I always found the term ‘intelligent drum and bass’ slightly problematic (by definition what does that make all the other drum and bass?) but as with other musical sub-genre terminology it serves a useful purpose in identifying how different production styles and influences came to shape the evolution of a specific type of music. If jungle was heavy metal then intelligent drum and bass would be prog rock. It represented a move in the mid 90’s away from the more functional dance floor focused sounds (Simon Reynolds' ‘hardcore continuum’) into the slightly more cerebral and experimental. The term ‘ambient drum and bass’ was also bandied around at the time and may actually be a more useful term when applied to his particular record.

Whereas the roots of jungle lay with combining breakbeat hardcore with reggae and hip hop influences, the points of reference for intelligent drum and bass were more likely to come from the worlds of techno, ambient and jazz. This in turn provided a route for producers from outside the traditional realms of jungle and dnb to make their first forays into the genre – in this case 90’s ambient heroes Global Communication (a.k.a. Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard) under the pseudonym ‘The Chameleon.’

Released in 1995 on LTJ Bukem’s seminal Good Looking Records it remains one of my favourite records from that era and is a one of those tunes that actually seems to get better each time you listen to it. The opening vocal sample taken from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off sets the scene perfectly for a 9 minute journey though shimmering electronic ambience anchored by warm lush sub bass and propelled by just the right amount of restrained breakbeat science. The perfect soundtrack for days of sunshine and solitude.

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