So to give the awards something new, why not bring it up to date by removing, altering and adding some categories? If the awards are to be taken more seriously, get some serious competition in there. Make it easier for people to be toppled from the top by encouraging the underdogs to be inspired.

Change –

• Best Magazine - Isn’t ATM the only D&B based mag left in print so it was the only choice? Should this category be binned now? Should they alter the title to ‘Best Magazine (Print and Internet)’ to open it back up to KMag and other online Magazines. Even extend the category to ‘Best Website’ or ‘Best Forum’. A decent website can be built, marketed and people involved in a year so why not challenge for the top by new web gurus out there?
• Best Track – Well hold on a minute, you’ve got categories for ‘Best Liquid DJ’ and ‘Best Old School DJ’ so why not extend this to ‘Best Jump-up Track’ or is that breaking up the scene or causes issues with the naming of the sub-genres? I personally didn’t like the track voted ‘Best’ this year, would Jonny L’s Evah be number one here… I think it could be if you had a ‘Dancefloor Smasher’ category!
• The number of ‘individual’ awards - Oh come on, it’s about the music yeah so how may categories were for the music produced? TWO! Give praise for the music not just the people.

Now for my categories…

• Biggest Contributor to the Scene –  This could be such a great category for the people who have done something amazing during the year. Created a new legendary club night, worked tirelessly booking international DJs to play in the UK, supported the playing of vinyl only… anything that could be recognised, should be recognised. And if you were wondering who I’d vote for – Tony Colman et al for all the Podcasts, the Label getting Sweet Harmony into the charts and putting on club nights all over the UK.
• Best International Influence for the Scene or Most Miles Covered for the love of DnB – Ok, long title but it get’s my point across. John B for all the miles he puts in to bring DnB to places like Russia. With a close runner up for ‘Bassline’ Smith and his Euro missions every weekend. Praise the hard work, the air miles and thousand capacity venues these guys have played to being you the most amazing nights.
• Best Seller of the Year – God knows what this would be but the numbers would be easy to find out and prove not via opinion but by fact.
• Best Lyrical Tune – This is obvious… make more vocal DnB to get the ladies singing along in clubs. More singing along, better atmosphere, more people want to go to the night, more ladies, prettier club nights… make sense doesn’t it?
• Unsung Hero of the Year – It could be anyone in this category, the door men of the club that make you feel welcome, the cloakroom lady who always has a smile at 6am, the sound guy who always makes the experience perfect.
• Best Crossover Tune Award – for the likes of tunes that have been played on Radio 1/1Xtra. Yeah, have a go at me but it’s how people find DnB if they’re not into it, it builds the scene, more people get involved etc…
• Best Vinyl DJ – I could go on all night here.
• Best Vocalist – Hellfire, give some credit to the singers out there!

Ok, I know some of these categories aren’t great but I want to prove a point. Give the producers, DJs, MCs and everyone involved in the scene something genuine to aim for. Strive to make the scene better by using these award shows for something great, not just a piss up and a couple of trophies.

Thanks for reading and I’d love it if you left a comment. It’s our scene, let’s make it even better in 2010.

Best Magazine – ATM
Best Records Store – Redeye
Best Event – Innovation in the Sun
Best Club Night – Ram
Best Track – Therapy by Original Sin
Best Label – Ram
Best Album – Sub Focus
Best Breakthrough MC – Rushman
Best Live Act – Pendulum
Best Breakthrough DJ – Ruff Stuff
Best Breakthrough Producer – DJ Sly
Best Producer – Original Sin
Best Radio Station – Kool FM
Best Radio Show – Fabio and Grooverider
Best Female – MC Tali
Best Female DJ – Storm
Best Old Skool MC + Bassman
Best Old Skool DJ – Nicky Blackmarket
Best Tech DJ – Noisia
Best International Artist – Marky
Best Liquid DJ – High Constrast
Best Hype MC – Skibba
Best Lyric MC – Eksman
Best DJ – Andy C

One in the Jungle Archive! Nearly every set from 1995 to 1998 are on here with only a couple missing. Much, much respect to the guy (or girl) who put this together.

I think I was even at Danny Breaks & Randall Live In Newcastle and it’s a personal recommendation, it goes off!

One In The Jungle Archive.

Naughty, naughty live drum and bass from The DJ vs The Drummer aka L Double, Jungle Drummer with Rodney P and MC Trip. Absolutely mental drumming, MCing, DJing and you can feel the energy right from the start. If there is anyone out there thinking about resurrecting the live drum and bass tip then this is how you do it.

I’m gonna be trawling Youtube for a video of this because I’d just gotta see Jungle Drummer go insane like Animal from the Muppets

Download via KMag - Knowledge | 63 Jul 2004.

Facebook | DECKADANCE presents ROCKWELL (Digital Soundboy / Critical).

What, another banger at The Big Blue with Rockwell… oh Pablo, you are spoiling us. Supporting your local venues is where it’s at!

ABOUT ROCKWELL

Now residing in North London via Bristol and Cardiff, Rockwell has become prolific in a very short amount of time due to a series of strong productions, each taking a fresh and different approach to the drum and bass blueprint. With releases scheduled for some of the scenes largest labels: Digital Soundboy, Critical, and Shogun, 2010 will see Rockwell become one of the leading new producers in the scene

www.myspace.com/rockwelldnb

Facebook | Dynamite MC

Do yourself a favour and get yourself over to Dynamite MC’s Facebook page for music free-ness! Two, yes TWO album/mix tapes and believe me, if you like UK hip hop then you will love these. Probably most notoriously known as working with Roni Size fronting Reprazent along side Onallee and now an amazing solo artist with a couple of albums under his belt.

I’m on my third or fourth listen to Big Man Talk 1 and it still blows me away that he’s given these away for free. Much respect.

I found this site via http://twitter.com/gerarddriveby and it already contains some of the greatest DnB mixes I thought had been lost and some I never knew existed. It goes back to 1994 for the DnB stuff and by the look of things, the blog is constantly being updated, it even has some of  old ‘One in the Jungle’ mixes on there.

J.Bo Tapes.

esquiredesign.co.uk

Esquire Design Agency – Form & Funktion Consultants

Another addition to the SubVee Portfolio.

• Site designed by Esquire Design Agency.
• Navigation Template coded by SubVee.
• HTML & CSS

They required a simple navigation template setting up where (with the use of Dreamweaver) they could drop in .jpegs and alter the menus to suit the expanding capabilities of the Agency. They were a great Client to work for, upfront with what they required and very pleased with the results.

Phace & Misanthrop – From Deep Space LP information | S.T. Holdings Ltd.

I can’t really tell you more than I’m really excited about this album!

‘From Deep Space’ was featured recently on the Hospital Records Podcast (105) with a couple of tunes available to listen to on Youtube. From the sound of the Medley made available by Neosignal, it’s sounds like Ed Rush & Optical’s Wormhole has been eaten by a sub-sonic monster, brought up to date and spat out in the form of one of the most slick album release of the year so far.

BMinX - The Alabama

The Alabama from BMinX – Clothing

I thought it was about time I uploaded more of the projects I’ve worked on and the one I’m pretty proud of is/was BMinX – Women’s BMX Clothing. Spawed from the frustration of not having anything to wear when I was riding and the fact that mens BMX shirts were really to big for me!

BMinX was established in 2003 and is still going strong even though I’m not riding as much as before. I still love BMXing but it’s come to a point where I can’t afford to be injured anymore so I’m taking it a bit more easy these days

One of my favourate shirts from BMinX is the Alabama. Designed with work in mind and worn with pride!