Makoto, Gabriella Bongo, PVC and Blocksberg Bring The ‘Better Days’

Drum & bass collaborations don’t get as diverse as the one Hospital Records has served up with their latest release.

Hospital Records have been on a sensational run of releases as the label continues to celebrate three decades of shaping, championing, and evolving the genre they have helped turn global. The label’s ambitious ‘Hospital30’ series has served as both a victory lap and a forward-looking showcase, bringing together iconic stalwarts from the label alongside an influx of groundbreaking new talent.

Across the series, we’ve seen the likes of Lens, S.P.Y, Nu:Tone, Fred V, Grafix, Cyantific, Degs, Zero T and a host of other names contribute to a celebration that has taken us on an expansive journey across the entire spectrum of the genre, proving that the house that London Elektricity and Chris Goss built is as vibrant and essential as ever.

But among the collaborations featured throughout Hospital30, one particular meeting of minds has caught our attention: Makoto, Gabriella Bongo, PVC and Blocksberg’s ‘Better Days.’ On paper, the collaboration already feels intriguing if you are a drum & bass regular. But in practice, it is one of the most distinctive and musically compelling moments of the series.

Let’s start with Makoto. The Japanese drum & bass pioneer has spent more than two decades championing the soulful side of the genre, and developed a sound that is groovy and jazzy, with an instinctive understanding of melody. His contribution to drum & bass has always extended beyond simply producing great tunes. Throughout his career, Makoto has helped demonstrate just how much emotional depth and musicality the genre can accommodate.

Then there are Gabriella Bongo and PVC, two rising talents whose productions and vocal work have quickly positioned them as one of the names to watch within the scene. Alongside them is Blocksberg, one of the most compelling voices in drum & bass, who brings her distinct vocal identity to the tune by adding the emotional dimension that ultimately gives ‘Better Days’ its character.

What makes the collaboration even more special, however, is the story behind it. The four artists represent three different countries and very different corners of the drum & bass community, yet they came together to work on a tune that feels remarkably cohesive and created a writing camp in Romania. The unconventionality is exactly why the camp was set up, and ‘Better Days’ feels like the perfect result of that philosophy.

Musically, the track sits firmly in the soulful and liquid side of drum & bass, but there is considerably more going on beneath its glittery surface. Makoto and Gabriella Bongo build the production around a warm, melodic foundation, with rolling drums and a deep bassline leading the movement. The chord progression carries the uplifting quality and gives a sense of optimism that contrasts beautifully with the darker weight sitting underneath the track. It is soulful without becoming overly sentimental, melodic without losing the physicality of drum & bass, and deep without sacrificing its sense of warmth.

Ultimately, ‘Better Days’ serves as a microcosm of everything that makes drum & bass so unique as a global movement. A Japanese pioneer, emerging artists and vocalists from different backgrounds meeting at a creative camp in Romania and producing something that sounds completely natural is a pretty perfect example of that.

A genre built on collaboration, community and the constant exchange of ideas, drum & bass’ history has always been shaped by artists borrowing from one another, producers crossing borders, scenes connecting across continents and unexpected combinations producing something entirely new.

And after 30 years, Hospital Records understands that better than most.

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