VI.BE

I got my first experience with drum and bass at the beginning of the 21st century when going to a "Drum and Bass and Sculptures" party in Vooruit Ghent with a friend.

I was immediatelly sold by the genre. It was only later that I realized I had seen some the true icons of the scene that night: Konflict, Matrix and (the late) Storm.

Drum and bass was still more underground than today, and no broadband internet meant learning to know the genre through frequent visits to the local Ghent record shops, Music Mania and Fried Chicken Records.

While spending way too much money on vinyl I also tried saving some to buy my own Technics 1210's.

After messing around with a second hand turntable bought from Alain, the owner of Fried Chicken and half of Juice Blenders, I could finally upgrade to two Technics 1210's and a 3rd hand Ecler Smac 32 mixer and start practicing in the bed room.

Practice paid off somewhat and through contacts I was able to spin at a couple local parties and events, although the real breakthrough never happened...

Not much later I started working, met my (now ex) girlfriend, got kids and music moved a bit to the background...

Until recently when we broke up and I'm starting to rediscover my first love: music and drum and bass in particular.

Now I'm trying to pick up where I left, combining new technologies (dvs systems, midi controllers) into the mix, and hopefully getting back to playing out...