Pinks & CLARKUS

Back to Bass is a queer Drum & Bass documentary about universal themes: fearlessly being yourself, trying something new, and going against the status quo.

Picture a Drum and Bass DJ

Do you picture a gorgeous drag queen, contoured-up and bound in latex and leather, skanking behind the decks in ten-inch heels?

Well, Nathan X, the UK’s first drag queen Drum & Bass DJ, and founder of the pioneering queer Drum & Bass movement, Unorthodox, is working hard to make sure you do.

It’s a documentary set in London following the lives of Unorthodox DJs; Nathan X; Pinks & Clarkus; drag performer Ash Kenazi; DJ Xīlhu Ayebaitari (founder of Queer Rave Soundsystem); and the legendary MC Chickaboo, the first Jungle/DnB female MC and EQ50 mentor, as they ambitiously prepare for their premiere event post-pandemic.

The film fuses history of the Drum & Bass genre to the present day, marking the beginnings of a movement in response to the collective’s own experience of homophobia from the electronic music sub-genre. As Nathan X puts it “Drum & Bass is a way of life but so is being queer. It’s a shame people feel they have to segregate those”. Unorthodox are determined to make the high energy music genre a space for everyone and bring it back to its queer roots - a part of history normally untold - until now. A stand-out piece of advice from the scene? MC Chickaboo says, “You gotta learn the game in order to change it. Then when you can’t change it, scrap the whole game and do your own”.

As much as the film unpacks issues of homophobia and toxic masculinity in the music industry and Drum & Bass scene, it’s also a joyous, inspiring and uplifting story of collective action on a grassroots level, and this campaign is designed to support just that.

All profits raised will go towards the post-production of the film - specifically for the colour-grade, sound mix and use of archive footage - in order to get onto the festival circuit and make its way to a screen near you.

If you’re a fan of Drum & Bass, of music in general, a queer person or ally, a supporter of independent creativity, a dreamer, a believer in the pursuit of creative freedom, or you simply love a cool, limited edition, cotton tee, then you can support the campaign by purchasing a t-shirt or sharing information about this collaboration.

Find out more about the documentary here:

https://www.emilybadescu.com/backtobass

Back to Bass is set to premiere towards the end of 2023. To get in touch with the team, please email backtobassdoc@gmail.com

Graphic Design: Amy Cordell https://www.amycordell.com/

Creative Advisor: Alex Badescu