Sometime in the last decade the creative energy behind drum & bass production seemed to drain away. Song design focused on drawing a reaction from the club crowd and the breakdown->build->heavy-heavy-drop cycle seemed to be the only game around. Thankfully, that is a game former Bad Company member dBridge and production duo Instra:mental refuse to play. Working under the banner of their Autonomic club night/podcast, the trio put together a refreshingly refined and engaging mix of outsider drum & bass for the 50th edition of the Fabriclive mix series. This is a drum & bass mix for the people who once loved the music but lost interest with the ascent of the club sound as well as for those who were turned away by the over-the-top aggressiveness and clownish tendencies. It’s a welcome return to the exciting balance of the hard and the soft at the heart of everything once great about drum & bass.