Bass Jam review

Ben Hobson got his bass fix from Low Steppa, Amine Edge & Dance and Katy B at the first ever Bass Jam event in Bolton.

Becca Frankland

Last updated: 4th Mar 2016

Image credit: Os Photography

Bass flavoured house music has been hugely prevalent on UK dancefloors over the past couple of years. Whole festival arenas are dedicated to it, line ups are curated around the genre and standalone events continue to shape the scene - Bass Jam being one of them.

The appropriately named event welcomed an array of house, garage and bass favourites to Bolton's Macron Stadium, as crossover artists worked to ensure this launch made its mark on ravers in the North.

Amine Edge & Dance’s near two-hour set embraced a crowd of many who had come particularly to see them. The duo worked through their signature wobbly basslines and glitchy percussion and set the bar for the night ahead. 

The upcoming prodigy that is Low Steppa once again demonstrated to critiques that he is here to stay. His set was awash with heavy bass beats and a high-hat symbol. His new song ‘Runnin’ (below) was the feel-good finale we all craved as his set drew to a close.

Despite only performing for 20 minutes, Katy B gave Bass Jam an edge. She's one of the few artists that managed to bring bass to the mainstream before this recent resurgence. With a new album on the horizon and collaborations with electronic geniuses confirmed, she's more in demand than ever. A fact which was highlighted by the mass sing (scream)-a-long to her number one 'Turn The Music Louder'.

Cause & Affect was next to take over the suite. He picked up the pace with speedy garage and rumbling bass. A mix of underground house and no-nonsense bass shaped his set, it was a furious showcase of skill and substance.

The night transcended everything that is good about the bass house scene currently. From comebacks from stalwart artists like Katy B, to acts that continue to shape genre like Low Steppa, there's a lot of it on offer, and events like Bass Jam make it more accessible than ever. 

Love bass? Check out Skiddle Mix 093 - Low Steppa