Drop Bass Network

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Drop Bass Network (DBN) is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin based rave production company and record label formed in 1992 and founded by Kurt Eckes and Patrick Spencer (aka. Jethro X, and Jedidiah the Messiah). Famous for throwing a series of multi-day camp out events called Even Furthur as well as over seventy one-off events (DeRogatis 2003).

For over a decade, beginning in the early 1990s, Drop Bass was the center of a counter, counter-culture. The advent of house music and techno served as the soundtrack for the emerging underground rave cultures in Chicago and Detroit. Compared with the larger rave community of the time, the scene supported by DBN was decidedly darker and drove itself further underground.

Using the classic analog Roland TB-303 bassline synthesizer, musicians coined a sound known as acid house in Chicago, which initiated the movement into harder and darker sounds. Bolstered by similar musical movements in London, Holland and Germany, Drop Bass was instrumental in the creation and support of hardcore techno and gabber. Throughout the nineties, asking "Can you pass the acid test?", the sounds and sights of DBN continued to get harder and darker. Utilizing the infamous talents of DJs and producers such as Speed Freak, Lenny Dee, Delta 9, and Tron, along with the 50,000 watt wall of sound, high production values, Satanic imagery, and theatrics secured their place in "Techno Pagan" history.

Drop Bass Network struggled with staying underground, on the one hand, and balancing a commercial enterprise, on the other. Major events such as Even Furthur and the infamous New Year's Eve parties drew thousands of people. Venues ranged from distant locations to spots surrounding Milwakee, such as barns in East Troy, raceways in Illinois, and festivalgrounds UpNorth. The scantly legal situation that most parties held provided a constant challenge to the founders and organizers. As of 2006, Drop Bass Network focuses on the record label aspect of the business and has backed off of the event promotion side of the rave scene. Time will tell if there will be a second renaissance.

Other promoters Drop Bass worked with, Core Innovations, ATP, Mushgroove, Incredibeets, Mile High, and Ripe Productions.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Jim DeRogatis, Turn On Your Mind: Four Decades of Great Psychedelic Rock . Published by Hal Leonard (December 1, 2003), ISBN 0-6340-5548-8, pp. 432-3.

[edit] Further reading

Editors Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, John Bush, All Music Guide to Electronica: The Definitive Guide to Electronic Music (All Music Guide to Electronica). Published by Backbeat Books; 4Rev Ed edition (May 18, 2001), ISBN 0-8793-0628-9, pp. 52, 131, 138, 194.
Tim Barr, The Rough Guide to Techno, published by Rough Guides; 1 edition (June 2000), ISBN 1-8582-8434-1, pp. 1, 128, 218.