I booted Neon White on Steam the other day after not playing it for a couple years. But I didn’t play it this time. I just loaded into different stages to hear the soundtrack. Angel Matrix’s fantastic first-person speedrunning game from 2022 is backed by a suitably energetic, synth and drum-heavy score by Machine Girl, who rules. And, back when Neon White came out, it was my first serious exposure to drum and bass music. Replaying all of the stages to get high scores let the tunes sink in, and since then, it has become one of my go-to musical genres for any mood and situation.
I’m a sucker for listening to instrumentals during work, as there’s nothing better to help me achieve a flow state with writing (hearing words sometimes distracts me). Somehow, the erratically fluid movement of drum and bass keeps my brain humming right along. Doing the dishes, or walking to the grocery store? Let’s go. DnB songs are often under 2 minutes each, so they’re easy to pick up and put down, or listen to multiple times in a row without feeling too fatigued.
The world of drum and bass is vast, and I feel like I’ve only dipped my toes in so far. But the more often I listen, the more cool artists I find. If you’re looking for some artist recommendations, I dig some songs from Black Balloons, boy 2000, Passing Currents, and TOKYOPILL. I’ve particularly enjoyed looping Instagram clips of Star Power Drums, an expert of the genre who makes it look easy to brings drum and bass songs to life on a real drum kit.
My brief foray into the genre has also exposed me to older game soundtracks that have some phenomenal drum and bass that I’m appreciating these days, stuff like the Ibuki Stage from Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike. Oh, and Amon Tobin’s work on Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is ageless. Also, the entirety of Ape Escape’s soundtrack goes hard. The thing is, I heard these songs when I was a kid or a teenager and didn’t think much of them then, for some reason. But playing through Neon White was the big moment when the music clicked with me, and through this lens I’m able to appreciate older tunes in a new way. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m on a mission to find more drum and bass that I missed throughout gaming history (please help me out).
