{"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":"2024-06-25T17:34:20","modified_gmt":"2024-06-25T17:34:20","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 (TwitchCon June 2024)<\/h3>\n

Hi! I’m John B – a Drum & Bass Producer & DJ, (and part-time gamer!).<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been making music since 1997<\/strong>, have released 7 albums<\/strong>, had tracks\/remixes on legendary DNB labels like Metalheadz, Prototype, Moving Shadow, Hospital Records, Spearhead, Viper & Drum & Bass Arena – also majors like Universal & Warner. Everything on my own label Beta Recordings is safe to play here on Twitch free from DMCA.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve officially remixed artists like Pendulum<\/strong>, High Contrast, Dusky, Adam F, Pharoahe Monch\/Mos Def\/Nate Dogg, DJ Fresh, Bloc Party, Howard Jones, Visage, Pythius.<\/p>\n

Nicki Minaj sampled my track ‘Red Sky’<\/strong> on her song \u2018Here I am\u2019 on her debut album \u2018Pink Friday\u2019 & has been performing it on her 2024 worldwide stadium tour.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I mostly make DNB but have also produced a bit of Trance & Electro\/Techno. A couple of those tracks featured on Paul Oakenfold\u2019s Perfecto Records<\/strong> on his compilation \u2018The Great Wall\u2019.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve toured the world extensively as a DNB DJ for the last 30 years & have performed pretty much everywhere on the circuit & have been part of Drum & Bass\u2019 development from the early days, playing everything from headlining club shows up to huge festivals, routinely touring the USA, Europe and also a lot all over Russia back in the day too. You can check my current diary on my website\u00a0HERE<\/a><\/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<\/p>\n

DJ STREAMS<\/h4>\n

My DJ sets on twitch to date have focused on DNB as I have been sticking to the TOS rules about only playing music you have the rights to – but I\u2019m a huge fan of 80s & 90s dance music & techno\/electro so am really looking forward to playing a more broad range of music as we move on now that Twitch has announced the DJ Program and full support for DJs.<\/p>\n

VODs of music streams aren\u2019t permitted on twitch for copyright reasons but I upload everything to\u00a0YouTube<\/a>\u00a0afterwards. (New sets are exclusive to YouTube \u2018Members\u2019 for 2 weeks and are then unlocked for full public access after that). Full tracklists are posted on my discord.<\/p>\n

VISUALS<\/h4>\n

I decided early on in order to stand out in a sea of DJing content on twitch it was important to elevate the visual side of the experience. Aiming to be the opposite of simple static camera shots – interesting and exciting visuals are an epic priority in my streams<\/strong>. The music side is always most important of course, but I consider that under control, given my experience lol.<\/p>\n

I went down a video-editing & OBS rabbit-hole during covid and learned all the techniques you\u2019ve seen me pioneer in the visuals I use on my DJ set (and Tarkov) streams, which also crosses over into some of my\u00a0official music videos<\/a>. I create everything you see here myself & it\u2019s all broadcast live. There\u2019s a lot of video asset preparation in advance that I do using Final Cut X & other tools with varying amounts of transparent videos layered in the \u2018scenes\u2019 you see me perform in on stream. Depending on the session there are ofter up to 50 different scenes which cycle throughout the show, or I trigger manually. They also include other long-form background VJ visuals which slot into them, with filters applied so they sit better in the overall scene. My stream PC in the loft gets quite hot lol.<\/p>\n

STUDIO PRODUCTION STREAMS<\/h4>\n

In 2023 I streamed 60 hours a month from my studio as part of a Music contract with Twitch<\/strong> – during which time I made loads of new music, discovered (and signed to my label) several exciting new artists, and had a lot of fun sharing my process with the chat, learning from their tips too!<\/p>\n

I now usually stream from the studio once a week on Wednesday afternoons – come say hi! I’m always happy answer questions.<\/p>\n

WYLD DOGZ<\/h4>\n

I\u2019m 1\/2 of a new DNB duo called\u00a0Wyld Dogz<\/a>\u00a0and sometimes work on music for this project live on my production streams. Wild Dogz output is all high energy Drum & Bass versions of big tunes you would recognise from more mainstream dance music & the 80s\/90s. When you hear our stuff you might think it\u2019s remixes\/bootlegs but we actually re-record all the vocals and \u2018samples\u2019, getting them replayed by musicians & guest vocalists! We\u2019ve already had millions of streams of some of our tracks, with lots of exciting new songs in the pipeline.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column][\/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

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

[\/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 shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″][vc_column_text] JOHN B BIOGRAPHY (TwitchCon June 2024) Hi! I’m John B – a Drum & Bass Producer & DJ, (and part-time gamer!). I\u2019ve been making music since 1997, have released 7 albums, had tracks\/remixes on legendary DNB labels like Metalheadz, Prototype, Moving…<\/p>\n

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