Showcase: The Bristol House Scene

For years, Bristol was famed for it’s illustrious Drum & Bass scene, producing artists including Roni Size and DJ Die that went on to define the sound worldwide. In the mid 00’s it all seemed to go a bit quiet, not too much was coming out of the city, it was still on the map but was perhaps a bit faded.

But in the past, lets say, year and a half, Bristol has been stamping itself firmly back onto the map with it’s bustling house scene. As Pete Tong says at the beginning of the Eats Everything Essential Mix, “There’s something stirring again in the wild South West.” And he is right. This new brand of Bristol bass sound is so prevalent it is rewriting the cities musical blueprint. We now know Bristol for it’s vibrant house scene, with the likes of Eats Everything and Julio Bashmore leading not just a local, but an international movement, redefining the cities future musical landscape. Those previously within the celebrated Drum & Bass scene are now getting to grips with new alias’, with DJ Clipz’ transformation into Redlight being the obvious example. To put it simply, we are seeing a rebirth in the direction of one of the most celebrated musical cities in the UK.

Seeing this, Resident Advisor produced a documentary entitled ‘Real Scenes: Bristol” at the start of the summer, showcasing Bristol’s growing ‘bass’ (house and dubstep) scene. It has a particular focus on house and gives a direct insight into the scene that the music lives in. Beautifully shot and ultra informative, this video does more justice than I could ever do, and thus I will stop warbling on and let you watch in peace.

Resident Advisor- Real Scenes:Bristol

Choosing three DJ’s to showcase the sound was pretty easy. Julio Bashmore, Eats Everything, and Waifs & Strays have all pushed Bristol’s scene from the beginning and are all deservedly recognised for both their unique production sound and mixing skills. Below are three mixes that I believe are essential listens to get a grasp on the scene. Enjoy.

Julio Bashmore Essential Mix



Eats Everything Essential Mix



Waifs & Strays i-DJ Mix

