FLash back .. Metalheadz vs Exit records on this day 11 years ago!

Eleven years ago last week, Exit records and Metalheadz came together for a night that captured everything essential about that era of drum & bass. Two labels with deep roots and completely different energies — EXIT pushing the experimental, forward-leaning sound; Metalheadz carrying the raw, uncompromising legacy that shaped the foundations of the culture.

Strategy played that night alongside Dub Phizix, and captured the event on a GoPro — without realising he was documenting a piece of history. 

The lineup was the kind you simply don’t see anymore:

dBridge, Goldie, Calibre, Alix Perez, Skeptical, Halogenix, Flight, DLR, Chimpo, Storm, Lenzman, Klute, the late great Randall (RIP), and many more.

A once-in-a-generation roster — unrepeatable in today’s landscape.

2014 was a turning point for the deeper end of drum & bass: cold drums, greyscale synths, halftime pressure, and constant experimentation. The sound was mutating month by month. That same year, streaming had just been added to the UK charts — the beginning of a huge shift in how music would be measured — but nights like this were still defined by bodies in a room, labels leading their own visions, and artists pushing forward with no thought of algorithms.

Randall’s presence that night remains one of the strongest memories. A foundational figure whose influence still runs through the scene today. Rest in peace to one of the greatest to ever touch decks.

Looking back, EXIT vs Headz 2014 feels like a snapshot of a moment when two philosophies, two generations, and two worlds within DnB collided under one roof — a night that still echoes through the culture.

As Conduct grows, we’ll continue telling these stories: the nights, the lineups, the labels, the footage, the movements — the history that shaped our present.

Honour the past. Elevate the present. Build the future.

More flashbacks soon.

Conduct Magazine