Budapest’s thriving drum ‘n’ bass scene is energising the city’s youth culture

Arzenál, one of Budapest’s forerunning clubs for bass music housed inside a historic 110-year-old building and former gun factory, is leading the charge for drum ‘n’ bass events in the Hungarian capital today. Andrew Csokán, the venue’s owner, has noticed a movement in music trends since the venue’s launch five years ago. “As I observed the shifting trends — and personally rediscovered my love for bass music — I decided to revive our Otherside brand and start organising major bass music events,” he says. “We’d always had smaller drum ‘n’ bass and dubstep shows in Arzenál with several different crews, and we teamed up with those promoters to create something bigger and more exciting, uniting both the old and new generation of the scene. It turned out to be a fantastic decision.”

Today, Arzenál is keeping the younger generation’s interest in dance music piqued, with the past year alone seeing some of their “best and busiest events” to date. Otherside, a series of events launched by Csokán in 2010, was the first to bring dubstep to Hungary. “It was incredible to see many people who were with us in 2010 return,” he tells Mixmag. “The amount of love we received was overwhelming, and for me, it was utterly surprising to witness, especially after a decade-long hiatus, how strongly people are still connected to this brand. I was also thrilled to see a mix of both young and old drum ‘n’ bass fans on the dancefloor, along with some of our regular techno crowd. This created a healthy, diverse atmosphere — the perfect recipe for an unforgettable show.”

With its fast-growing scene in Budapest today, drum ‘n’ bass has a hand in bringing the city’s young creatives together and stimulating youth culture. It’s so all-consuming, in fact, that it’s outgrown its demand, Bug explains. “We need more venues, because we have very few drum ‘n’ bass-focused clubs for a lot of fans,” she says. “Summer is great because we can go to open-air spaces, but club season is somewhat of a feasting ground since these crews have to fight for venues”. Gergo, who helps to run Budapest-based drum ‘n’ bass and jungle event RIGHT TIME spotlighting UK-centric sounds, also feels the impact of such demand.

“I truly believe that over the past five to 10 years, the scene has started to evolve into a better, friendlier, and less toxic version of itself,” he says. “The Tribe crew and Bug are great examples of this shift, as they’re genuinely focused on building a community rather than just treating it as a business. The emergence of new promoters has created a competitive environment,” Gergo explains. “While I understand it’s a complicated task, I’d love to see promoters not only catering to the mainstream, jump-up, neuro, and dancefloor needs but also leading the way by highlighting the more underground sides of the genre. Inviting exciting talents who are truly pushing the sound forward or beautifully showcasing its roots could make a big difference.”

Through new projects and community events in Budapest, the time for revolution in the drum ‘n’ bass scene is now. Club nights like RIGHT TIME, which acknowledges the genre’s Black roots and the oft-forgotten legacy of MCs, as well as long-running and weight-bearing events like Bladerunnaz, all make the city’s flourishing scene what it is today. In recent years, stations like Lahmacun radio have arrived onto the scene to expand the city’s electronic music offering and continue to inspire new generations. They will explore the topic of How to cultivate a non-profit music community through radio in-depth at the forthcoming Burn Energy Tour workshop, featuring founder Peter Bokor in conversation with BBC Radio 1 presenter Charlie Tee. Other community-driven events are spearheading change, like Niteflexx – of which Bug is a part – with its family-friendly events and drum ‘n’ bass bike rides through Budapest, bringing a new vision for the future of the scene.

“There are a lot of young DJs in the new generation who are just starting to spread their wings, and they need recognition, which is why I started my radio show,” says Bug. “Promoters should prioritise them, and encourage community building. I believe in a future where everybody can work together peacefully, and where we can give people incredible experiences while keeping the culture alive.”

Bug and Shaymi will perform on the first stop of Burn Energy and Mixmag’s Burn Energy Tour this month, bringing some of the biggest names in dance music, including Honey Dijon, Nia Archives, 999999999, KI/KI and Hedex, to energise local scenes, and give back to music communities, artists, and fans.

On Friday, September 13, the tour will descend on Budapest club Arzenál for a one-off show with an all-star line-up, headlined by UK drum ’n’ bass star Hedex alongside Charlie Tee, Latte, Shaymi, and Bug. Grab your tickets here.

Also on Friday, September 13, Burn Energy Tour is bringing together the Lahmacun radio, an independent, community and culture-first online station from Budapest, and UK-based DJ And BBC 1 Radio host radio presenter Charlie Tee for a practical workshop and talk on how to build a community through radio. The discussion will be joined by Peter Bokor, founder and board member of Lahmacun radio, and it will be moderated by Bettina Bence, a board member and head of communication of Lahmacun. Grab your tickets here.