The National Science And Media Museum in England has lined up not just one, but two new exhibits that explores sound and how technologies has contributed to what we know today as drum & bass and jungle music.

The temporary exhibitions ‘Boom: Experiments in Sound' and 'Sonic: Adventures in Audio' are set to run from 23 July through to 5 December 2021, and will feature interactive exhibits that allow visitors to create audio experiences and a display of iconic musical instruments. 

exhibitions ‘Boom: Experiments in Sound' will display important instrumets such as the Fairlight CMI, Moog 900, and Oramics machines - some of the iconic synthesizers and audio workstations that DJs started out with in the 1960s. 

The ‘Sonic: Adventures in Audio’ exhibit will go further into the evolution of drum & bass, kicking off with a 360° surround-sound jungle experience called 'Drum and Bass: Time and Space’ in September.  A joystick and play button will allow visitors to interact with one of the most classic drum samples – the amen break drum sample - time stretching it to speed up or slow down with the movement of the device. Further discover the musician in you by playing a bass line solo atop the amen break, modulating the wobble speed with the joystick’s positioning.

Other highlights include a hands-on experience managing the sound levels at a concert in City Park, learn about the magic behind noise-cancelling earphones, make your own breakbeats on a synthesizer, or attempting a patching technique on a mixer. 

Doctor Who fans can look out for the corner with objects from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, which was the birthplace of the iconic Doctor Who theme song. If you’re planning on checking out the exhibition, remember to pack a pair of plug-in earphones to fully enjoy the interactive elements of the exhibition. The museum will not be providing earphones at the exhibit, although the front desk will have limited pairs for loan.

Edward Wilson-Stephens, the audio designer for the exhibition shared that, “For me, the inclusion of a jungle/drum and bass exhibit in one of the Science Museum’s British institutions marks an important development in the role of museums and other heritage sites in the preservation and dissemination of jungle/drum and bass history.”

While admission to the museum’s galleries and exhibitions are free, you still need to book a ticket to ensure entry. Tickets are available for booking online here, and you can also donate to the museum to support them when you’re there.

‘Boom: Experiments in Sound' and 'Sonic: Adventures in Audio' will run from 23 July 2021 through to 5 December 2021 at National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, England.