Looking back on the decades of time spent listening to, and playing Drum and Bass there are only a few artists that have been there from the start for me. Blu Mar Ten is one that has stood out consistently. From London, The pair, Chris Marigold and Michael Tognarelli have releases on a long list of Drum and Bass labels. I first found them on 3 CD release called "This Is Drum and Bass". The fountain bought a spacey liquid soaked journey to listeners and was one of the top cuts from the release.
This next Jungle classic has an early appearance of Drum and Bass' vocalist DRS. "Butterflies and Moths" was released on 720 Degrees in 1998.
In 2005 I found a series of eclectic mixes with everything from a monkey howl to Chaka Khan. I never expected Wicked Games to appear in a mix nor did I expect it to be one of the high points, but here we are. Buckle in for a long ride the link below is a Soundcloud to a mix.
The other mixes in the series can be found HERE
Found on the above mix, the release title release from the album "Blackwater" brings a haunting vocal arpy lead and a bass line all tied together with master drum work.
Not quite drum and bass but "Why Me, Why No?" is a masterclass is vocals and atmospherics from the same release.
2009 brought another fully packed diverse album with "Natural History", released on Blu Mar Ten Records I could not even start to pick a favorite cut so here are two. There were a steady stream of remixes and I highly recommend you check them all out
2011 brought Love is the Devil one track still stands out for me. I still "Whisper Ft Kirsty Hawkshaw" That bassline comes in and makes the world ok no matter how unstable it feels.
In 2022 Blu Mar Ten teamed up with BCee on the EP Grow. The title track featuring vocals . from Charlotte Haining.
If you enjoyed what you heard I would suggest you check out their Bandcamp or label site
-Pac D
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