Drum & Bass

You may have already heard Drum and Bass and never even realized it. Aside from being utilized in numerous commercials and T.V. shows, elements of Drum and Bass have appeared in songs by such artists as David Bowie, Outkast, and Linkin Park. Drum and Bass, also known as DNB, drum n bass, and jungle, is a form of electronic dance music (often called electronica or mislabeled as simply "techno" music) that employs a break-beat instead of the 4/4 beat found in house and trance. The beats per minute, or BPM, are significantly faster ranging between 160-180 BPM. BPM is a unit of measure for the tempo of a song with 60 BPM equating to one beat every second. DNB often borrows samples from movies and television or even other styles of music and blends them together creating an entirely new perspective. The spectrum of the sound of DNB is immense varying from atmospheric to soulful to heavy and pounding. It is often compared to jazz in the sense that the listener can experience an assortment of diverse sounds all falling under the umbrella of one musical genre. DNB is usually found pressed onto a 12" piece of vinyl with the record containing one to four tracks. These records are mixed by DJs in clubs and can sometimes be accompanied by an M.C. who rhymes over the tracks much like a hip-hop artist. The DNB faithful often refer to themselves as junglists, much the same way as Grateful Dead fans deem themselves Dead Heads, and are very passionate about the music. DNB is a rapidly progressing style of music with sounds becoming old and outdated in a relatively short amount of time. Most DNB / Drum and Bass songs have a shelf life of a year or less before being considered stale.

The beginnings of DNB can be traced back to the 1980's Acid House music scene in the United Kingdom. The earliest form of DNB was an offshoot of Acid House called Breakbeat Hardcore. As Breakbeat Hardcore developed, a new sound featuring more bass heavy and up-tempo qualities emerged and started to develop a separate identity. It was the early 90's when this new sound began to permeate the London club scene pioneered by DJs Fabio and Grooverider. As DNB continued to grow and mutate, it continued to separate into new sub-genres. In 1995, LTJ Bukem established a sound that while preserving the up-tempo breakbeat percussion focused on atmospheric qualities and warm, deep bass lines. This new form was dubbed Intelligent Drum and Bass / DNB. Other styles also sprang up. One approach taking on an urban quality with a stripped down, harder percussive style was designated Hardstep. Another with more hip-hop influenced traits was called Jump-Up. By 1996, Hardstep and Jump-Up dominated the club scene; while, Intelligent DNB remained more for the at-home listener. Another progression occurred in 1997 when two more sub-genres surfaced. A funky, double bass line sound was being championed by Roni Size at the same time as a new darker, more technical oriented style called Techstep blossomed. Its ominous or sci-fi related themes and cold, intricate percussion with dark, powerful bass lines distinguished Techstep from the other forms of DNB. By the conclusion of the 1990's, the marketable charm of artists such as Roni Size diminished and Techstep reigned in the club scene. However at the turn of the century, a revival transpired to bring back the original DNB sounds and many classic tracks were remixed and reintroduced to the DNB community. Over the years, the genre of DNB has continued to undergo numerous transformations thus making it one of the most diverse styles of music. Drum and Bass / DNB is played all over the world today but is still considered to be at its most progressive and cutting edge in the U.K. where it got its start.