By: Anand Harsh

We've been heralding the return of drum and bass to its once dominant form for some time now. And frankly, we blame halftime for distracting and deflecting d&b's return to prominence in 2017, but also, the popularity of the subgenre did lead to some incredible output, so we're not super mad.

A certain oddball producer from Denmark is picking up the mantle and bringing the once dormant electronic style—not only into the present day conversation—but to America, as well. Long denigrated to the dust pile in the States, though it flourished in Europe and Canada with acts like NOISIA, Andy C, Calyx & Teebee, the irreverent Dane Alexander Skjold is using drum and bass, halftime, hip-hop, and wholly uncategorizable tunes to reintroduce the American populace to the forgotten dark arts.

Shield has been accruing a healthy arsenal of cutting edge tunes on underground labels. The buzz has built through his wacky live streams and high-powered sets. It's long been pooh pooh'd in U.S. festival culture to lean into drum and bass in building out a festival, but then again, Lucidity isn't an ordinary festival.

A bastion of hippiedom in southern California, the boutique electronic music festival has sold out each year for nearly a decade despite holding the same dates as Coachella's first weekend less than 250 miles away. Booking out a lineup that complements Skjold's contemporary take on drum and bass, the more mature roster will serve audiences who remember the good ol' days, and will invite in younger fans who may be exposed to the sound for the first time.

What's most important about Shield is that he's not pigeonholed strictly into the D&B box. His eclectic taste and eccentric production aesthetic make him a chameleonic force in the industry able to change and adapt with the times. But if he's going to slip in some classic drum & bass on unsuspecting audiences, well then we're going to continue to root him on.