[Chaotic Electronic Music] A Collection of Classic Drill ’n’ Bass Tracks

Girl/Boy (NLS Mix)Aphex Twin

Aphex Twin – Girl/Boy Song

Girl/Boy (NLS Mix), a solo project track by British musician Richard D.

James under the name Aphex Twin, was released in 1995.

It’s a piece with a rather unusual atmosphere, combining an elegant string melody with a torrent of beats.

It was created under a strong influence from British musician Luke Vibert, known for his work under aliases such as Plug and Wagon Christ.

It’s also said that the EP’s cover features a photograph of the grave of Richard D.

James’s brother, who died at birth.

The result is a mysterious track with an indescribably dark aura.

Squarepusher ThemeSquarepusher

Squarepusher – Squarepusher Theme (Official Audio)

Squarepusher Theme, released in 1996 under the Squarepusher name by British musician Thomas Jenkinson, is a track that lets you enjoy a distinctive musical world where retro, live-feeling fusion-jazz sounds are mixed with electronic, mechanical drum sounds.

It appears on his debut album Feed Me Weird Things.

On the strength of that album’s reception, Squarepusher signed with Warp Records, the prestigious electronica label that also counts Aphex Twin among its artists, and he has continued to be active ever since.

HajnalVenetian Snares

Venetian Snares – Hajnal

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the drill ’n’ bass genre itself lost momentum in the late ’90s, and its musical elements evolved into subgenres like breakcore and glitch.

As a developmental offshoot of drill ’n’ bass that you should definitely check out, let me introduce “Hajnal” by Venetian Snares, a representative breakcore artist from Canada known for complex, meticulously programmed beats, anything-goes sampling, and music that unfolds at blistering speed.

The track appears on his landmark 2005 album Rossz Csillag Alatt Született, a groundbreaking work that brilliantly fuses elements of classical music with high-velocity breakbeats.

Considering that the album was released on the esteemed label Planet Mu, run by Mike Paradinas (aka µ-Ziq), it’s also interesting to listen to this piece in the context of drill ’n’ bass.

Come On My SelectorSquarepusher

Squarepusher – Come On My Selector (Official Video)

Squarepusher is the stage name of British musician Thomas Jenkinson.

What’s especially noteworthy about his 1997 release “Come On My Selector” is the music video directed by filmmaker Chris Cunningham! Set in Japan, it plays out like a horror movie, yet the way the beats and rhythms sync perfectly with the visuals makes it irresistibly addictive to watch.

Also, the Japanese line at the end—“He’s a bit like Goldie, isn’t he?”—is hilarious (Goldie is a drum and bass musician).

Be sure to enjoy the track together with the music video!

Brace Yourself Jasonμ-Ziq

Brace Yourself Jason – µ-Ziq

Alongside Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, and Plug, an indispensable figure in any discussion of drill ’n’ bass is the UK-born techno musician Mike Paradinas.

Among the many works he released under his most famous artist name, μ-Ziq, Lunatic Harness (1997) holds particular significance within drill ’n’ bass.

Lauded as a classic, it received a 25th-anniversary edition in 2022, and a listen through the album quickly makes it clear that drill ’n’ bass is only one facet of its sound.

The opening track, Brace Yourself Jason—later released as an EP—startles with its irregular breakbeats and disarmingly simple, beautiful melodies, and stands as a quintessential example of the drill ’n’ bass style.

Start with this track, and if it resonates with you, be sure to explore the full album!

Hangable Auto BulbAFX

AFX – Hangable Auto Bulb

It’s well known that Richard D.

James, aka Aphex Twin, has released works under many aliases, but the EP Hangable Auto Bulb, released in 1995 under the AFX name, is also renowned as a landmark of early drill ’n’ bass.

Having pioneered genres like ambient techno and what came to be known as IDM, and developed a uniquely inventive strain of techno music, this was Richard’s first work to incorporate high-speed breakbeats into his sound.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the musical style presented here helped define drill ’n’ bass.

The weightless atmosphere and utterly undanceable, irregular breakbeats heard on the title track have a transportive effect, carrying first-time listeners off to another world.

Incidentally, the title of the release is an anagram of Richard’s earliest work, Analogue Bubblebath.

Chomp SambaAmon Tobin

Chomp Samba

Brazilian musician Amon Tobin has been active since the 1990s as one of the flagship artists on the prestigious Ninja Tune label.

A solitary figure in the best sense, he has continued to release remarkable music across many fields—not only electronic music, but also film scores and contemporary music.

His early works show drill ’n’ bass-like elements, and his highly acclaimed 1997 album Bricolage—praised by many music media—blends drum and bass, jungle, and trip-hop with jazz to create an original sound that can also be interpreted as having a drill ’n’ bass sensibility.

The track featured here, Chomp Samba, is a celebrated piece that was also released as a single, and its chaotic world where jazz and breakbeats intertwine may come as a surprise, especially to first-time listeners.