Five Tracks: "Shadow Boxing" Edition

Without a doubt, one of the biggest and most important tunes in the drum & bass scene is Nasty Habits' "Shadow Boxing." One of the largest movements within the dnb scene was the shift towards darker sounds, and this tune (which was created by Doc Scott under his now-famous aka) helped many fully realize what the darker, more sinister vibes in dnb could bring forth. With that said, there are always remixes done for classic material, and "Shadow Boxing" is no different. With the recent release of Om Unit's "Shadow Boxing" remix, we figured now was as good a time as any to collect the five versions of "Shadow Boxing" that have been released. So, here you go: Five Tracks, the "Shadow Boxing" Edition.

This is the original; released in 1996 on Doc Scott's 31 Recordings, this helped establish the darkside of the dnb scene. I hesitate in calling it simple; it's just that this tune doesn't need much but a sinister vibe, some deep bass, and hypnotic drums. No need to clutter up the mood.

For Doc Scott's remix of his classic, he punches up the drums, making them knock much harder while adding some amen fills in for good measure. The melody feels the same, but is timed a bit different. You get more of the original in the second half, but the drums hit so hard it doesn't feel the same.

This was an...interesting rework. No diss to Jonny L, but we wonder if Jonny circa 1998 would've done the same remix that Jonny circa 2004 would have. It feels like a good faith rework in an attempt to update the tune, but everything ends up dronning together. Nostalgia might get some ravers on the floor, but something just didn't click, for me.

BMT had the opportunity to revisit this tune, and it dropped a decade after the original's release. They stayed more true to the original, while punching it up with a number of alternating breakbeats. It's dope to hear that the atmosphere of the original is still there, while things are given a more fleshed-out feel. It's almost like a number of those 'Headz-era scifi vibes were thrown into this one for a proper homage to the sound as a whole.

Some eight years after the BMT rework, things definitely changed in the drum & bass / jungle landscape, but "Shadow Boxing" still remains a classic. If we had a wish list of producers who we'd want to have update this tune, Om Unit would be at the top of that pile. Instead of trying to muddy the tune up, he took a different approach, giving us a "halftime" beat underneath it while letting the original melody breathe. Even when he throws some dnb into it during the second half, it's still kind of subtle, and maintains the original's vibe. Perfection.