DJ Trace – By Any Means Necessary
DJ Trace‘s contribution to the development of drum and bass will always be measured by his scene changing remix of T Powers “Mutant Jazz”, and rightly so. Combined with his releases on No U Turn, Prototype and Virus the darkside of Duncan Hutchinson helped change dnb forever.
His work with respected producer Pete Parsons though showed another side to Trace. Infact it shows how Trace was able to become so well respected in the hardstepping and jazz influenced camps that are present within the scene.
Released on DeeJay recordings in the summer of 1995, “By Any Means Necessary” is a rolling, uplifting track that although sounding straight out of LTJ Bukem’s box created a punch good enough for any dancefloor with its sharp breaks, dreamy atmospherics and sweet bassline.
A short Malcolm X vocal sample used throughout the track helps this track stick in your mind long after the record has stopped spinning.
On the flip is the speed mix paying homage to the legendary club of the same name. Starting with a shorter introduction and steppy Apache beat the track soon changes pace as it cuts into the classic “think” break.
Less atmospherics that the original mix make this slightly misleading as you would expect a mix of a track dedicated to Bukem’s Speed to be atmosphered out to the max! Still the Speed mix is another highlight of the great work Trace and Pete Parsons did together in the mid 90s.
About Bren
Northern drum and bass and electronic music lover since the Prodigy fuelled school days of 92
