Jay Bulletproof was a pioneer in the Aotearoa Drum ‘n’ Bass scene. From his first tunes with founding partner Josh Lees, through to his forays into Dubstep and beyond, Jay was a larger than life figure in the scene, and an inspiration and mentor to many of those who came after.
While recording his podcast, The History of New Zealand Drum ‘n’ Bass, Jay talked about remastering some of the earliest Bulletproof tracks, and giving them a new lease of life. Tragically, Jay died suddenly from a brain haemorrhage in September 2022, leaving behind a slew of unfinished projects, including Bulletproof Remasters.
A group of Jay’s friends have now picked up the torch, to finish this project as a tribute not only to a true d’n’b legend, but to a good mate.
To bring you Bulletproof Remasters, old hard-drives were fired up and scoured, DATs were dusted off (some unfortunately snapped), and stories were shared about the best tunes worthy of a 2023 overhaul. Selected by Bulletproof co-founder Josh Lees and remastered by Evan Short (Concord Dawn) from the original DAT tapes and WAV files, Bulletproof Remasters features 10 of the best Drum ‘n’ Bass tracks from Aotearoa’s history.
A 5-part series, two tracks will be released each month on Bandcamp Fridays, including some previously unreleased material. Each part will be exclusive to Bandcamp for two weeks before wider release. All proceeds from the sale of these releases will go directly to Jay’s son Zion.
credits
released September 1, 2023
Camouflage written and produced by Jay Monds, Josh Lees and Ed Holmes
Remastered by Evan Short
The Nephilim written and produced by Jay Monds and Josh Lees, remixed by Kemal Okan and Rob Rodgers
Remastered by Kemal Okan
Photography by Jamie Lees Photography
Jay Bulletproof mural painted by Otis Frizzell and Johnny 4Higher
supported by 17 fans who also own “Camouflage (feat. Optiv) / The Nephilim (Kemal and Rob Data remix)”
Another class piece from Break. The original was good when it hit. The Bad Company remix was next level and this one to me is a close race for best remix of this classic. This one to me has the most gnarly drop of all. Like his formula is to sneak up on you with the drop and he accomplishes that mission over and over and over again. I've been collecting Break & Silent Witness tracks when I started buying records over 20 years ago.
mrmonoxide
Kasra collaborates with a number of notable vocalists and select producers for this collection of underground drum and bass tracks. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 27, 2024