{"id":4611,"date":"2008-09-29T03:19:00","date_gmt":"2008-09-29T10:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.john-b.com\/site\/?page_id=2"},"modified":"2026-05-27T16:07:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T16:07:08","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/john-b.com\/v2\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"Biography"},"content":{"rendered":"

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JOHN B BIOGRAPHY<\/h3>\n

John B is one of Drum & Bass’s most distinctive and enduring figures<\/strong> – a producer, DJ, label owner, Twitch streamer, and genuine original who has spent nearly three decades at the sharp end of the scene without ever sounding like anyone else.<\/p>\n

His music career began in the mid-90s, releasing on the genre’s most respected imprints<\/strong> – Metalheadz, Prototype, Moving Shadow, Hospital Records, Spearhead, and Viper among them – while simultaneously building his own label, Beta Recordings, into a home for forward-thinking electronic music. Over seven studio albums<\/strong> and countless singles and remixes, he developed a sound that defied easy categorisation: drum & bass threaded through with trance, electro, synth pop, punk energy, and a razor-sharp sense of humour. Mixmag called him “one of D&B’s few genuine global super-producers.”<\/strong><\/em> DJ Mag described his style as “suturing 170bpm to anything that moves.”<\/p>\n

The crossover credentials are real. Nicki Minaj sampled his track ‘Red Sky’ on her debut album Pink Friday<\/em><\/strong>, a song she has continued to perform on her worldwide stadium tours. He has officially remixed Pendulum, Bloc Party, High Contrast, Adam F, DJ Fresh, Howard Jones, Mos Def and Pharoahe Monch. His track ‘Numbers’ – remade by Camo & Krooked with the Vienna Symphonic Orchestra<\/strong> in a recent sold-out concert performance – has accumulated nearly 4 million streams on Spotify<\/strong> alone. A new collaborative rework called ‘Sequences’, made with Township Rebellion, is due later this year on Oliver Heldens’ label. He has also been voted Critics’ Choice at the Drum & Bass Arena Awards<\/strong> and won Best Digital Streamer at the Breakbeat Awards.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2025 he released Found In Rave<\/em>, a full album that marked a creative step forward and introduced his sound to a new generation of listeners. His Spotify<\/a> audience has now crossed 100,000 monthly listeners<\/strong> and is growing fast, with his catalogue’s popularity accelerating across streaming platforms. His latest single – a drum & bass version of Seven Nation Army<\/strong> under the Magellan Starchild alias with The Young Punx – drops June 11th, and a busy summer of festival dates<\/strong> across the UK, Europe, and beyond follows.<\/p>\n

Beyond the dancefloor, John B has built one of the most technically ambitious live streaming operations<\/strong> in electronic music. His Twitch DJ streams<\/strong> are known for their layered real-time visuals – custom VJ scenes built in OBS, cycling through over 50 different live environments per show – earning a loyal global community and multiple streaming awards. He produces and broadcasts everything himself. His Patreon offers exclusive mic-free DJ sets and production tutorials, and his YouTube channel is growing consistently with both DJ content and studio-focused video.<\/p>\n

His relationship with the gaming world is equally genuine. He has written original songs for the Escape from Tarkov community<\/strong> – including ‘Killada’<\/strong> for Pestily<\/strong> and ‘Hold Your Fire! (It’s the Wipe)’ – and his DJ sets were featured by Battlestate Games in official Twitch Drops campaigns<\/strong>. His Terminal Hardcore<\/strong> track and video was played during the Tarkov 1.0 launch broadcast. He even has his own in-game cosmetic item in the game: a pair of sunglasses. His DNB cover project Wyld Dogz, co-created with a collaborator and built around re-recorded versions of recognisable tracks, has already racked up millions of streams.<\/p>\n

Individual, eccentric, and still very much at it<\/strong> – John B is an artist with serious legacy credentials and a genuinely engaged, multi-platform audience that spans three decades of electronic music culture.<\/p>\n

AWARDS:<\/h4>\n

Drum&BassArena Awards 2022 – Critics\u2019 Choice Award
\nBreakbeat Awards 2022 – Best Digital Streamer
\nDrum & Bass Awards Germany 2021 – Best International Livestream (2nd)
\nDJ Mag Top 100 (2009) – #92 (Top DNB DJ)
\nDJ Mag Top 100 (2010) #76[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″][vc_gallery type=”metro” hover_effect=”zoomin” images=”10009,10010,10011,9994,9745,9710,9711,10016,10017,10018,10019,10020,10021,10022,10023,10024,10026,10027,10028,10029″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”” font_color=”light” background_type=”image” background_color=”black” background_img_lazyload=”1″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″][vc_column][wvc_testimonial_slider][wvc_testimonial_slide text=”\u201cJohn B personifies the more leftfield, zany side of d&b. Sporting crazy hairdos and 80s electronica-inspired eye-makeup (water\/sweatproof we hope!), his gigs have become a favourite on the trans-European and worldwide DJing circuit, not least this year, where his bookings list has skyrocketed as a result of wildfire word-of-mouth recommendations on the hedonistic circuit, as well as straight d&b nights.\u201d” name=”DJ Mag” rating=”-1″ avatar=”8930″][wvc_testimonial_slide text=”\u201cJohn B has almost single-handedly developed a drum & bass style soaked in 80s electro, rock, grunge, and trance influences and doused in tongue-in-cheek humour; and it has garnered him a fan-base few of his contemporaries could test. If you buy one drum and bass album this year, make it this, as you\u2019ll be playing it in years to come.\u201d” name=”iDJ Magazine” rating=”-1″ avatar=”8936″][\/wvc_testimonial_slider][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”” font_color=”light” background_type=”image” background_color=”black” background_img_lazyload=”1″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″][vc_column][wvc_testimonial_slider][wvc_testimonial_slide text=”“One of D&B\u2019s few genuine global super-producers\u2026 John B really is in a league of his own\u2026 Remember John B\u2019s unique contribution to the genre\u201d” name=”Mixmag” rating=”-1″ avatar=”8931″][wvc_testimonial_slide text=”\u201cBritish DJ John B helped to tear the lid off drum & bass in the mid-to-late nineties and become the Dr. Frankenstein of the genre, suturing 170bpm to anything that moves, particularly trance, liquid funk, and Eighties-style synth pop.\u201d” name=”Miami New Times” rating=”-1″ avatar=”8932″][\/wvc_testimonial_slider][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”” background_type=”image” background_color=”black” background_img_lazyload=”1″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″][vc_column][vc_button title=”DOWNLOAD PRESS KIT (2014)” size=”lg” font_weight=”700″ link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.john-b.com%2FPress%2FJohnBPressPack2014_LowRes.pdf|target:_blank”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”” font_color=”light” background_type=”image” background_color=”black” background_img_lazyload=”1″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

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JOHN B OLD BIOGRAPHY (Last Updated 2015)<\/h2>\n

Part man, part machine, part #airportninja\u2026 ALL original.<\/p>\n

DJ, producer and multiple label owner: John B is one of electronic music\u2019s most distinctive, creative and consistent contributors. Splicing genre DNA like a modern mad scientist, touring all corners like a D&B missionary; with a sound as sharp as his wardrobe and a vision as defined as his eyeliner, he\u2019s ensured he\u2019s remained a relevant, in-demand and influential source for almost 20 years and has developed one of the most loyal international fanbases in the scene.<\/p>\n

The highest ever charting D&B DJ in the DJ Mag Top 100, John has found favour from all sides; from championing Mixmag\u2019s groundbreaking Trance & Bass mix CD to being responsible for one of Metalheadz most enduring, timeless classics \u2018Up All Night\u2019, John unites scenes and sub genres like no other. A high profile touring machine, he\u2019s drum & bass\u2019s most characterful international ambassador, notching dancefloor bedposts everywhere from Moscow to Manhattan, Manchester to Melbourne, Los Angeles to London. Freshly signed to Evolution artist agency<\/a> \u2013 home of the most respected drum & bass talents \u2013 this global representation has just gone next level.<\/p>\n

The list of his creative accomplishments is endless: As a label owner, he\u2019s responsible for signing early releases from an impressive roll-call of well-known artists to his labels Beta Recordings and Nu-Electro: Nu:Tone, Logistics, Commix, Xilent, High Rankin, Gemini, Receptor, Dexcell and Camo & Krooked have all enjoyed John\u2019s support in the past while exciting new artists such as Gmorozov, Virtue and Vice City have all experienced the Beta treatment in the last 12 months and have plenty more in store in the near future. John has also developed a cult following on his food blog ‘Cooking With John B<\/a>‘ and grows his own vegetables<\/a> including voicebox-melting Trinidad Scorpion Moruga chillies.<\/p>\n

The real heat, though, is in his beats: John has released on hugely influential labels such as Goldie\u2019s Metalheadz and Paul Oakenfold\u2019s Perfecto. His skills have also been identified by Nicky Minaj who recruited John for co-production duties on her hit single \u2018Here I Am\u2019. He\u2019s also remixed artists as disparate as Howard Jones to Pendulum via Bloc Party, Michael Cassette and My Robot Friend.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile as a selector he can conjure up the deepest, darkest classic sets, the most forward-thinking futuristic free-for-alls\u2026 And everything in between. No stranger to electro, Latin, punk, techno or jungle, his hugely popular podcasts reflect his rich understanding of the widest picture. Destination johnbpodcast.com<\/a>: each show regularly exceeds 100,000 downloads and frequently hit the number one spot on Mixcloud and iTunes podcast charts top 10. For 18 months he also blasted his broadcasting experience to over 130 cities across Russia with a weekly show on Radio Record.<\/p>\n

Naturally his wide range of reference points and his passion for all styles are also represented in John B productions. Flex right back to his scene-shattering steppers on SS\u2019s scene-defining imprints Formation Records and New Identity Recordings, Grooverider’s Prototype Recordings & Fabio’s Creative Source in the mid-90s: while his peers pushed samplers to their very limits, John was exploring synthesis in a manner that was a decade ahead of its time.<\/p>\n

An early adopter of digital and online social culture, John was also way ahead of the rest with his media missions; his website www.john-b.com<\/a> harboured all manner of freebies and behind-the-scenes treats long before the word \u2018content\u2019 became a buzzword, he was blogging before it was known as blogging and his sharp social dialogue has scored a loyal engaged fanbase who appreciate his wry take on life\u2026 Including a rare moment of EDM satire when he hoodwinked us all that Eric Prydz was suing the world via his ‘Bazzfeed<\/a>‘ site.<\/p>\n

Back to the future; his 2012 studio album \u2018Light Speed\u2019 was album of the month in Mixmag and described by DJ Mag as a \u2018suitably bananas soundtrack the maddest weekend ever\u2019, while 2014\u2019s \u2018Drum & Bass Carnival<\/a>\u2019 showcased John\u2019s hot blooded Latin licks as he revisited the sun-kissed side of his repertoire and provided two brand new party-startling productions; the yearning soul of \u2018Take Me To La Cinta\u2019 and the Darrison-fronted bass bubbler \u2018A Man Is Just A Man\u2019 were heartfelt homages to Sardinia\u2019s scene Mecca – Sun & Bass. One of the festival\u2019s most consistently memorable performers, he regularly plays several sets across the week, including a grand finale in San Teodoro’s Town Square in 2014. Another pivotal John B release in 2014 was \u2018Drum & Bass 2014: Summer Sessions<\/a>\u2019\u2026 Digging deep into the Beta vaults, he reminded us just how era-bounding his own label and production discography really is.<\/p>\n

2015 saw his debut album \u2018Visions\u2019 enjoy the same deluxe, remastered and remixed re-release treatment applied to his \u2018Light Speed<\/a>\u2019 album in 2014. Yet more evidence of how he has remained at the forefront of all corners, behind his trademark robot shades, he\u2019s looked dead into the future and explored sounds long before they\u2019re adopted by the wider community. Both revisits will set the scene for a slew of new material, including a return to Metalheadz with a new remix of \u2018Up All Night\u2019 and the outrageously dark \u2018The Colossus\u2019. Already causing a stir amongst those lucky enough to have the dubplate, \u2018The Colossus\u2019 is a 10 minute epic that takes us right back to the icy techstep source\u2026 Where John\u2019s roots are deeply entrenched.<\/p>\n

Other key releases in 2015 include a collaboration with DJ Fresh, a long-awaited follow up to 2002\u2019s \u2018Trance & Bass\u2019 mix, brand new Beta single \u2018Damages\u2019 with one of electronic music\u2019s most versatile vocalists Shaz Sparks, a speaker-melting remix of Seba & Kirsty Hawkshaw\u2019s \u2018Nothing Can Divide Us\u2019 and plenty more. All this and <\/em>one of the most gruelling tour schedules in drum & bass in which John will trounce crowds across America, Russia, Australia, Europe and beyond.<\/p>\n

Style-splicing, territory-tearing and still<\/em> the sharpest looking character in the scene, John B is more inspired and invested in work than ever before. Distinctive, creative and consistent, be prepared to experience his influence and impact on all corners of electronic music for a long time to come.<\/p>\n

Quotes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“One of D&B’s few genuine global super-producers… John B really is in a league of his own… Remember John B’s unique contribution to the genre”.<\/em><\/p>\n

-Mixmag<\/p>\n

“John B personifies the more leftfield, zany side of d&b. Sporting crazy hairdos and 80s electronica-inspired eye-makeup (water\/sweatproof we hope!), his gigs have become a favourite on the trans-European and worldwide DJing circuit, not least this year, where his bookings list has skyrocketed as a result of wildfire word-of-mouth recommendations on the hedonistic circuit, as well as straight d&b nights.”<\/em><\/p>\n

-DJ Mag<\/p>\n

“British DJ John B helped to tear the lid off drum &\u00a0bass in the mid-to-late nineties and become the Dr. Frankenstein of the genre, suturing 170bpm to anything that moves, particularly trance, liquid funk, and Eighties-style synth pop.”<\/em><\/p>\n

-Miami New Times<\/p>\n

“John B has almost single-handedly developed a drum & bass style soaked in 80s electro, rock, grunge, and trance influences and doused in tongue-in-cheek humour; and it has garnered him a fan-base few of his contemporaries could test. \u00a0If you buy one drum and bass album this year, make it this, as you’ll be playing it in years to come.”\u009d<\/em><\/p>\n

-iDJ Magazine<\/p>\n

“Think 80s, Speak and Spell, He-man and She-ra, and the gay bar in Police Academy and then you have an idea of where this is coming from. \u00a0In a nutshell this is porn-banging, nut grabbing genre-smashing electro overdosing shenanigans for catwalk models and porn stars alike. Enjoy!”\u009d<\/em><\/p>\n

-M8 magazine<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE<\/a> for John B DJ Booking Contact Info<\/p>\n

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[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row equal_height=”” css_animation=”zoom-in” font_color=”light” background_type=”image” background_color=”black” background_img=”8919″ background_size=”contain” background_img_lazyload=”1″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″][vc_column content_placement=”top” text_alignment=”left” shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″][vc_column_text] JOHN B BIOGRAPHY John B is one of Drum & Bass’s most distinctive and enduring figures – a producer, DJ, label owner, Twitch streamer, and genuine original who has spent nearly three decades at the sharp end of the…<\/p>\n

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