Nineties Nostalgia in NZ Drum & Bass Series

The History of New Zealand Drum & Bass is essential listening for anyone interested in New Zealand music and its roots. Equally, if you grew up in the nineties there are plenty of references that will keep you hooked.

The series includes interviews with producers, DJs, MCs and promoters who made their mark in Aotearoa’s music scene in the nineties and early 2000s. 

The podcast is hosted by Jay Monds aka Bulletproof, a renowned producer and DJ who is recognised for taking New Zealand drum & bass into the international scene. He worked with Concord Dawn and Tiki Taane, among others. 

The series launched in 2021, starting with a first episode where Monds explains his involvement in DnB and why he’s making the podcast - to keep the scene alive at a time when gigs around the country have been cancelled. 

Launching a first episode with your own story in the first-person is risky. Not many people can pull it off, but Monds’ warmth, humour and depth of knowledge keeps you listening.

There are three seasons of the podcast and Monds knows his way around the music, the history and the scene itself. A natural presenter, he has an easy rapport with his guests. While he knows the background to the stories he never takes over but asks the right questions and prompts his guests with memories that lets them tell the story. 

Going back to the earlier episodes, I listen to one with Tiki Taane discussing the early days of his career as “a sound boy for gigs” who mixed every genre of music in the Christchurch band scene.

He shares how he began working with Salmonella Dub and transitioned into the DnB scene as a musician who originally had no interest in dance music. Taane is a fun listen - he’s genuine, authentic and candid.  

“I realised I could get into all these gigs for free,” Taane says of getting hooked on DnB. 

The revival of DnB in New Zealand is strong, and the podcast has come at the right time. 

Drum & Bass is an important part of New Zealand’s music history. Image: Mark Angelo Sampan

New Zealand has a DnB culture and history that hasn’t really been talked about in mainstream media or acknowledged as much as it should be, until now. 

I would have loved to have heard more music in the series to give it the texture it needs, but understandably, there may have been licensing obstacles.

In saying that, the interviews and history are strong enough to hold up the series. In more recent episodes, Monds gives us a taste of the music, where he can. 

The New Zealand History of Drum & Bass is essential listening for anyone interested in New Zealand music and its roots. Of course those hardcore DnB fans will love it. 

Equally, if you grew up in the nineties there are plenty of references that will take you back to your teenage years including the names of venues like The Liquor Lounge and Ministry in Christchurch, and other venues around the country that helped to birth the DnB scene. 

After listening to some of the episodes and wanting to find out more, I was sad to learn of Monds’ passing in September 2022. I had read the story when the news came out and noticed the posts on social media but didn’t really make the connection. 

Monds has left behind a legacy, and even with this podcast alone, he has opened the doors to a unique part of New Zealand’s cultural landscape. Beyond the music and the beats, the birth of DnB has also informed Aotearoa’s social history.

My hope for the podcast is that it continues and that someone else from the industry picks up where Monds left off, as these are important stories that need to be told.

Review Rating: 3.5/5