What’s the Opposite of ‘Big Up?’

I may spin and write about more experimental, avant garde electronic music, but the more “mainstream” electronic sound of drum ‘n bass is still one of my guilty pleasures. I listen to the live shows on BassDrive constantly (big up Sound Core!), and I frequent the jungle nights in DC and Baltimore. DnB hasn’t really gone anywhere since the turn of the millennium, but then, it doesn’t really need to; yet another amen bassline stormer is just more joy in the world, I say. But I digress.

Well-known DnB DJ AK1200 was at Sonar Deuce jungle/dub/breaks night yesterday, and I found his set pretty disappointing. Sonar has recently hosted DJ DB and AK1200’s Planet of the Drums cohort Dieselboy, both of whom threw down in a big way. I liked DB’s set better for its diversity of styles and his lack of an MC, which brings me to my real point.

Little on this earth is more frustrating than a bad jungle MC. Over the years of DnB nights I’ve come to tolerate them, but the constant barks of “MASSIVE! RINSE IT OUT, SELEKTAH!” interspersed with bursts of speedy rhymes that end in “-ase” (think “bass,” as in “drum and”) can detract from even the best set. Dieselboy’s set was marred only slightly by his man on the mic, but irritation at the MC last night was palpable, particularly from those clubgoers who looked unfamiliar with the jungle scene.

The jungle MC (thankfully) has not overstepped the DJ, as in hip-hop, and is thus saddled with the potentially unfortunate task of hyping his DJ. When the DJ is playing a largely static, uninteresting set, as AK1200 was last night, the MC’s formulaic requests of the crowd quickly become laughable. AK1200 had the benefit of his reputation to keep hardcore fans motivated and expectant throughout his set, but a steadily decreasing number of junglists were ready to “throw their motherfuckin’ hands up” as his set wore on. His final track, rightly rewound, redeemed the night somewhat, but I found most of his selections uninteresting and his technique and EQ slightly skewed; he managed to fuck up “Innocence” by Bad Company, a perfect jungle banger if ever there was one, with tacky flanger tricks.

I suppose a truly great jungle MC could salvage a lousy DJ set, but the crowd at Sonar last night had no such luck. What’s worse, playing out with an MC seems have to become de rigeur for A-list DnB DJs, as the next month’s worth of Deuce bookings all bill a lyricist alongside the headliners.

My wish? Reserve truly great MCs for special sets that incorporate their skills in interesting ways, not just as noisy hypemen. Put down the mic, up the levels on the decks. All massive hear ’dis.