D&B is the fast-beating pulse of everything from workouts to nights out, but where did it come from? DJ Flight steps back into the halcyon days of rave, when techno and house music washed up on the shores of the UK, stirring up a cultural revolution. Soon, that music was dropped into a blender with hip-hop, soul, and reggae. The result was jungle: a vivid, homegrown force in the middle of the country’s party scene. Flight introduces you to some of its first innovators, disciples, and champions.

A Guy Called Gerald - Blow Your House Down

Sterling Void - It’s Alright

LFO - LFO

808 State - Cubik

D-Shake - Techno Trance

Praga Khan - Injected With A Poison

Nightmares On Wax - Aftermath

The Scientist - Exorcist

4hero - Mr Kirk’s Nightmare

Nicolette - Single Minded People

Altern8 - Activ8

Ragga Twins - Hooligan 69

Meat Beat Manifesto - Radio Babylon

Lennie De Ice - We Are I.E

Doc Scott @ Amnesia House, 1991

Bizarre Inc - Playing With Knives

2 Bad Mice - Hold It Down

Jonny L - Hurt U So

Urban Shakedown - Some Justice

The Criminal Minds - Baptised By Dub

TOTP SL2 - On A Ragga Tip

TOTP Isotonik - Different Strokes

Top Buzz - Livin’ In Darkness

Egyptian Empire - The Horn Track

Wots My Code - Dubplate

Rufige Kru - Terminator

Acen - Trip to the Moon Pt2

Produced and narrated by DJ Flight. Script producer Frank Palmer. Edited by Alex Burnard. Mixed and mastered by Larnie Moles. Artwork by Sof.

As jungle rapidly morphs, a groundbreaking new record label and club night becomes a nerve centre for this dynamic new movement: Metalheadz, founded by Goldie, Kemistry and DJ Storm is as wild and innovative as the DJs and producers who created it. Revellers flock to a tiny basement club in Hoxton Square, each week, to hear this new sound taking shape. But with the increased exposure, the first bad press begins making its mark on the scene, forcing an identity crisis for the original junglists.

Potential Bad Boy - Work the Box

Q Project - Champion Sound

JO - R-Type

Nookie - Gonna Be Alright

Apollo - Atlantis (LTJ Bukem Remix)

Tango & Ratty - Tales of the Darkside

Engineers Without Fears - Spiritual Aura

Origin Unknown - Valley of the Shadows

Omni Trio - Renegade Snares (Foul Play Remix)

Studio 2 - Who Jah Bless

Roni Size & DJ Die - Music Box

Roni Size - Fresh

TOTP M-Beat & General Levy - Incredible

Shy FX & UK Apachi - Original Nuttah

A-Zone - Calling All the People

Congo Natty - Code Red (‘94 Remix)

Leviticus - Burial

Renegade - Terrorist

DJ Zinc - Super Sharp Shooter

Splash - Babylon

Goldie & Diane Charlemagne - Inner City Life

Dillinja & Batmix - Tear Off Ya Chest

Rufige Kru - VIP Riders Ghost

Doc Scott - VIP Drumz

J Majik - Your Sound

Dillinja - The Angels Fell

Photek - Consciousness

Alex Reece - Pulp Fiction

Wax Doctor - Atmospheric Funk

Adam F - Circles

LTJ Bukem - Horizons

Produced and narrated by DJ Flight. Script producer Frank Palmer. Edited by Alex Burnard. Mixed and mastered by Larnie Moles. Artwork by Sof.

After a period of being shunned by the press, the mainstream makes its first step towards accepting the music. Goldie’s debut album is heralded as a masterpiece, Roni Size and Reprazent face off against the Spice Girls at the Mercury Music Prize, and D&B finds a new home on Radio 1. Suddenly, all the major labels want a piece of the action. It’s a rags to riches moment, but all that success comes at a cost. Then, on the brink of the new millennium, the scene is torn apart by a devastating loss.

DJ Hype ft Singing Fats - Peace Love & Unity

DJ Krust - Angles

BBC R1 One in the Jungle A Guy Called Gerald & MC Navigator 1995

Adam F - Metropolis

Goldie - Still Life (Photek Remix)

DJ Die - Special Treat

BBC R1 Roni Size Reprazent - Brown Paper Bag Live 1997

Roni Size Reprazent - Share the Fall

Roni Size Reprazent ft Bahamadia - New Forms

Roni Size Reprazent - Heroes

Peshay - Miles From Home

BBC R1 Fab & Groove 1st Show Free4orm - Space

Ed Rush & Optical - Alien Girl

Odyssey - Object

Mampi Swift - The 1

Special Forces - Something Else… The Bleeps Tune

Bad Company - The Nine

Lemon D - Going Gets Tough

Ed Rush & Optical - Medicine (Matrix Remix)

Bill Riley - Closing In

Jonny L - Uneasy

Rufige Kru - Kemistry (Doc Scott Remix)

Sci-Clone - Everywhere I Go (Remix)

Produced and narrated by Flight. Script producer Frank Palmer. Edited, mixed and mastered by Larnie Moles. Artwork by Sof.

Drum & Bass approaches the 2000s on the brink of disaster: the spirit has left the music, eaten up by the major labels and the money. Kemistry’s death has torn a hole in the heart of the community. So how do you recover from that? The combined optimism of a fresh wave of young talent and an old guard, ready to be revitalised, creates a new exciting form of D&B – ready to deliver the music to new audiences and new heights.

Rufige Kru - Stormtroopa

Todd Terry - Blackout

Digital & Spirit - Phantom Force

Bad Company UK - The Pulse

John B - Up All Night

Marcus Intalex & S.T Files - How You Make Me Feel

Phantom Audio - Remote Control

Kosheen - Hide U

Dillinja - Why

Digital - Deadline

Konflict - Messiah

Calibre - Mystic

Calibre - Right Stuff

Calibre - Deep Every Time

Calibre - Fire & Water

Marcus Intalex & S.T Files - Universe

Fabio @ Radio 1, Calibre - Feelin’ (clip)

Primary Motive - Who Has the Jazz?

Un-Cut - Midnight

Influx Datum - Back for More

DJ Marky & XRS ft Stamina MC - LK

Hatiras vs J Majik - Spaced Invader

Total Science - Jungle Jungle

High Contrast - Return of Forever

High Contrast - True Colours

Sounds of the Future - Lighter (Twisted Individual Remix)

Shy FX & T Power ft Di - Shake Ur Body

Shimon & Andy C - Bodyrock

DJ Zinc - Casino Royale

Produced and narrated by Flight. Script producer Frank Palmer. Edited, mixed and mastered by Larnie Moles. Artwork by Sof.

When BBC 1Xtra launches in 2002, DJ Flight finds herself at the frontline of a radio station committed to broadcasting 11 hours of drum & bass a week. Music festivals explode in the UK, giving the scene’s talent access to bigger and bigger crowds, and changing the way they think about the music. Into the midst of this, come Pendulum – a D&B trio with a live act destined for the main stage. Their influence will send shockwaves through the entire scene.

BBC Radio 1Xtra launch, 2002 (clip)

Rawhill Cru - Mo’ Fire!

Flight @ Xtra Bass live, Belfast (clip)

Breakage - So Vain

MIST & Jenna G - Lover

Makoto & MC Conrad - Golden Girl

BBC Radio 1Xtra Friction b2b DJ Marky w/ Dynamite & SP:MC, Craggz & Parallel Forces - Red Octopus (clip)

DKay & Epsilon ft Stamina MC - Barcelona

Jaheim - Put That Woman First (Calibre Remix)

Marcus Intalex & S.T Files - Outer Space

High Contrast - Basement Track

Dillinja ft Skibadee - Twist ‘Em Out

dBridge & Vegas - True Romance

Calibre ft Singing Fats - Drop It Down

Potential Bad Boy ft Yush - You’re Mine

Ebony Dubsters - Ra

Seba & Paradox ft Robert Manos - Move On

Sub Focus - Strobe

Shy FX & T Power - Feelings

Drumsound & Bassline Smith - The Odyssey

Pendulum - Vault

Noisia - The Tide

Clipz - Slippery Slopes

Pendulum ft Spyda - Tarantula

Martyn - Nxt 2 U

Benny Page - Turn Down the Lights

Jenna G - In Love

Sub Focus - X-Ray

Commix - Be True

DJ Hazard & D*Minds - Mr Happy

Produced and narrated by DJ Flight. Script producer Frank Palmer. Edited by Sefa Nkyi. Mixed and mastered by Hannah Armstrong. Artwork by Sof.

When Dubstep invades dance floors in 2008, it’s like UK garage all over again. What happened to all the D&B lovers? Where did they go? But as those in the underground ponder the state of the nation, above the surface, a more commercial form of the music is growing stronger and stronger – thanks to festival headline sets from Pendulum and the very first D&B UK number one single: DJ Fresh and Rita Ora’s Hot Right Now.

Craggz & Parallel Forces ft Deeizm - Cold Shot

DJ Fresh - Gold Dust

Chase & Status - Smash Club

Grooverider @ Radio 1, Pendulum - Slam (clip)

Pendulum live @ Radio 1 Big Weekender, Watercolour (clip)

Sub Focus - Airplane

Alix Perez - Crooklyn

Lenzman & Riya - Open Page

Netsky & Jenna G - Moving With You

S.P.Y - By Your Side

dBridge - Inner Disbelief

Benga & Coki - Night

Jubei - Patience

Breakage ft Roots Manuva - Run ‘Em Out

Sub Focus - Rock It

Breakage ft Newham Generals & David Rodigan - Hard (Caspa & The Others Remix)

Dub Phizix, Skeptical & Strategy - Marka

DJ Fresh ft Sian Evans - Louder

Chase & Status ft Plan B - End Credits

Chase & Status ft Delilah - Time

Chase & Status live @ Glastonbury, ft Liam Bailey - Blind Faith

Rihanna - Mad House (produced by Chase & Status)

Sub Focus & Alpines - Tidal Wave

Sabre, Stray & Halogenix - St Clair

Shy FX ft Kano & Roses Gabor - Raver

DJ Fresh ft Rita Ora - Hot Right Now

Serum - Souped Up

Original Sin - Move

Danny Byrd & General Levy - Blaze the Fire

Calyx & TeeBee - Elevate This Sound

Produced and narrated by Flight. Script producer Frank Palmer. Edited by Sefa Nkyi. Mixed and mastered by Hannah Armstrong. Artwork by Sof.

D&B’s reputation continues to grow, thanks to high profile remixes and more chart success from the likes of Rudimental - who score the music’s second UK number 1. As social media rewires the way the music industry organises, a new generation of female talent finds itself drawn into the culture, and celebrated via game-changing platforms like Boiler Room. In response to the ongoing gender imbalance, DJ Flight and Mantra launch the EQ50 initiative, that later develops into a mentorship programme for new women and non-binary D&B producers.

DJ Die & Jenna G - 1000 Soul Songs

DJ Fresh ft Rita Ora - Hot Right Now (Camo & Krooked Remix)

Wilkinson - Afterglow

Adele - Hometown Glory (High Contrast Remix)

London Grammar - If You Wait (Calibre Alternative Remix)

Zane Lowe @ Radio 1, Rudimental - Feel the Love (clip)

Rudimental ft Ella Eyre - Waiting All Night

Sigma - Nobody to Love

Need For Mirrors & Onallee - Jagged

Kyrist - Geometry

Dazee - Get Up

Koven - Get This Right

Taxman & Diane Charlemagne - Rebirth

Djinn - Pressure

Halogenix - Shank

DJ Hazard - Time Tripping

Serum & Voltage - Sumting Special

Andy C - Roll On

Digital, Spirit & Response - Garrison Law

Marcus Intalex & Spirit - Untitled MCR

DRS ft - Bun Ya Too (Enei Remix)

Spectrasoul ft dBridge - Glimpse (Ivy Lab Remix)

DRS ft LSB & Tyler Daley - The View

Fixate vs Double 99 - Ripgroove

SHERELLE @ Radio 1 The Residency ft DJ Flight (clip)

Breakage - Elmhurst Dub

Quadrant & Iris ft Cease - Wirecutter

Loxy, Ink & Resound - Think

Charla Green - Something Stronger

Athena - Dreamverse

Mandidextrous - Techno On My Mind

Macky Gee - Tour

Sub Focus & Rudimental ft Chronixx & Maverick Sabre - Trouble

Produced and narrated by DJ Flight. Script producer Frank Palmer. Edited by Alex Burnard. Mixed and mastered by Joel Cox. Artwork by Sof.

30 years on from the birth of the genre, drum & bass is still adapting. When the global pandemic closes nightclubs in 2020, a period of soul searching follows - but D&B emerges with more purpose. The community expands to welcome in new talent like Nia Archives. Old and new faces come together to celebrate the longevity of D&B - and to future-proof a culture that’s already weathered so much loss. Storm and Flight reflect on just how far this music has travelled, and the distance it still has to cover…

Shy FX ft Stamina MC & Lily Allen - Roll the Dice

Benny L ft Inja - Vanta Black

Harriet Jaxxon - The Sound

Sweetpea & Chickaboo - The Jump Off

Sheba Q & No Nation - Period 3C

Nia Archives - Sober Feels

Nia Archives - 18 And Over

Fox ft DLR & Alix Perez - Walk Out

Pink Pantheress - Break It

Coco Bryce - Sonar

Equinox & Tim Reaper - Burger Sauce

Sully - 5ives

Mantra - Murda

Watch the Ride & Nia Archives - Mash Up the Dance (Kings of the Rollers Remix)

Digital - Total Control (Tim Clay Remix)

Nectax - Body Talk

Sub Focus - Off the Ground

Bru-C & Wilkinson - Paradise

Andy C - Ghost

Hybrid Minds & DRS - Don’t Ever

Diane Charlemagne live @ BBC 1Xtra The Next Chapter, Don’t Follow (produced by Cyantific)

Marcus Intalex & Spirit - Crackdown

Gray - Rubadub

Watch the Ride - Out the Gate

SATL & DRS - Beautiful Struggle

Paul T, Edward Oberon & Cleveland Watkiss - Music’s Got Soul

dBridge & Jubei - Show Me

Nia Archives - Forbidden Feelingz

Dillinja - Hard Noize (Break Remix)

Chase & Status - Mixed Emotions

Deekline, Specimen A & Navigator - Bangarang (Scuffed Remix)

Goldie - Inner City Life (dBridge Sonic Nostalgia Remix)

Dillinja - Ja Know Ya Big

Battery & Flight - Overture

Produced and narrated by DJ Flight. Script producer Frank Palmer. Edited by Alex Burnard. Mixed and mastered by Joel Cox. Artwork by Sof.

Executive Producers: Matt Everitt and Graham Hodge. Head of Production: Rebecca Mills. Support from James Trew and Max Bower. Production Manager: Sara Andersson. Associate Producers: Ruby Fraser and Katia Rio.

A Cup and Nuzzle Production for BBC Radio 1 and BBC Sounds.