This year, the term "UKG" — short for "UK Garage" — is everywhere you look. For the last 12 months, the UK charts have been dominated by new school garage musicians. Even non-garage DJs are reportedly playing garage tracks more often than ever before. Furthermore, bottomless UKG brunches, which are now among of the most popular events in London, are inspired by the original '90s sound.
Known for their groovy percussion and soulful vocals, UK Garage bands continue to make the scene even more exciting. The recent release "Something For Your Soul" from British band Artful Dodger is a prime example of this genre. With a catchy chorus and a bass line that screams with emotion, the track's catchy melody has the potential to become a hit in 2021.
Whether you are a fan of UKG or two-step, you'll be able to find some killer tracks. Here are some of the best tracks of the last decade: Axis of Death by Digitalis, "Stone Cold," by DJ Noodles and El-B, and "Bobcat." The two songwriters were instrumental in pushing UK garage into the direction of dubstep.
The biggest breakthrough in UK garage came with "Heartbroken" by Lovestation in 2007. This UK garage hit reached the number 2 spot in the UK singles chart, catapulting the genre to the mainstream. The track was a reimagining of UK street soul. The chorus oozed summery vibes, while the underlying rhythm was a tense and intense mix of electronic instruments. In addition, "Straight from the Heart" by Doolally made a huge splash on the white label in 1999.
Wookie's "Battle" influenced the future of UK garage. Its lyrics reference the Soul II Soul collective, which is another influential group in the UK garage scene. The Soul II Soul label dominated the genre for years, and the UK garage sound has become an integral part of the country's sound. 'Troublesome' by Shy Cookie and DJ Luck merged non-sampled 2-step beats with full ragga vocals, a fusion that shaped the genre's sound.
Another incredible UK Garage breakthrough is ‘Baby Cakes’, a bubblegum-flavoured version on the 2-step sound that appeared out of the blue and reached the top of the UK music charts in 2004. In fact, the text of the song was written in 1998 and the name was inspired by the American romantic movie ‘Baby Cakes’ released back in 1989. The song challenged UK Garage trends with its seductively lovely melody and a lyric that combined uncertainty, passion, and teenage disobedience. There have been numerous covers and remixes of ‘Baby Cakes’ since 2004, the latest one being FR!ZZY - Babycakes (Bassline Remix). We can call this song a timeless UK garage classic, as it is still popular among UKG fans worldwide.
The UK garage scene has roots in Chicago and New Jersey, and it has evolved into a genre that is more commercial than its American counterpart. Its producers often focus on sparse and distorted percussion in UK garage, and the sound is reminiscent of pirate radio. Despite the name, UK garage has been a staple of the underground scene for the past 15 years. And its popularity continues to grow as the genre develops.