The History of Reese Bass in Drum and Bass

The Sound That Changed Bass Music

In 1988, Kevin Saunderson released a track called “Just Want Another Chance” under his Reese Project alias on the Incognito Records label. Buried in the mix was a bass sound created from two slightly detuned saw waves on a Casio CZ-1 phase distortion synthesiser. The slight pitch difference between the oscillators created a thick, phasing texture that moved and breathed constantly.

Saunderson could not have known that this single bass sound would define an entire genre. The Reese bass, named after his alias, became the foundation of drum and bass and has influenced every genre of bass music that followed.

Detroit Origins

Kevin Saunderson was one of the Belleville Three, alongside Juan Atkins and Derrick May, the trio credited with creating Detroit techno. Working in a city that was pioneering electronic music, Saunderson blended techno’s futurism with the soulful energy of house music.

The Reese Project was a side project that allowed Saunderson to explore deeper, more bass-heavy sounds than his main techno work. “Just Want Another Chance” was a house track at heart, but the bass sound it contained was something new. The detuned oscillators created harmonic interference patterns that gave the bass an organic, living quality unlike anything that had come before.

The original Reese sound was relatively simple. Two saw waves, slightly detuned, through a low-pass filter. No complex modulation, no multi-stage distortion. The magic came from the physics of detuned oscillators, where the slight pitch difference creates constantly shifting phase relationships that produce a moving, evolving texture.

Crossing the Atlantic: The UK Takes Notice

In the early 1990s, the UK rave scene was evolving rapidly. Producers making hardcore breakbeat music were searching for heavier, darker sounds. When the Reese bass reached British producers through imported records and sample packs, it found the perfect home.

UK hardcore and jungle producers discovered that the Reese bass responded remarkably well to sampling and resampling. Each time the sound was recorded, processed through hardware effects, and recorded again, new textures and harmonics emerged. This resampling technique became central to early jungle production.

Producers like Goldie, LTJ Bukem, DJ Hype, and Andy C began using Reese bass variations in their tracks. The sound was pitched down for sub weight, filtered for movement, and distorted for aggression. What started as a single bass patch in a Detroit house track was being transformed into the foundation of a new genre.

The Birth of Drum and Bass (1993-1996)

As jungle evolved into drum and bass in the mid-1990s, the Reese bass evolved with it. The tempo increased to 170-180 BPM. The breakbeats became more complex. And the Reese bass became heavier, more processed, and more central to the sound.

Two distinct approaches to the Reese emerged during this period:

• The rolling Reese – Used in liquid and atmospheric DnB by producers like LTJ Bukem and Calibre. Warm, filtered, with subtle movement. The Reese served the musical composition rather than dominating it
• The dark Reese – Used by Ed Rush and Optical, Bad Company, and Dom and Roland. Heavier distortion, more aggressive filtering, and a menacing quality that pushed DnB into darker territory

Roni Size and Reprazent brought the Reese to mainstream attention with their 1997 Mercury Prize-winning album “New Forms.” The album demonstrated that DnB’s bass sounds could work in a musical, compositional context while maintaining their raw power.

The Neurofunk Evolution (1998-2005)

By the late 1990s, some producers felt that the Reese had been explored to its limits. The neurofunk movement, led by Ed Rush and Optical, Matrix, and Cause 4 Concern, pushed bass sound design beyond the Reese into more complex, metallic territory.

But the Reese did not disappear. Instead, it evolved. Producers began using the Reese as one layer within more complex bass arrangements. A clean Reese sub underneath aggressive neuro mid-range became a standard production technique.

Noisia took this layered approach to extreme levels. Their productions often featured meticulously crafted bass sounds that combined Reese-derived sub bass with complex mid-range textures processed through multiple distortion stages. The Reese was still there, providing the foundation, even as the sounds built on top of it became increasingly complex.

The Software Revolution (2005-2014)

The transition from hardware to software synthesisers changed how the Reese was created. Instead of sampling a hardware synth and resampling through outboard gear, producers could now build Reese basses in software and process them entirely within the DAW.

NI Massive was the first software synth widely adopted for Reese bass design. Its wavetable oscillators, flexible routing, and built-in effects made it possible to create complex Reese variations without any external processing. The sound became more refined and controllable.

This period also saw the Reese bass spread beyond DnB. Dubstep producers used heavy, distorted Reese textures in their drops. UK bass producers adopted warmer Reese tones for garage-influenced tracks. Bass house producers tightened the Reese envelope for four-on-the-floor grooves.

The Serum Revolution (2014-Present)

Serum’s release in 2014 made the Reese bass more accessible than ever. The visual wavetable editor showed producers exactly how detuned oscillators interact. The drag-and-drop modulation system made it intuitive to add filter movement and modulation. The built-in effects chain handled all processing internally.

For the first time, a bedroom producer with a laptop could create Reese bass sounds that rivalled those of established professionals. The barrier to entry dropped dramatically, and the result was an explosion of Reese-based production across every genre of electronic music.

Modern Reese bass in Serum typically uses two or more detuned saw waves with unison voices for additional thickness. Filter modulation via tempo-synced LFOs creates the rolling movement. Light distortion adds warmth and harmonic presence. The fundamentals have not changed since 1988, but the tools for implementing them have become infinitely more powerful and accessible.

The Reese Bass Family Tree

The Reese has spawned a family of related sounds, each adapted for different musical contexts:

• Classic Reese – Two detuned saw waves, low-pass filtered, minimal processing. The original sound
• Liquid Reese – Warmer filtering, slower modulation, musical character. Used in liquid DnB and deep bass music
• Dark Reese – Heavier distortion, more aggressive filtering, menacing quality. Used in dark DnB and dubstep
• Neuro Reese – Complex wavetable modulation layered on top of a Reese foundation. The bridge between Reese and neuro bass
• Garage Reese – Warmer, rounder, with wobble modulation. Used in UK garage and UK bass
• Bass house Reese – Tighter envelope, sidechain-friendly, groove-locked. Used in bass house and G-house

Why the Reese Endures

Over 35 years after its creation, the Reese bass remains one of the most widely used sounds in electronic music. Its longevity comes from several factors:

• Simplicity – The core sound is just two detuned saw waves. Anyone can create one
• Versatility – The same foundation works across DnB, dubstep, garage, bass house, and more
• Depth – Despite its simplicity, subtle changes to detuning, filtering, and processing create vastly different results
• Physical impact – The phasing harmonics create a visceral, physical quality that other bass sounds cannot replicate
• Musical character – The constant movement gives the Reese a living quality that static waveforms lack

The Reese bass will continue to evolve as new synthesis tools and processing techniques emerge. But the fundamental principle, two detuned oscillators creating phasing interference, will remain at its core. Kevin Saunderson’s accidental creation in a Detroit studio in 1988 has become one of the defining sounds of electronic music.

Create Your Own Reese

For a step-by-step guide to building a Reese bass in Serum, see our How to Make a Reese Bass in Serum tutorial. For production-ready Reese presets, explore our Reese Bass Serum Presets page or browse the full collection.