Cern, originally a duo consisting of Ollie Macky and the late Jonny Beck, is a cornerstone of the New Zealand drum and bass scene with a significant global footprint. Emerging from the Auckland underground in the early 2000s, their sound evolved from early funk-influenced breaks into a sophisticated blend of techstep and neurofunk.
Their discography is a map of the genre's most respected labels, including Renegade Hardware, Critical, and Samurai Music. Following the tragic passing of Jonny Beck, Ollie Macky has continued the project, maintaining a reputation for high-fidelity production and a dark, cinematic aesthetic. Cern's work is characterized by intricate percussion programming, heavy use of Reese bass modulation, and a distinct 'industrial' atmosphere that aligns them with peers like Phace and Optiv. They are critically regarded as bridge-builders between the aggressive European tech-sound and the more atmospheric, soul-inflected traditions of the Southern Hemisphere D&B movement.
Shares drum and bass, downtempo (subgenres); instrumental_only, processed, whispered (vocal style)
Shares drum and bass, downtempo (subgenres); digital_clarity, noise_textured, layered_dense (production style)
Shares drum and bass, downtempo, darkwave (subgenres); digital_clarity, layered_dense, compressed_loud (production style)
Shares drum and bass, darkwave (subgenres); urban_night, basement_show, fog (atmosphere)
Shares drum and bass, darkwave (subgenres); digital_clarity, noise_textured, layered_dense (production style)
Shares drum and bass, downtempo (subgenres); tense, restless, mysterious (moods)
Shares tense, restless, mysterious (moods); drum and bass (subgenres)
Shares drum and bass, darkwave (subgenres); digital_clarity, noise_textured, layered_dense (production style)
Shares drum and bass, darkwave (subgenres); urban_night, basement_show, fog (atmosphere)
Shares drum and bass, downtempo (subgenres); digital_clarity, layered_dense, compressed_loud (production style)
Shares industrial machine hums, metallic snare snap, techstep, metallic (detail)
Shares techstep, metallic, drum and bass, tense (signature)
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