Speed garage

Speed garage (occasionally known as plus-8^[1]) is a genre of electronic dance music, associated with the UK garage scene, of which it is regarded as one of its subgenres.^[2]

Speed garage
Stylistic origins	Garage house jungle music
Cultural origins	Early to mid-1990s, United Kingdom and United States
Derivative forms	Bassline donk
Other topics
UK hard house

Characteristics

Speed garage features sped-up NY garage 4-to-the-floor rhythms that are combined with breakbeats.^[3] Snares are placed as over the 2nd and the 4th kickdrums, so in other places of the drum pattern.^[4] Speed garage tunes have warped, heavy basslines, influenced by jungle^[5] and reggae.^[6] Sweeping bass is typical for speed garage.^[7] It is also typical for speed garage tunes to have a breakdown.^[8] Speed garage tunes sometimes featured time-stretched vocals.^[9] As it is heavily influenced by jungle, speed garage makes heavy use of jungle and dub sound effects, such as gunshots and sirens.^[10][11]

A widely regarded pioneer of the speed garage sound is record producer, DJ and remixer Armand van Helden, whose Dark Garage remix of the Sneaker Pimps' "Spin Spin Sugar" in 1996 helped bring the style of speed garage into the mainstream arena.^[12]

Resurgence in the 2020s

In the early 2020s, speed garage experienced a notable resurgence within the UK music scene. This revival was marked by a renewed interest in the genre's distinctive basslines and energetic rhythms, leading to a fresh wave of productions and chart successes.

A pivotal moment in this revival was the release of "B.O.T.A. (Baddest of Them All)" by Interplanetary Criminal and Eliza Rose in the summer of 2022. The track, featuring a Korg M1 organ bassline characteristic of speed garage, achieved the number one spot on the UK Singles Chart, underscoring the genre's renewed popularity.^[13]

Interplanetary Criminal, a Manchester-based producer, has been instrumental in this resurgence. His work blends traditional speed garage elements with contemporary sounds, appealing to both longtime fans and new listeners. In April 2020, he released "Pride (Speed Garage Mix)", which showcased his commitment to revitalising the genre.^[14]

Collaborations have also played a significant role in the genre's revival. In November 2024, Interplanetary Criminal teamed up with Sammy Virji to release "Damager", a track that fuses speed garage with donk influences, further highlighting the genre's evolving sound.^[15]

This renewed interest in speed garage has been accompanied by a broader UK garage revival, with artists and producers drawing inspiration from the genre's classic sounds while infusing them with modern production techniques. The resurgence has been evident in clubs, festivals, and charts, indicating a vibrant and enduring appreciation for speed garage in contemporary music culture.^[16]

Notable songs/remixes

The following is a list of notable songs and official remixes which not only charted but were popular within the speed garage scene:

• "Let's Groove" (1993) – George Morel^[13]
• "Dancing for Heaven" (1995) / "Saved My Life" (1996) – Todd Edwards
• "Sugar Is Sweeter (Armand's Drum 'n' Bass Mix)" (1996) / "Spin Spin Sugar (Armand's Dark Garage Mix)"^[13] (1997) / "Digital (Armand Van Helden's Speed Garage Mix)" (1997) – Armand van Helden
• "Gunman" (1997) / "Kung-Fu" (1998) – 187 Lockdown
• "Deeper" (1997) / "God Is a DJ (Serious Danger Remix)" (1998) – Serious Danger
• "Hype Funk (Dub)" (1997) – Reach & Spin
• "RipGroove" (1997) – Double 99
• "Vol. 1 (What You Want What You Need)" (1997) – Industry Standard
• "I Refuse (What You Want)" (1997) – Somore featuring Damon Trueitt
• "Oh Boy" (1997) – The Fabulous Baker Boys
• "A London Thing" (1997) – Scott Garcia
• "Something Goin' On (Loop Da Loop Uptown / Downtown Mix)" (1997) – Loop Da Loop
• "Ripped in 2 Minutes" (1998) – A vs B
• "Superstylin'" (2001) – Groove Armada