Roni Size

提到Drum-N-Bass這個在電音中最重要的分類之一就不得不提到Roni Size。來自英國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廠牌。早在1997年發(fā)行的最具有影響力的專輯《New Forms》已經成為了指標性專輯，深受爵士音樂的影響，在自己的專輯中邀請爵士女歌手參與，更是從真樂器中進行Sample造就了Roni Size獨門的Jazzy D'N'B。整體感突出是此碟的一大特點，完全不容許支離破碎的現象產生有如一塊璞玉，天然完整無需修飾。這張專輯獲得過英國的Mercury音樂大獎，成為電子音樂在流行音樂領域里獲得的最高獎項，從而引發(fā)出前所未有的電子音樂熱潮，Drum-N-Bass這一偉大的舞曲結構也由此走向多元化融合的道路。
Roni Size出生于牙買加，之后遷居到著名的「Trip-Hop之都」英國的布里斯托，這里的音樂氛圍深深影響著他。在他16歲的時候就已經輟學回家從此專心研究當地音樂文化中的Hip-Hop，BreakBeat、Soul、Bruse等等，再加上他自身由牙買加帶來的獨有的黑人民族音樂，Reggae、 DUB等等為他現在的音樂多元化提供了很好的基礎。
1991年電子音樂史上最著名的一年，布里斯托的「Trip-Hop鐵三角」的一角開始綻露頭角，Massive attack發(fā)行了第一張Trip-Hop指標性專輯《Blue Line》，同年Roni Size成立了自己的廠牌「Where's The Party」并發(fā)行首支單曲「Music Box」從廠牌名就可以看出是準備走舞曲節(jié)拍這條路，但在當時Trip-Hop也許流行一時，也許是當時的舞曲已經陷入了一種僵化的方程式，Roni Size的廠牌和單曲并沒有受到重視和好評。
沉默了3年在1994年Roni Size開始了他飛躍的一年，三大著名DJ：Die，Krust，Suo，Roni Size合力將原廠牌「Where's The Party」改名為「Full CyCle」于是這個最著名的廠牌由此誕生，之后Full CyCle也設立了以黑暗和試驗為主的分廠牌「Dope Drogon」Roni Size也曾經化名為Mask在此分廠牌下發(fā)行單曲。也許是不滿足當時成立Where's The Party時的低迷，這次該名為Full CyCle后的第一支單曲仍然是Music Box，這次此單曲經過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。
Roni Size主導的Full CyCle在當時的影響力被稱為「Third Coming of Birstol Sound」（布里斯托之聲的第三次來襲）它的風頭甚至蓋過了由Bryan Gee主導的廠牌。 1997年Roni SizeI聯合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指標專輯"New Forms"成為佳話。之后的專輯《In The Mode》雖然不如《New Form》但眾多大牌的加盟為專輯增色不少，如今Roni Size終于以個人的名字發(fā)行了專輯《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.