Twist ‘n’ Shout

Depending on whom you listen to, the electronic music known as drum ‘n’ bass is one of the following:

(A) The next big thing;

(B) Has already peaked;

(C) The new punk rock;

(D) All of the above.

You can’t really listen to the purists--the “B’s”--because they’re from the same school of “sellout” thinking that deemed Nirvana’s music over before “Nevermind” came out. Sometimes, it’s a hindrance to be on the cutting edge of an art form because one is so close to it that any mainstream interest becomes the enemy.

But a music as powerful as drum ‘n’ bass--a hard-edged but soulful mix of hip-hop, techno and anything else a deejay wants to cull from--is poised for greater success. And that’s exactly what the mission statement is at the Viper Room on Tuesday nights, which is transformed into “Atmosphere”--a weekly communion for those who want to gain knowledge in this specialized music.

Promoters Sal Jenco and DJ Carbo (the pseudonym of former Geffen exec Mark Cates, who signed Beck and Sonic Youth, no less) want to pluck drum ‘n’ bass out of the underground and help bring it into the mainstream.

“Drum ‘n’ bass is what’s happening at some abandoned mall in Topeka, Kan., with thousands of kids,” says Jenco, who also manages the Viper Room. “It’s what’s happening at Twilo in New York City on Thursdays. It’s what’s happening in Florida, and it’s what’s happening all over the U.S., in Canada, in Europe, in Asia. It’s massive and it’s very subtle and silent because it’s not commercial yet.”

Enter the Viper Room on a Tuesday night, and silence isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, the music is so loud it pulses throughout the club like a rhythmic wave. Each week, hundreds of people show up to hear local deejays as well as deejays flown in from the U.K., the heart of the electronic music scene. In the past four months, the Viper Room has managed to bring in the best deejays in the biz on a weekly basis--Goldie, the Propellerheads, Jumpin’ Jack Frost, Mickey Finn, Ed Rush, Ronnie Size and Groove Rider are among those who have performed since the club’s January launch.

The resident emcee, Umoja Sound System’s Cockni-O, shouts free-style expressions into a microphone, while the turntablists keep the beats flowing. The crowd responds by shouting and cheering back. Many simply dance with their eyes closed, as if to absorb the music wholly into their systems. It’s an interesting phenomenon, made even more so by the Viper Room’s blazing light shows, which give the entire experience a surreal cast.

“There’s a very strong sense of individuality with this music,” Jenco says. “It’s inspired. It’s music made by people on their own, who distribute their own records, and who bring people together with an energy that’s so strong and genuine.”

DJ Scooba, a member of the local drum ‘n’ bass crew the Junglist Platoon, which often opens up the show at Atmosphere, made a pilgrimage to England and never looked back.

“We wanted to study the music a bit more and gain more knowledge,” he says. “Now, it’s in our blood. I’ll be a drum ‘n’ bass head forever.”

Club promoter Chris Vargas concurs. “Drum ‘n’ bass touches me in the most aggressive and peaceful way at the same time,” says Vargas, who operates another drum ‘n’ bass club on Sunday nights at the Pink. “It triggers your sensors, your emotions and all that.”

Atmosphere partner DJ Carbo stumbled upon the music while looking for some inspiration.

“I hadn’t been moved by music in a long time,” he says. “It feels good having something to be excited about again.”

BE THERE

Atmosphere at the Viper Room on Tuesdays, 8852 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 358-1880. 21 & over. Cover varies.