Every genre of music has its true superstar group, for drum’ n bass one of these super groups was Bad Company. Consisting of *DJ Fresh, D-Bridge, Maldini * and *Vegas * the group released one of the most influential singles The Nine back in 1998, and continued to release material that would impact on the sound of drum n’ bass as we know it. In 2000, they released Inside the Machine, an album that regularly crops up in ‘best of’ lists and this year the album has been re-released with additional material.

Inside the Machine (Redux) is a two-disc set, the first being the complete original album, the second titled Lost and Found is a collection of unreleased tunes. I was not listening to drum n’ bass when this album originally came out, so for me hearing it for the first time was quite a revelation, as it would be for many others in the same boat.

The opening track Colonies starts out unassumingly, building until it reaches a subtle crescendo with a bass kick that goes in deep the first time, and then deeper again later into the track. The layered synth sounds swirl behind it, giving it that classic Bad Company sound.
It’s difficult not to get sentimental when listening to this music. With drum n’ bass being the fast paced music that it is, it’s great to look back at something like this and to hear that it has stood the test of time.

The main characteristic of this drum n’ bass that has allowed it to stand this test is the simplicity of the music. There’s no bells and whistles going off left right and centre; the bass lines and drops don’t tear holes in your ears (although sometimes that’s just what you want!) and the music has time to build, to create that futuristic feel.
The closing track on the album The Flood is an example of this: it’s understated, ominous and leaves the listener wanting to hear more. Though it’s not all laid back, by any stretch of the imagination! Sentient has that similar driving feel of The Nine, a great dance floor filler, Oxygen moves at a frenetic pace while Nitrous breaks waves of ferocious drums in your ears.

On the second disc of Lost and Founds, a couple of tunes stand out. Still Life’ twists evilly, while Splatter House features the work of Moving Fusion, and it’s evident in that slightly disco bass line. My pick of these tunes would have to be Sneakers with help from Trace. There’s nothing as groundbreaking on this second disc, but still it is an interesting collection of tunes that compliment the full album.

It’s easy to hear the influence of this album on many current day producers: the clean sounds, the dark and brooding atmosphere and the futuristic feel. It was a classic when it was released and with this new edition a whole new generation of headz can be swept along in its rolling darkness.