Lemon D- Subphonic (1997 drum & bass)

Long before the birth of jump-up, the Cybotron LP, and the Valve Soundsystem, drum & bass producers Dillinja and Lemon D were well revered for crafting deep and melodic grooves between 1995 and 1997. Subphonic was one of the few releases that managed to make the cut to Grooverider's highly esteemed label Prototype in 1997, backed with the equally deep "Going Gets Tough" on the reverse. This tune takes a variety of cues from jazz and house, with it's rhodes and rolling breaks. It may sound simple on the surface, but as per the course, there is plenty of subtle drum edits and movements in the pads that keep this tune interesting. A perfect definition of the sound that was favored at the Blue Note club in London when the Metalheadz crew threw their night there during the mid 1990s!

[@wthhue7427]

As a young aspiring electronic music producer, its insane to hear stuff so amazing that was made when I was like 5. This stuff is so real it makes today's electronic music scene look like a joke.

[@CharlieT98]

mk

[@stateagent2123]

Amen....

[@dblmthababylonrebellxp8244]

AMAZING !! that's the sound of real drum and bass or i call it Jungle! I think the problem from the most people of today who make musik with a computer have never played any Instrument but when you think like me playing an Instrument is relevant to get the feeling and hearing how the musik realy is made today anybody can make musik with few klicks without thinkin samples in copy them few times finished so you can do and that's pop musik for me any genre of musik was and is real if it starts to get Business it's ok so the real good things are there were they where deep down in the undaground

[@jacobtompke8677]

+David Lullham I'm 14!!! The music these days is crap. This is a forgotton piece of art that I just listen to it and think of what it must of been like. Amazing music!

[@ncshuriken]

@Jacob Tompike: Yes mate you're never too young to feel real music. I was born in 88 so I missed all this kind of stuff in the clubscene, and todays clubscene in DnB & Jungle (I've never heard Jungle played in any club) is a 90% waste of money IMO but I rinse so much 90's DnB, Jungle, Garage & Dub thats its like a healthy addiction lol!

[@steelchronicles]

Aye this was the best track IMO off that Intelligent DNB mix and now that I found it I'm not surprised in the slightest that it was produced by Lemon D. What a fucking legend!

[@jive499]

much better than the jump up stuff. Beautiful mellow groove. Lemon D, unrecognised genius. Brilliant composer, drum and bass artist of true finesse

[@santiagos4290]

That low end is massive,

[@balazspfaffenbuchler5985]

Soul+Jazz+Break+Freedom+Love!

[@christopherkennedy314]

learned to beatmix back in my day on 12" with this tune and a handfull of other records i bought from rub a dub Glasgow. dj krust true lies and sum good looking joints.

[@koolerahkamsi29]

Masterpiece ..

[@toxicrhythmz3718]

so damn good

[@stevendewar8951]

2021, UK LOckdown 3, still here and will keep coming back again and again and again,...and,..thank u for posting and thank u DnB for providing the musical escapism we crave in these crazy times. Much love to u and all, ur families and crews, see u on the other side, peace n luv and stay safe, mines a red stripe mate ;)) x

[@warrenb666]

Absolutely bangin from Kevin King ...top draw grooveriders label 🎉🎉

[@mylifesamessandashamblesade]

Lemon D is always on it.

[@-M0LE]

Wow this was more than just muaic its art Tells a story Took me on a journey

[@foreignofficeclub5815]

Real Bristol vibes about this. Loved it then, love it now!! Maaaan I miss the 90's

[@arcaneduck]

this is the single best thing that ever happened

[@foxmulder7616]

Lol agreed I love this choon!

[@enjoydrumandbassforever]

its crazy, crazy tune! included it in Hardstep mix, listen to..

[@TaylorColpitts]

Incredible.

[@smokester71]

I've had this vinyl since it came out! love this tune, those rolling base lines, so good... reminds me of summer, check out b side- lemon d - going gets tough Also love seeing the record play through on the video, good work!

[@RadgeTV]

Prototype was such an amazing label, and this 12" is one of the best releases. It sounds very mellow, but the subs are super heavy. Try listening to this in a car with a great sound system and enjoy subsonic vibrations.

[@RetropUk]

One of my most prized records.

[@lol69_52]

Tune!!!!

[@wookieboy0776]

Magical era for dnb

[@stun1zng267]

Jeeezus, I forgot just how nice this was, haven't heard in years 😁😁😁 I'm happy now

[@jackmansfield4453]

Props for the description

[@ncshuriken]

Back when Jungle and DnB actually MEANT something to me! Also, pretty much at the chronological threshold of the time Jungle became a VERY endagered species!

[@chrisnewcastle61]

what a growler - fantastic old track

[@lazysloth07]

Well this is actually perfect.

[@s3ntimental]

tremendous quality! thank you!

[@dionisio89420]

Delicatessen Piece!

[@estevanmariani4361]

Hell of a description! Good to know

[@danmylenbusch1158]

Super neat video!

[@mishabruml]

tasty tune and that record looks like its in excellent condition

[@tt66595]

this is ART on the highest Level !!!!! so good......

[@tambian9130]

Hahahahahaahahahaaha yeah sounds like a Monet for real PMFSL

[@jademarch1645]

Amazing

[@blackpantherhi-fisoundsyst4712]

Bless up

[@optickall]

Buenissimo !!!!!!

[@alan_albahughson6542]

Fresh AF

[@romancertik1265]

Len tak ďalej ;-)

[@EBaker]

Sooo good

[@kegusto5359]

Niddle at Work!👍🏻

[@BarneyTrouble1]

Yeah, wicked tune, the sub is so fat on a big rig , but F.Y.I. "Jump-Up" was a well-used term long before this came out. We were calling plenty of D&B and Jungle Jump-Up in Section 5 records as far back as 95/96. And as for aliaggio calling it Liquid, I won't even bother to pull that one up!! Anyway, I get your point, and agree, Dillinja and Lemon did their best work back then.

[@MultiGuvnor]

Did you used to work in Section 5? When me & my mate Ed passed our driving tests in '94 we used to drive down to Epping from rural Norfolk and jump on the Central Line, head towards Soho for Blackmarket then over to Kings Rd for Section 5, excited at potentially seeing some of the scenes major players on both sides of the counter! Having spent our last few weeks worth of Saturday job money on vinyl we'd head back home looking forward to playing our new purchases to a handful of our mates who we'd semi converted to Jungle... Man those were awesome days...

[@rejavoo1971]

YEAAAAAA

[@brandonkillick7542]

trippy😵

[@SahlStrickland]

gr8 sub bass that's nasty'

[@activesourceproductions7298]

Lemon D

[@kishcub]

Love this one ❤

[@junglistduppy]

Innit just - V recordings was pure jump up all through that time and that's just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, you could even argue the case for the Exer-Size E.P.being the blueprint for early jump-up - discuss. ;)

[@dalemcilwain]

The intro sounds like a summer day in Brighton.

[@jive499]

Sublime Liquid DnB from Lemon D. Totally agree this dumps on jump-up/hardstep from a height

[@andreallese7428]

There was similar song in a rally game back in 2000 or so. Started with the sax. Does anyone remember what song it might have been?

[@regularchickens]

ACE

[@nickycotton6137]

Envious of whoever bag'd this on Wax.. Bet you've rinsed each side. TUNE'S

[@z00h]

"Long before the birth of jump-up" que? Jump-up was born in 1996/1997.

[@georgedavey1339]

I think he means the jump up you might hear today devoid of breaks and full of software instruments mate. Fair point though

[@MrDisneydollar]

it was called Hardstep in the 90s

[@Dr_Xyzt]

TUUUUNE! A slower amen-ified mix would be sticky as well.

[@stevenchampion8137]

Take me to Beantown

[@jive499]

@Barney, yeah yeah I know, the term 'liquid' didn't exist then and there was no named genre for this type of tune - just that 'jazzy drum and bass' is just more of a mouthful! We weren't calling it 'breakbeat hardcore' in 90-92 either. You get my point.

[@PeteS_1994]

That's the same as some music that falls under Future Beats genre nowadays. We don't have a perfect name to categorise the music under. In a way that's good as the music is creative rather than formulatic.

[@lostinarcade]

big

[@joshthistleable]

Bonus Info: They recorded seagull sounds it seems?

[@MrJonathanwarriner]

Is this one of the first examples of liquid???

[@upsetdasetup5299]

1996 mate

[@richardstangroom3610]

so phresh, men

[@ravibhondi]

more

[@timcrompton3427]

I can understand people's need to pigeon hole every old tune they hear but it still annoys me. the term "Liquid" sounds like it came straight out of Fabio's mouth. he loved to look down his nose at other styles and even had the audacity to call his music "Intelligent"! The statement that V only released jump up is pure bollocks.

[@leftbehind298]

I think the term liquid came from the liquid lamps in the Velvet rooms, when 80% of the music he played there was produced for him. You can say he looked down on other styles, but he played a huge part in this scene - he didn't like the way the scene was sneered at. I've heard him rubbish the phrase intelligent, Bukem started it and retracted it when everybody started throwing their toys out the pram.

[@ambiance461]

what about just atmospheric or ambient style dnb lol

[@dandastardlyful]

Velvet rooms, now I was there every wednesday and thursday 1998

[@Husani759]

40,000 views. Lemme see ya lighter. :)

[@mikawassen6695]

No likes man wtf

[@tweeleaf]

Subphonic or Sunsonic? make up your mind for goodness sake!

[@stevendewar8951]

PS,...fuckin CHAINSAW !!!!!!!

[@alexstewart9747]

Not bad for a B Side. There was some decent music around back then but the scene got ruined by crack heads and wannabe gangsters.