London, UK · halftime · bass

Ivy Lab

2 upcoming festivals

The trio who effectively invented halftime — drum and bass slowed to a swaggering crawl, sound design that rewards headphones and necks alike.

Ivy Lab formed in London in 2013, emerging from the city's drum and bass scene before moving away from it. The project became closely associated with halftime, a style that keeps the rolling breakbeat detail and low-end weight of drum and bass while letting the drums fall at half the expected rate, producing something closer in feel to trap or instrumental hip hop. Their productions lean on intricate sound design, heavy sub-bass and a loose, swung sense of rhythm rather than straightforward momentum. Alongside their own releases, the group runs the 20/20 label, which has helped define the wider halftime and experimental bass field.

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