Winzum Spotlight: Roni Size
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You may have already seen our previous Winzum Spotlight on the mercurial Drum & Bass producer Break (available here [Winzum Spotlight Break]), and this week we thought we’d explore the world of another Drum & Bass icon – the legendary Roni Size.
Who is Roni Size?
Roni Size is up there with figures such as Goldie in the history of Drum & Bass, as he was a crucial part of the rise of the genre during the late 90s. In fact, if it wasn’t for Roni Size and his musical ensemble group Reprazent, the quintessentially underground UK genre may never have broken into the public eye.
It was their debut album New Forms, for example, with the breakout hit “Brown Paper Bag” that brought Jungle and Drum & Bass to new audiences. The album even won a Mercury Prize back in 1997, something that was a definitive landmark moment for the entire Drum & Bass scene.
In winning such a culturally prestigious musical award Roni Size and Reprazent had effectively opened the doors for Drum & Bass to be welcomed into popular music culture. It was an important moment in the history of UK underground dance music, and one that cemented Roni Size as one of the fathers of Drum & Bass.
The story of Roni Size & Reprazent
Roni Size first cut his teeth learning about music production at his local Sefton Park youth club in Bristol, where he became fascinated with a drum machine, mixer and sampler that could be found in the basement. Alongside this were house parties and early raves organised by soundsystems such as The Wild Bunch, who went on to become the critically acclaimed Massive Attack project.
Size was therefore in the perfect moment to find musical inspiration from his home city, and it wasn’t too long before he struck-up a creative partnership with DJs like Krust and DJ Die. It was in this period that the solid core of the Reprazent group was formed, as Roni Size teamed up with Krust, DJ Die, and vocalists MC Dynamite and Onallee, amongst others.
The group were establishing themselves in the mid-to-late 90s with early support from Gilles Peterson, however it was the release of debut album New Forms that truly catapulted them into the limelight. The single “Brown Paper Bag”, for example, a truly unique blend of double bass and breaks, hit No. 20 in the charts. A follow-up album in 2000 featured appearances from huge artists like Rage Against The Machine and Method Man, however the run-away commercial success of New Forms was hard to emulate again.
One of the most important legacies in Drum & Bass
New Forms changed the musical landscape for Drum & Bass in the UK, and it ushered in an extremely productive late 90s for the genre, with several high-profile labels and DJs finding their feet in this time. Roni Size’s legacy within the Drum & Bass world is therefore unparalleled, and he remains one of the most important flag-bearers for the genre.
And you know what? Without the Mercury Prize winning success of New Forms there would be a lot less direct involvement with live instrumentation within Drum & Bass, and the genre would be a lot worse off as a result. Part of the appeal of Roni Size & Reprazent was the live element, especially to audiences who hadn’t really experienced Drum & Bass music before. Without it the genre might not have expanded in popularity quite as much.
Some of the essential Roni Size classics
By now we’re sure you are itching to know a few of the essential Roni Size classics from over the years, so here are a few Winzum favourites.
“Brown Paper Bag” is the obvious highlight, carried through by that iconic double bass line, and featuring tense keyboard samples, as well as a classic Jungle inspired drum beat. It’s not hard to see why this track received so much success on its release, and it remains an absolutely seminal Drum & Bass classic.
“New Forms”, the title-track from the Mercury Prize winning album, is another stone cold classic. It is slightly slower than “Brown Paper Bag”, creating a fascinating fusion between Drum & Bass and Hip-Hop. Essential listening, not least because of the infectious vocal refrain in the chorus.