Jungle Class: 12 Rising Drum n Bass DJs You Need to Hear

February 12, 2013 - 6:50 pm by VIBE

Drum n Bass/Jungle music is the backbone to it all: Dubstep, drumstep, even this "EDM" phenom we keep hearing about.

VIBE pays recognition to a new class of raw talent with the latest DnB jockeys who have been raising the bar (and the BPM rate) on mainstream dance music. Brace yourself, cause these guys are not your typical festival producers – instead, they’re taking you to the underground. Class is in session. -->

Compiled by Sarah Polonsky and Jessica Wunsch

S.P.Y The next dance wave is not coming from the Netherlands nor Sweden but rather England, as seen with rising London-based star Carlos Lima a.k.a. S.P.Y, who matches his 1's and 2's to everything from hip-hop to jazz to disco. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]

Rockwell Aside from the dope stage name, Thomas Green a.k.a. Rockwell is arguably one of the most poppin' DnB talents to emerge. His carefully calculated arrangements and productions make for a staple sound with textured tracks. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]

DLR & Octane Chris “Octane” and J “Dirty Le Roi” first caught the DnB community's attention after they made back-to-back appearances at Fabric in London, then Star Warz in Berlin, and Outlook Festival in Croatia in 2011. Think retro funk with technical undercurrents. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]

Serum A career 10 years in the making, Mark Gaunt a.k.a. Serum now rises as a top class producer with performance dates across Europe. Seeerrrrwiiiind it back! [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]

Audio Gareth Greenall is '90s bass head with an affinity for press them old school dubplates. Hence Audio was born, and has since created his own special brand of twisted and demented techno beats that demolish dance floors. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]

Hamilton After signing exclusively to Ram Records in 2009, Hamilton's 15-year career spun out and up. With the release of “Soundboy” we hear some seriously dope decks skills. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]

Enei Russian born Alexey Egorchenkov has been producing for many years, but once he got the bass in his face, DnB greats, including Goldie, DJ Hype, and the Drum & Bass Arena Awards took notice of the DJ, who goes by Enei, naming him “Best Newcomer Producer” in 2011. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]

Rene LaVice Rene LaVice's breakout single “Headlock” earned him signage with Ram Records, which in-turn has catapulted his career as a jungalistic man. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]

Wilkinson Mark Wilkinson’s journey to drum n bass start with just the drum, which his folks gave him at age nine. The bass goes best with those drums; and Wilkinson knows how to mach em up. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]

Jubei Whether it’s his work as a member of Code 3 or among others, Jubei is spinning his fate as become a staple DJ, garnering residencies across the U.K. including Newcastle’s Turbulence, London’s Fabric and Spoonfed in Cambridge. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]

Phace Label owner and producer Florian Harres a.k.a. Phace is not only a celebrity within his home country (he won Germany’s Future Music Awards for “Best National DnB Producer” in 2006 and “Best National Producer” in 2009), but he's also gained some global recognition in the U.S. with releases on OWSLA and Mau5trap. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]

BTK Last year was an eventful one for Brazilian DnB producer/DJ/label owner Vinicius Honorio a.k.a. BTK when his debut album conquered summer dance charts and lifted him into A-list territory. Now he sells out venues across Europe, Austrailia, and South America, and it won’t be long before U.S. ravers are holding onto their BTK seats as well…with a death grip. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]