ EP – signed off by Alix Perez for 1985 Music. The title track, as well as ‘Lucid’ and ‘Misty Blue’, are all beautifully produced and full of soul, incorporating that trademark style. Rounding off the EP, ‘Fahgeddaboutit’ shows the other side of his tastes. Dark, acidic bass pumps throughout. In a similar vein, his take on Bredren’s ‘Foundations’ was another 2023 highlight in the deeper, darker category of D&B.
More recently this year, his masterpiece collab with Tokyo Prose, ‘Three Colour Portrait’, on Footnotes has kept the sun shining on this side of the world. And finally, he finishes 2023 off strong with a track that’s been floating around for a while now. ‘Wouldn’t Believe’ – coming on Five Alley’s end of year VA compilation – arrives just in time like a festive gift.
P MONEY
Ilan Rubens
‘They ain’t ready for it, this is D&B and grime’. Those are the words uttered by P Money in ‘175 x 140’, the opening track of his debut drum and bass album Streets, Love & Other Stuff. A veteran in the grime scene, London-based P Money has been making music for the best part of 20 years, having worked with some of the biggest names in the UK rap game. But throughout that time he has often shown his appreciation for bass music and the underground scene, having added his own lyrical flair to Flux Pavilion’s I Can’t Stop and Bass Cannon, and more recently linking up with Kanine for Point Em Up. But 2023 was the year P Money went from dabbling in drum and bass to diving in head first, with a year of constant releases and shows. In a short amount of time P Money and Whiney became a household name for drum and bass duos, linking up for their collab album featuring Sorry I’m Not Sorry, Junkyard and Saviour, released on the legendary label Hospital Records. Between these releases they were playing constant shows both in the UK and abroad – from launching the album at Colors Hoxton and Printworks, to Belgium’s Rampage Open Air festival and Croatia’s Hospitality on the Beach. P Money’s lyrical ability and skippy flow means he goes hand in hand with drum and bass, having demonstrated this through his music, live performances, and even smashing a 60 Second Send It on Charlie Tee’s BBC Radio 1 Drum and Bass show. After so many years in the industry P Money still maintains his music and work rate to the highest standard, meaning there is much to look forward to from him in 2024.
SLAY
Laurie Charlesworth
From the moment I heard Slay’s voice, I was obsessed. His flow, his lyrics, his warm and welcoming Manny tone! He is doing a great job at adding even more texture to Manchester’s legacy within drum & bass, particularly as a vocalist, following in the footsteps of scene favourites, DRS and Strategy. 2023 has been a great year for Slay, kicking things off with one of my favourite tracks of 2023, ‘OT Shots’ on Liquid V. ‘Closer’ with Bou also saw incredible radio plays and streams, and then, he closes off the year announcing he’s signed to RCA Records (Sony Music Entertainment). Boom. Smashed it.
BECKY HILL
Annelies Rom
2023 undeniably was a fantastic year for Becky Hill, with megahit ‘Disconnect’ and the 10-year anniversary of the other megahit ‘Afterglow’. This year, she proved that she’s an artist who can’t be kept away from the spotlight. With her massive passion for drum & bass, she worked with powerhouse Chase & Status, celebrated her love for the genre on stages like Boomtown and Glastonbury, and announced her world tour for next year. The cherry on top has to be her winning the ‘Best Vocalist’ at the Drum & Bass Arena Awards. We can’t wait what she has on store for us next.
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