The early days of the often misunderstood, high-tempoed genre, Drum & Bass, has been formally documented by a group of filmmakers for a new full-length feature. The Rest Is History: The Early Days of Jungle & Drum' n' Bass is a new documentary chronicling D&B's roots and origins.
From the intensely dark sounds of Ed Rush and Optical to the up-tempo groovers of Dillinja and Ray Keith, The Rest Is History celebrates jungle and Drum & Bass' most legendary artists and the music genres they pioneered.
The film illustrates how the music developed to be enjoyed internationally and how the culture stemmed from London underground parties, politics, and a burgeoning era of change in dance music.
The documentary explores how the genre's tumultuous origins developed in Black communities and flourished alongside jungle, beginning with illegal raves in a time of great resistance.
Running nearly two hours, the film includes exclusive interviews with many of the scene's earliest pioneers including Jumpin' Jack Frost, Ray Keith, Dillinja, Ragga Twins, Micky Finn, Paul Ibiza, G.Q., and many more. The icons speak on their contributions, involvement, and roles.
This endeavor, led by filmmaker and D&B enthusiast Peter Costigan, began in 2015.
Costigan spent over three years gathering interviews, traveling in and around the UK to harvest first-hand accounts on the genre's early days. In his travels, Costigan gathered exclusive archival photographs, footage, and various works never before shared in a full-length documentary.
The Rest Is History is available to stream now and will be available to view in select UK cinemas for a limited time.
Showings of the documentary will run in London, Brighton, Nottingham, and Dublin this month. Screening details are available here.
The full length film is also available to rent for 7 British pounds on Vimeo. Watch the trailer for the documentary here.
