Roni Size

提到Drum-N-Bass這個(gè)在電音中最重要的分類(lèi)之一就不得不提到Roni Size。來(lái)自英國(guó)Bristol這位Drum-N-Bass的天王不僅身兼混音師/制作人，還一手創(chuàng)辦的最著名的Full CyCle廠(chǎng)牌。早在1997年發(fā)行的最具有影響力的專(zhuān)輯《New Forms》已經(jīng)成為了指標(biāo)性專(zhuān)輯，深受爵士音樂(lè)的影響，在自己的專(zhuān)輯中邀請(qǐng)爵士女歌手參與，更是從真樂(lè)器中進(jìn)行Sample造就了Roni Size獨(dú)門(mén)的Jazzy D'N'B。整體感突出是此碟的一大特點(diǎn)，完全不容許支離破碎的現(xiàn)象產(chǎn)生有如一塊璞玉，天然完整無(wú)需修飾。這張專(zhuān)輯獲得過(guò)英國(guó)的Mercury音樂(lè)大獎(jiǎng)，成為電子音樂(lè)在流行音樂(lè)領(lǐng)域里獲得的最高獎(jiǎng)項(xiàng)，從而引發(fā)出前所未有的電子音樂(lè)熱潮，Drum-N-Bass這一偉大的舞曲結(jié)構(gòu)也由此走向多元化融合的道路。
Roni Size出生于牙買(mǎi)加，之后遷居到著名的「Trip-Hop之都」英國(guó)的布里斯托，這里的音樂(lè)氛圍深深影響著他。在他16歲的時(shí)候就已經(jīng)輟學(xué)回家從此專(zhuān)心研究當(dāng)?shù)匾魳?lè)文化中的Hip-Hop，BreakBeat、Soul、Bruse等等，再加上他自身由牙買(mǎi)加帶來(lái)的獨(dú)有的黑人民族音樂(lè)，Reggae、 DUB等等為他現(xiàn)在的音樂(lè)多元化提供了很好的基礎(chǔ)。
1991年電子音樂(lè)史上最著名的一年，布里斯托的「Trip-Hop鐵三角」的一角開(kāi)始綻露頭角，Massive attack發(fā)行了第一張Trip-Hop指標(biāo)性專(zhuān)輯《Blue Line》，同年Roni Size成立了自己的廠(chǎng)牌「Where's The Party」并發(fā)行首支單曲「Music Box」從廠(chǎng)牌名就可以看出是準(zhǔn)備走舞曲節(jié)拍這條路，但在當(dāng)時(shí)Trip-Hop也許流行一時(shí)，也許是當(dāng)時(shí)的舞曲已經(jīng)陷入了一種僵化的方程式，Roni Size的廠(chǎng)牌和單曲并沒(méi)有受到重視和好評(píng)。
沉默了3年在1994年Roni Size開(kāi)始了他飛躍的一年，三大著名DJ：Die，Krust，Suo，Roni Size合力將原廠(chǎng)牌「Where's The Party」改名為「Full CyCle」于是這個(gè)最著名的廠(chǎng)牌由此誕生，之后Full CyCle也設(shè)立了以黑暗和試驗(yàn)為主的分廠(chǎng)牌「Dope Drogon」Roni Size也曾經(jīng)化名為Mask在此分廠(chǎng)牌下發(fā)行單曲。也許是不滿(mǎn)足當(dāng)時(shí)成立Where's The Party時(shí)的低迷，這次該名為Full CyCle后的第一支單曲仍然是Music Box，這次此單曲經(jīng)過(guò)重新編排出奇的受到了歡迎，由此掀起了Roni Size的Drum-N-Bass之風(fēng)。
Roni Size主導(dǎo)的Full CyCle在當(dāng)時(shí)的影響力被稱(chēng)為「Third Coming of Birstol Sound」（布里斯托之聲的第三次來(lái)襲）它的風(fēng)頭甚至蓋過(guò)了由Bryan Gee主導(dǎo)的廠(chǎng)牌。 1997年Roni SizeI聯(lián)合DJ Die，DJ Krust，DJ Sno，Onalle，MC Dyamite組成了Reprazent，并以Roni Size/Reprazent之名發(fā)行了歷史上Drum-N-Bass指標(biāo)專(zhuān)輯"New Forms"成為佳話(huà)。之后的專(zhuān)輯《In The Mode》雖然不如《New Form》但眾多大牌的加盟為專(zhuān)輯增色不少，如今Roni Size終于以個(gè)人的名字發(fā)行了專(zhuān)輯《Touching Down》終究讓他成為一代Drum-N-Bass的大師。
by Sean Cooper
Bristol native Roni Size is one of the U.K. jungle scenes most respected names, with production credits spanning dozens of labels, projects and releases. Although not as quick to rise to acclaim (either critical or popular) as peers such as Goldie or LTJ Bukem, Sizes influence as a producer, label owner, and committed underground magnate figured him as one of the emerging sounds true pioneers. The breakout success of his debut album New Forms (including Britains prestigious Mercury Award) finally confirmed his stature and vaulted him to a greater degree of popularity than any other drumnbass producer.
Born to Jamaican immigrant parents, Roni grew up in the Bristolean suburb of St. Andrews (home to Tricky, Massive Attack, and Smith & Mighty), where he learned the fundamentals of hip-hop through the areas sounds systems, house parties, and underground clubs. Expelled from school in his mid-teens and running game through his neighborhood until risk became greater than reward, Size started dabbling with house and reggae production in the late 80s. He hooked up with labelmates DJ Krust, Suv, and DJ Die at the 1990 Glastonbury Festival, and the four stayed in contact, eventually forming Sizes longest running musical commitment to date: his own Full Cycle label. Formed simply as an outlet for the fours entree into the nascent drumnbass scene (Krust and brother Flynn [of Flynn & Flora] were already working with Smith & Mighty, while Die was producing hardcore tracks as Sublove), Full Cycle eventually grew into a label group, releasing a steady flow of twelves (on both Full Cycle and Dope Dragon), and a label comp, Music Box, in 1995.
Oft duplicated, the Full Cycle sound is a subtle mix of jazz and soul with jump-up rhythms and worldbeat references spanning from Ronis Jamaican roots to 50s bop and the Motown sound. Although hardly popular in the days before ragga (then jump-up) ruled the decks, the crew now counts a number of classics among their credits, including Sizes Its a Jazz Thing, Krusts Jazz Note, and Reprazents Reasons for Sharing EP, the crews first outing through major-label subsidiary Talkin Loud. The success of 1997s New Forms launched Size to the top of the electronica genre, and the Dope Dragon label continued to rise in the ranks of dubplate hysteria, with tracks from Selector Owoy, Gang Related, and Mask consistently passing muster on most DJs decks. After a relatively silent 1998, Size returned in 1999 with a new project — Breakbeat Era, with DJ Die and vocalist Leonie Laws. The trio released Ultra-Obscene in the fall of that year. In 2000, Size returned to the Reprazent project with In the M?de, boasting sit-ins from Method Man and Rage Against the Machines Zack De La Rocha. It failed to cross over or build his fanbase, and he returned to solo productions with 2002s Touching Down and 2005s Return to V. Size has also mixed a two-disc volume in the Full Cycle mix series Through the Eyes.