In the mid 1990’s, the Baltimore/Washington DC metropolitan area, already flush with the sounds of Go-Go and Baltimore house, became a hotbed of rave culture. A young Harry Schrecengost had been soaking up the sounds of skate and snowboard culture, not the least of which was MTV’s 120 Minutes and Yo! MTV Raps. But it was the arrival of jungle and drum & bass to the United States that really captured Harry’s passions. Ready to take the plunge as a DJ in 1997, he dubbed himself Ransom.
In addition to holding down a spot on WMUC 88.1 FM, he became a member of the Step Syndicate, the DC crew that included Wreck, Benko, Books, and MC Escher. He quickly became a regular for such seminal DC/Baltimore promoters as 2Tuff, Buzz, and Ultraworld, and cemented himself as one of the northeast’s finest DJ’s. He went further afield to perform at legendary U.S. drum & bass events including Eklektic (San Francisco), Platinum (Philadelphia), and Respect (Los Angeles). He also began his early forays into production, including “Broadcast” with Corrupt Souls on Moving Shadow, and “Breach” with Sinthetix and UFO! on Ohm Resistance. But the first golden age of drum & bass in the US was soon disrupted by the emergence of dubstep in the late 2000’s. At the same time, Harry’s affiliated production teams went their separate ways. So, he took a break from production, and began a tenure as a multi-genre DJ under the Harry Ransom moniker, where he would appear at such DC venues as the U Street Music Hall and The Loft.
The 2010’s were an era of change for Ransom, who undertook to develop and refine his production skills. It was during this period that he got married, had two children, and relocated to Boston, Massachusetts. He also changed his moniker to R4NS0M, a nod to his old AOL Instant Messenger handle. His return to DJing has seen him perform at events like Resonate, Cadence, and 88 Music, and a recent appearance at Boston area’s iconic Elements, and craft mixes for Winslow’s Bad Snares Anonymous, Toronto’s Prophecy FM, Detached Audio, Data Transmissions, The American Junglist, and more.
More recently, his production work has found its way onto labels such as Absys, Detrimental Audio, SUB:LVL, Soul Deep, Beats In Mind, Detached Audio, 1 More Thing, WiddFam, Seminal Sounds, Co-Lab Recordings, Headbass, Serrel Sweet, Spynal Records, Four Corners Music, and his take on a UKG track on Martyn's 3024 Music. Watch for an upcoming release on Driven AM and follow ups with Four Corners Music, Detached Audio, and Seminal Sounds. With decades of work under his belt, and a decidedly individual take on the drum & bass sound, R4NS0M continues to cement one of the more unique legacies in the history of the genre as a creator and pioneer.
(Biography author: Valiant Emcee)
For DJ bookings (limited availability), remix work, and general inquiries, please contact via Email or DM.
(Photographs: Nick Minieri)
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RELEASES_2025
R4NS0M - ‘Washington’ EP (Driven AM Recordings)
https://drivenamrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/r4ns0m-washington
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RELEASES_2024
Various Artists - ‘Undercurrents Vol. 3’ (3024 - 3024-MEN08)
https://3024.bandcamp.com/album/undercurrents-vol-3-2
R4NS0M - “Second Room”
https://3024.bandcamp.com/track/second-room-2
R4NS0M - “D U M B / Bellevue” (Seminal Sounds - SMNL055)
https://r4ns0m.bandcamp.com/album/smnl055
Remixers: BradyXK, iso•con, Sekty
Part 1: https://fourcornersmusic1.bandcamp.com/album/four-corners-100-part-1-inspirations
Part 2: https://fourcornersmusic1.bandcamp.com/album/four-corners-100-part-2-allstars
https://fourcornersmusic1.bandcamp.com/album/four-corners-100-part-2-allstars
R4NS0M - “1/2 Truths”
https://fourcornersmusic1.bandcamp.com/track/1-2-truths