This Nørrebro-based duo have managed to make a name for themselves thanks to their reckless performances and a savage mix of drum ‘n’ bass and dubstep. So if you want a bass rave of epic dimensions, this is the perfect occasion.
The band, which is comprised of Daniel Vognstrup on bass and electronics and August Dyrborg on drums, have achieved quite a lot in their three years on the national music scene. In 2011, the duo played at several Danish festivals including Spot, Distortion and Roskilde, which gave them quite the reputation for gripping the audience with their mix of slow and gloomy dubstep-inspired tracks as well as their more energetic and dance-friendly, drum ‘n’ bass inspired ones.
Their name, Bottled in England, comes from a mutual love of gin, and is directly inspired by the old Beefeater bottles, which bore the ‘Bottled in England’ label. The name fits, as the former British underground genres of drum ‘n’ bass and dubstep are here repackaged in a new and different way. Some might even say the band is a bit atypical in their composition of a drummer and a bass player. This flies in the face of convention, as the other big names within the genre, like Magnetic Man, tend to use computer-generated drum beats. That Bottled in England have live drums gives their performances a very energetic vibe.
The drummer, Dyrborg, is known to be tireless behind the kit, which he aggressively beats like a machine, something he learned from his drum instructor Anders Meihlhaardt, who used to play for the first Danish drum ‘n’ bass band ‘F.U.K.T.’. The other band member, Vognstrup, plays a deep wobble bass that’s sometimes combined with a few melodic lines, creating a more nuanced expression. Together they always manage to grip the audience with their particularly raw and vicious expression and their somewhat dirty and noisy tunes. Vognstrup is also known to stir up the audience by screaming along with the music.
The audience aren’t the only ones to find the duo thrilling; critics have also been enthusiastic about the group. Music magazine Gaffa’s critic, Lene Wagner Munk-Petersen, said that “together, August Dyrborg’s intense drumming and Daniel Vognstrup’s recklessness – he appeared in wellies, green shorts and one tooth short – create a mood that makes you want to scream along, sweat along and spit along” after their performance at the Newbees Festival in Aarhus.
If you want to get a good impression of what to expect at one of their concerts, check out the video for the single ‘Change’. It shows six young people breaking things and beating each other up and definitely gives a good impression of the vicious side of the band’s music.
So don’t miss the chance to “sweat and scream along” to this savage act.
Bottled in England
Rust; Fri 01:00; Tickets: 80kr
