Junk Mail: “The Culture Around Drum & Bass is Special”

UK DJ and producer Junk Mail swung by to chat about his love for drum and bass, share his thoughts on where it’s heading, and more.

Drum and bass artist Junk Mail, real name Stefan Anfield, has left a lasting impression on the scene since making his break. Driven by the sounds of the genre after falling in love with it in high school, he’s since gone on to make quite a splash in the community. Early releases arrived on RAM Records in 2010 under the Mind Vortex project alongside Laurie Carroll, which would run for eight years. Then, in 2019, he shifted gears to his solo work as Junk Mail, returning to the label for a string of massive releases.

Recent years have seen Junk Mail take his talents to other labels such as Titan Records, and more lately, R.O.A.M Recordings. In 2024, he dropped “Archive” on the imprint and has since delivered two more incredible singles, “Two In One” and “Best Genre In The World,” the latter of which arrived just days ago. The stars aligned after the release of his latest track, and it was the perfect timing to sit down with Junk Mail for a chat, which began by exploring why he feels that drum and bass is, in fact, the best genre in the world.

The whole culture around drum and bass is so special within the dance music scene, and I have felt very lucky to be a part of it for so long. There is a certain magic when people come together through music, and this scene has grown so much, which has shown how strong this sound is. I’ve been able to travel the world and share my sound with the DnB masses, and that’s something very special.
Junk Mail

The growth of drum and bass worldwide has been impressive, but the genre’s continued dominance in the UK has only helped it flourish. Junk Mail called it “very humbling” that he resides in the country that helped push the style years ago. “Seeing all the varieties of DnB start here and spread across the world is epic,” he said. “Nearly every major event you see now within the UK will be playing drum and bass, and that’s so exciting to see. It invigorates your creative juices!”

[The UK drum and bass scene] can only get bigger from what I can see. Seeing such a massive DnB presence at major festivals, shows, and on radio stations shows how much of a staple this music is within the UK music culture. People are really attracted to its vibe, and with the diversity of listeners, this scene can only get stronger.
Junk Mail

As an artist who has been involved in the scene for years, Junk Mail’s vision has changed with time, even if only slightly. He stated that there’s a significantly greater scope as a producer and DJ to experiment with ideas, and that elements have evolved over the years. “Vocals have become a much more important part of DnB compared to how it was when I started, which has opened up a whole new area of musical ideas,” he said. “The crowds really love something to sing along to, vocals or riffs. Mix that with a lovely blend of heavy basslines, and you’ve got untold possibilities to show more creative music. Anything is possible now.”

In the closing moments of the chat, EDM Identity asked Junk Mail about other artists he’s been tuned to lately. “There are so many today I love hearing music from,” he said before diving into his top three.

The first was SOTA, with him remarking, “He has a very unique take on DnB, which always excites me. His production is always super clean, yet still retains the energy.” The second was Circadian, who he claimed to be a long-time fan of ever since he was part of The Prototypes. “He has gone on to show he still has a lot more to showcase. Always great to see him out on the road and always look forward to what he’s got coming up next,” Junk Mail shared. Rounding out the list was FMS, who he said has blown him away with his mixing skills. “[FMS has] taken the art of DJing to a new level, and he can only get better from here.”

Before he left, Junk Mail dropped off a mix that’s filled to the brim with quality drum and bass tunes. So give that a spin on SoundCloud and stay tuned for more by following his social media channels.

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