October 14-20, 2004

music

The Tables Have Turned

CHANGING OF THE GUARD: The Swarm crew looks to pick up where Dieselboy's Platinum is leaving off.

Now all your drum 'n' bass are belong to Swarm.

by Sean O'Neal

For a while there, drum ’n’ bass/jungle was the hippest and arguably the most distinctive style of electronic dance music. Junglists eat up those breakneck breakbeats, snarling basslines, the crowd-pleasing hype of an MC’s rants and rhymes -- the whole sinister brutality of it all. And thanks to Dieselboy’s world-renowned Platinum weekly at Fluid, Philly has become a breeding ground and American hot spot for the drum ’n’ bass community.

But as of late, the once uncontainable drum ’n’ bass craze has been winding down. Platinum is hosting their final party due to lower turnouts (see below). Dozens of other drum ’n’ bass events at clubs like the Five Spot, Silk City and Goosebumps came and went. Dieselboy continues to be all the rage in the press, but he’s probably as huge as he’s ever gonna get. So what’s the deal? After all that commotion as if drum ’n’ bass was about to take over the world (remember Sutpen’s Jungle?), is the scene just gonna burn out without a trace?

Not if the new generation gets its say. Enter Swarm, the drum ’n’ bass DJ/production trio comprised of Mason, Trust and Dstar (real names Rob Mason, Muhammad At-Tauhidi and Drew Cochran, respectively). " Three heads are better than one . " explains Dstar. "It’s fun to play off of each other while performing. And putting our heads together on a tune makes the songs well-rounded and more appealing."

The Swarm dudes hammer out the hardest, deadliest, most ear-numbing drum and bass you’ll ever hear, so they will be equipped to fill what Platinum will leave behind.

" The Philly crowd may be getting smaller, but it can and will come back with proper promotions to a wider range, especially to the young bucks," says Dstar. "As far as talent goes, Philly is still a fucking mecca in my opinion."

The Swarm sound ranges from soulful to funky and is often laced with snippets by vocal divas or the lyrical finesse of MCs Armanni Reign and Sharpness -- all the while maintaining abrasive energy and a menacingly dark atmosphere. Or, as Mason colorfully describes, music that makes you wanna "slit your throat and leave dead bodies on the dancefloor."

" Basically we want to inspire people and make them go crazy in the process," adds Dstar. ""How’d they do that?’ That’s our favorite response. It’s all about having fun. We want every kid to be a sweaty mess when it’s all over."

Not only is the Swarm name well-known among just about every drum ’n’ bass head in town, but they’re also nearing recognition on a worldwide level. Together and individually, the three have been commissioned for releases on some pretty serious labels like Goldie’s Metalheadz, Freak, Eastside, Tech Itch, DJ Bailey’s Intasound and DJ Rap’s Proper Talent. Plus they’ve got their own Gasm Recordings.

To hear their sound for yourself, track down their 2003 mix CD, Enter the Hive (Gasm/Benzstreet) -- an immaculate joyride through 23 of their own most ruthless and alluring cuts. Or you can catch them live at their new monthly Ambush, held the third Friday of every month at Pontiac Grille.

"We use our monthly as a focal point for our sound and the scene as well as to debut our newest tunes and new artists," contends Dstar. "Our role is to continue pushing the sound and representing the 215 around the world."

Swarm with guests, Fri. Oct. 15, 10 p.m.-2 a.m., no cover, Pontiac Grille, 304 South St., 215-925-4053, www.gasmrecordings.com.