Blu Mar Ten: Drum and Bass Biography, Releases and Upcoming Events

Blu Mar Ten, formed in London in 1995, is a drum and bass duo comprising Chris Marigold and Michael Tognarelli. They began their musical journey with the release of The Fountain / Lunar in 1996 on Way Out Records, a track that garnered significant attention and was named Fabio's 'tune of the year'. This early success led to a long-term partnership with LTJ Bukem's Good Looking Records, where they contributed to compilations such as Logical Progression, Earth, and Progression Sessions, and released a dedicated artist EP and compilation LP under the label.

In 2001, Blu Mar Ten parted ways with Good Looking Records and expanded their musical repertoire by producing breaks for Rennie Pilgrem's label TCR, 2-step garage for Lime, tech-house for Guidance Recordings, and left-field downbeat for The Big Chill, Exceptional Records, and Naked Music. They also remixed tracks for artists like Erykah Badu, Terry Lee Brown Junior, Joey Negro, The Ananda Project, and Annie Lennox.

Their debut album, The Six Million Names of God, released in September 2003 on Exceptional Records, marked a shift towards downbeat music, featuring collaborations with Blame, Nor Elle, and Fink. In 2004, Michael Tognarelli joined the duo, and they returned to producing drum and bass with releases on labels such as Hospital Records, Phuzion Records, Shogun Audio, Basement Recordings, Tangent Recordings, Renegade Hardware, and Vibez Recordings.

In September 2007, Blu Mar Ten released Black Water, an album featuring vocal tracks with guests Alexis Strum, Kameel, and Ern. Over the years, they have continued to evolve their sound, releasing albums like Empire State in 2016, which was described as one of their strongest statements to date. Their work has been instrumental in shaping the drum and bass genre, and they have also introduced artists such as Kimyan Law, Frederic Robinson, Stray, and Conduct through their Blu Mar Ten Music imprint.