Drum and bass (D&B), also called drum 'n' bass (DnB or D'n'B), is a type of electronic dance music that began in the United Kingdom in the early 1990s. It is known for fast drum beats (usually 165–185 beats per minute), strong bass sounds, deep sub-bass lines, and music samples from other genres.

This music style started in the UK's jungle scene during the early 1990s. It borrowed sounds from reggae, dub, hip hop, breakbeat hardcore, techno, and house music. By the mid-1990s, drum and bass became one of the most unique and creative styles in electronic dance music. The music often includes influences from ambient, funk, jazz, soul, rock, and pop. Over time, the genre has grown into many different subgenres and is now popular both in underground music scenes and in mainstream music worldwide.

During its most popular time, drum and bass was growing at the same time as other UK dance music styles. A big influence was the original Jamaican dub and reggae music, which helped shape the heavy bass sounds in jungle music. Another important part of drum and bass is the complicated rhythm patterns in the drum beats. Some subgenres of drum and bass include breakcore, ragga jungle, hardstep, darkstep, techstep, neurofunk, ambient drum and bass, liquid drum and bass, jump up, drumfunk, sambass, and drill 'n' bass. This music has also influenced other genres like big beat and dubstep, and it has been affected by styles such as hip hop, house, ambient music, techno, jazz, rock, and pop.

A small number of record labels control most drum and bass music. Large international music companies were not interested in the genre until BMG Rights Management bought RAM in February 2016. After that, drum and bass became more widely known. Although the music began in the UK, it has changed a lot over time, and now fans around the world enjoy it.

History

Drum and bass music began in the UK during the late 1980s, influenced by the rave scene and breakbeat hardcore. A song called We Are I.E. by Lennie De Ice (1991) mixed breakbeats with reggae-style basslines and is often seen as an early example of jungle and drum and bass. Early producers like 4hero, Doc Scott, LTJ Bukem, Goldie, and Grooverider helped shape the sound by removing parts of hardcore rave music and focusing more on bass and complicated drum patterns.

By 1994, a style called jungle—closely connected to drum and bass—became popular among young people in the UK. It was linked to sound system traditions, MC performances, and samples from reggae and dancehall music. The genre grew by blending elements from other styles, such as raggamuffin, dancehall, dub basslines, and detailed breakbeat rhythms. Although jungle was connected to the rave scene and the use of ecstasy, it also had links to violence and crime, partly because of the aggressive sounds and themes in some songs. At the same time, jungle was also seen positively because of its ties to the rave scene and Jamaican music culture in London. By 1995, some jungle producers started to move away from reggae influences and created a new style later called drum and bass.

In the mid-1990s, new subgenres like techstep, inspired by techno and science fiction, and liquid funk, which had more melodic and accessible sounds, appeared. Artists like High Contrast and Calibre helped develop liquid funk. Drum and bass music became more refined and technically advanced during the mid-to-late 1990s. Other subgenres, such as hardstep, jump up, ragga, jazzstep, and intelligent drum and bass, also emerged. In 1997, the album New Forms by Roni Size & Reprazent won the Mercury Prize, showing that the music was gaining more recognition. By the late 1990s, drum and bass spread from pirate radio to commercial radio stations and became more widely accepted, especially with the development of darker styles like neurofunk.

In the 2000s, drum and bass music grew globally, with scenes forming in Europe, North America, Australia, and Brazil, where a style called "sambass" combined local rhythms with drum and bass. The rise of liquid funk in the 2000s brought new artists who added fresh ideas and helped the genre continue to change.

During the 2010s, digital music sharing and streaming services helped drum and bass evolve. Artists like Pendulum, Chase & Status, and Netsky reached mainstream audiences while still staying connected to the underground scene. In the 2020s, drum and bass became popular again. In 2021, Pitchfork noted that younger listeners were showing more interest in the genre. Between 2021 and 2024, streaming in the UK increased by about 94%, with most listeners under age 34. New artists like Nia Archives, Bou, and goddard., along with well-known artists such as Chase & Status, Sub Focus, and Hybrid Minds, have helped drum and bass reach more people through festivals, collaborations, and popular tracks. In 2023, Purple Sneakers described a "drum n' bass Renaissance," showing the genre's growing influence.

Musical features

Drum and bass includes many different styles and scenes, from the highly electronic sounds of techstep to the use of traditional, acoustic instruments in more jazz-influenced music. The sounds of drum and bass vary widely because of the many influences that shape the music. At first, drum and bass was mostly an electronic genre, with the only live part being the DJ's choice and mixing of records during a performance. Over time, live drum and bass performances using electric, electronic, and acoustic instruments played by musicians on stage became common.

A strong influence on jungle and drum and bass comes from the original Jamaican dub and reggae sound, shaped by the British African-Caribbean sound system scene. Artists like King Tubby, Peter Tosh, Sly & Robbie, Bill Laswell, Lee Perry, Mad Professor, Roots Radics, Bob Marley, and Buju Banton had a major impact on the music. This influence has decreased over time, but it still appears in many tracks, which often include ragga vocals.

As a style based on funk or syncopated rock and roll breaks, drum and bass was influenced by musicians like James Brown, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Ella Fitzgerald, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, the Supremes, the Commodores, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Michael Jackson. Jazz pioneer Miles Davis and blues artists such as Lead Belly, Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton, Muddy Waters, and B. B. King also inspired the music. Even modern composers like Henryk Gorecki have been mentioned as influences. One of the most important tracks in drum and bass history is "Amen Brother" by The Winstons, which contains a drum solo known as the "Amen break." This rhythm was later used in early hip hop and became the foundation for drum and bass rhythms.

Kevin Saunderson released a series of bass-heavy, minimal techno tracks under the name Reese/The Reese Project in the late 1980s, which greatly influenced drum and bass. His famous bassline from "Just Want Another Chance" (1988) was sampled in many tracks, including Renegade's "Terrorist," and is known as the "Reese" bassline. Later, as Tronik House, Saunderson created influential tracks in the UK hardcore style from 1991 to 1992. Another important artist from Detroit was Carl Craig. His track "Bug in the Bassbin," which used a sampled jazz break, influenced the new drum and bass sound. DJs at the Heaven nightclub often played this track at high speeds using Technics record decks.

By the late 1980s and early 1990s, the use of breakbeats in hip hop production influenced breakbeat hardcore, which led to the creation of jungle, drum and bass, and other genres that shared the same use of broken beats. Drum and bass shares many musical traits with hip-hop, though it now rarely includes lyrics. Artists like Grandmaster Flash, Roger Troutman, Afrika Bambaata, Run DMC, Mac Dre, Public Enemy, Schooly D, N.W.A, Kid Frost, Wu-Tang Clan, Dr. Dre, Mos Def, Beastie Boys, and the Pharcyde are often directly sampled in drum and bass tracks.

Drum and bass has been influenced by many music genres, though influences from outside the electronic dance music scene became less common after the shift from jungle to drum and bass and later to "intelligent drum and bass" and techstep. It remains a mix of different musical styles.

Some tracks are illegally remixed and released on white label records (called bootlegs), often to praise. For example, DJ Zinc's remix of Fugees' "Ready or Not," also known as "Fugee Or Not," was later released with the Fugees' permission after legal threats, though the Fugees' original version had broken a copyright. White labels and dubplates were important in drum and bass culture.

The Amen break was central to early drum and bass, but other samples like "Apache," "Funky Drummer," "Soul Pride," "Scorpio," and "Think (About It)" also had a big impact. Early pioneers used Akai samplers and sequencers on the Atari ST to create their tracks.

The TR-808 kick drum, a deep, artificial bass drum sound from Roland's TR-808 drum machine, has been widely used and experimented with over the years.

Many drum and bass tracks use more than one sampled breakbeat, and a technique of switching between two breaks after each bar developed. A newer break called the "Tramen" combines the Amen break, a James Brown funk breakbeat, and a breakbeat by Alex Reece.

The fast drum beat in drum and bass serves as a base for producers to create music that can appeal to many tastes. Syncopated breakbeats are the most unique part of the genre, as without them, a high-tempo 4/4 dance track might be classified as techno or gabber.

The complex rhythm of breakbeats is a key part of drum and bass production. The Amen break is usually considered the most used and powerful break in the genre.

The genre focuses heavily on the bassline, which is a deep, low-frequency sound that can be felt physically through powerful speakers. There has been a lot of experimentation with different bassline sounds, especially in techstep. Basslines often come from sampled sources or synthesizers, while basslines played on instruments like electric, acoustic, or double bass are less common.

Atmospheric pads and samples are sometimes added to drum and bass tracks to create different moods. These can include ambient pads, jazz or world music samples, or dissonant and sci-fi sounds to create tension.

Old-school drum and bass often included an MC providing vocals. Some styles, like jazz-influenced drum and bass, also feature melodic instruments playing over the music.

Drum and bass typically has a tempo between 160 and 180 beats per minute (BPM), which is faster than other breakbeat-based styles like nu skool breaks, which are around 130–140 BPM. Over time, drum and bass tempos have generally increased. Early drum and bass tracks in 1990–1991 had a tempo of about 130 BPM, rising to 155–165 BPM by 1993. Since 1996, most drum and bass tracks have stayed between 170–180 BPM. Recently, some producers have created slower tracks (150–170 BPM), but the mid-170

Live performance

Drum and bass music has a wide range of sounds, including very low frequencies that are often felt more than heard. As its name suggests, the bass part of the music is very strong. The drum and bass tracks usually have simple arrangements, which allow the deep basslines to stand out compared to other types of dance music. These tracks are carefully planned to create a powerful and emotional experience, with the drums working together with the bass to produce a strong, pulsing rhythm. Because of this, drum and bass events are often promoted as having very loud and bass-heavy sound systems.

Many drum and bass albums are made for listening at home or in a car. A popular type of release is the DJ mix, where a DJ or producer combines different tracks into one continuous mix for personal listening. Some albums also include unmixed tracks, which are suitable for home or car listening.

Although this practice is less common now, DJs are sometimes joined by one or more MCs during performances. This tradition comes from the music's connections to hip hop and reggae/ragga. MCs usually do not receive the same level of recognition as DJs or producers, and some events are advertised as being without MCs. A few well-known drum and bass MCs, mostly from London and Bristol, include Stevie Hyper D (deceased), MC Conrad (deceased), the Ragga Twins, Dynamite MC, MC Skibadee (deceased), and MC Tali.

Many musicians have adapted drum and bass for live performances. These shows often include instruments like drums (acoustic or electronic), samplers, synthesizers, turntables, bass (upright or electric), and guitars (acoustic or electric). During live shows, samplers are sometimes used by linking samples to specific drum pads or keys on synthesizers. MCs are often part of these live performances as well.

Subgenres

The drum and bass community has grown, and the scene is now divided into many smaller groups, each with its own unique style. These groups are often split into two main categories: "light" and "heavy." The "light" style is influenced by ambient, jazz, and world music, while the "heavy" style is influenced by industrial music, sci-fi, and themes of anxiety. Examples of these subgenres include:

• Jump-up: Developed in the mid-1990s, this style uses fast and energetic drum and bass with robotic, heavy bass sounds. It is usually more playful and humorous compared to other subgenres.
• Drumstep or halftime: Combines drum and bass with dubstep. The beat is slower (half time), but the bass and tempo remain typical of drum and bass.
• Drill 'n' bass (also called fungle and spunk jazz): Features complex, chopped rhythms, fast and irregular basslines, and ambient elements similar to earlier styles of IDM (Intelligent Dance Music). Artists like Squarepusher, Luke Vibert (as Plug), and Aphex Twin helped create this subgenre.
• Intelligent drum & bass or intelligent jungle: A smoother style influenced by ambient music, chillout, jazz, and soul. Artists such as Omni Trio, Peshay, William Orbit, Seba, Blu Mar Ten, Deep Blue, Photek, LTJ Bukem, and labels like Good Looking Records and Moving Shadow helped develop this style.
• Jazzstep, jazzy jungle, jazz & bass, or drum & jazz: Strongly influenced by jazz and trip hop. It uses jazz scales, rhythms, and instruments. Artists like Alex Reece and LTJ Bukem, as well as trip hop producers such as Kruder & Dorfmeister, Nightmares on Wax, Kid Loco, Thievery Corporation, and Mr. Scruff, helped shape this style.
• Liquid drum and bass (or "liquid"): Focuses on harmonic and melodic grooves.
• Sambass: A Brazilian style that includes elements of samba, bossa nova, and other Latin music. Artists like DJ Marky helped create this subgenre.
• Darkstep: Features fast drums and a dark mood, influenced by dark ambient, industrial, and hardcore music.
• Techstep: Uses sci-fi soundscapes and samples from science fiction culture. Artists such as Bad Company UK, Ed Rush, Optical, Dom & Roland, and the label Moving Shadow helped develop this style.
• Neurofunk or neuro: Evolved from techstep, incorporating more elements from jazz and funk.
• Hardstep: A harder style with gritty basslines and simple, heavy electronic melodies.
• Metal & bass or bass metal: Uses heavy metal guitar riffs. Artists like Concord Dawn, Counterstrike, Pendulum, The Qemists, Dirtyphonics, Zardonic, and others helped create this style.
• Crossbreed: Combines industrial hardcore and drum and bass, often with influences from metal and breakcore. It emerged in the mid-2000s and was developed by labels like Prspct Recordings, Yellow Stripe, and Future Sickness Records. Notable artists include Switch Technique, Gancher & Ruin, Cooh, Counterstrike, Katharsys, Sinister Souls, and Lucy Furr.

Drum and bass developed around the same time as jungle, breakcore, and digital hardcore. These styles share similar elements, and tracks from the extreme ends of drum and bass may sound similar to breakcore due to their speed, complexity, and intense sounds. German DJ The Panacea is known for both drum and bass and digital hardcore. Raggacore is a faster version of 1990s ragga-influenced jungle, similar to breakcore but with more dancehall beats. Darkcore, which directly influenced drum and bass, combined with drum and bass elements led to the creation of darkstep. There is overlap between the extreme edges of drum and bass, breakcore, darkcore, digital hardcore, and raggacore, with unclear boundaries between them.

Intelligent dance music (IDM) is a type of art music based on drum and bass and other electronic dance styles. It explores the limits of these genres using ideas from science, technology, classical music, and progressive rock, often creating music that is not meant for dancing but for art galleries.

Ghettotech, a club music genre from Detroit, uses synth and basslines similar to drum and bass.

Industry

Drum and bass music is mostly controlled by a small group of record labels. These labels are often run by DJs who also create music.

Before 2016, large music companies like Sony Music and Universal showed little interest in drum and bass, except for a few famous signings, such as Pendulum’s In Silico LP with Warner. Roni Size’s label played a major role in developing drum and bass, especially with its dark, bass-heavy sounds. Another important label was V Recordings, which also helped shape the genre.

In February 2016, BMG Rights Management bought Ram Records, investing in the label to help it grow. BMG has worked to bring drum and bass into the mainstream with artists like Chase and Status and Sub Focus.

Some record labels that no longer exist include DJ Hype’s True Playaz (later called Real Playaz after 2006) and Rob Playford’s Moving Shadow, which operated from 1990 to 2007. Moving Shadow was very important during the 1990s drum and bass scene, releasing music by artists like Omni Trio.

At first, drum and bass music was mostly sold on 12-inch vinyl records. As the genre became more popular, more albums, compilations, and DJ mixes were sold on CDs. Later, with the rise of digital music, websites like Beatport began selling drum and bass in digital formats.

Most vinyl records and CDs for drum and bass are distributed worldwide by a few companies, such as SRD (Southern Record Distributors), ST Holdings, and Nu Urban Music Limited.

In September 2012, Nu Urban Music Limited stopped operating. This caused problems for many labels because Nu Urban was a major distributor for vinyl records in the drum and bass scene.

Although drum and bass started in the UK, which is still considered its home, the genre is now popular worldwide. Strong drum and bass scenes exist in other English-speaking countries, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.

Today, drum and bass is promoted through many methods, such as video-sharing sites like YouTube and Dailymotion, blogs, radio, and television (though television is the least common). Recently, websites like SoundCloud and Mixcloud have helped artists share their music quickly. Record labels also use podcasts. Before the internet, drum and bass was often played on pirate radio stations.

The three most well-known radio stations that play drum and bass shows are BBC Radio 1, which has The Drum and Bass Show (hosted by René LaVice since 2017) and is also broadcast in the US and Canada on Sirius XM, and DJ Hype’s show on Kiss 100 in London. Fabio and Grooverider previously had a long-running drum and bass show on BBC Radio 1, as did the One in the Jungle show.

BBC Radio 1Xtra, the BBC’s station for Black music, used to feature drum and bass heavily, with DJs like DJ Bailey and Crissy Criss. The station also organizes an annual UK tour called Xtra Bass. London pirate radio stations, such as Kool FM (active since 1991), Origin FM, and Renegade Radio 107.2FM, played a key role in developing drum and bass.

By 2015, even though some radio stations reduced their focus on drum and bass, the genre became more mainstream. Artists like Rudimental and Sigma had drum and bass-inspired songs that reached the UK top 10 charts. In 2014, the BBC held a special evening event to celebrate drum and bass, with four major labels participating.

As of November 2014, six drum and bass songs had reached the number 1 spot on the UK’s top 40 chart. The first of these was in 2012. This shows the genre’s growing popularity and commercial success. The artists who achieved this are Sigma, Rudimental, and DJ Fresh (each with two number 1 hits).

Internet radio stations, similar to pirate radio, have also helped promote drum and bass. Many of these stations are funded by listener and artist donations.

From the early 2000s until 2014, Ministry of Sound radio supported drum and bass. Later, the station featured shows from labels like Metalheadz and Fabio & Grooverider. In September 2015, Ministry of Sound stopped playing non-mainstream genres, focusing only on mainstream EDM, which upset many drum and bass fans.

In Toronto, since 1994, The Prophecy on 89.5 CIUT-FM, hosted by Marcus Visionary, DJ Prime, and Mr. Brown, has been North America’s longest-running jungle radio show.

Other radio stations that play drum and bass include Album 88.5 in Atlanta, C89.5fm in Seattle, Expansions on KEXP in Seattle, All Mixed Up on WCBE 90.5 in Columbus, Ohio, and Electronic Playground on WUFM 88.7.

In Tulsa, Oklahoma, Edge Essential Mix on 104.5 The Edge plays drum and bass and electronic music. In Tucson, Arizona, Digital Empire on 91.3 FM KXCI features drum and bass, jungle, and dubstep. In Augusta, Georgia, FreQuency on WHHD includes drum and bass during the second hour of the show.

The most well-known drum and bass publication was Kmag magazine (formerly Knowledge Magazine), which moved online in 2009. It stopped updating its website in 2016 but plans to publish a book for its 25th anniversary in 2019. Kmag also published All Crews by Brian Belle-Fortune in 2004.

Other publications include ATM Magazine, the longest-running drum and bass magazine, and Resident, an Austrian-based publication. DJ Magazine, based in London, has a respected drum and bass reviews section since 1994, written by Alex Constantinides. After 2012, the reviews were taken over by Whisky Kicks.

Mainstream acceptance

The first popular drum and bass albums include Goldie's Timeless from 1995. Other early examples are Reprazent's New Forms (1997), which won the Mercury Music Prize; 4hero's Two Pages (1998), which was nominated for the Mercury Prize; and Pendulum's Hold Your Colour (2005), which became the best-selling drum and bass album.

In 2012, drum and bass reached a major milestone when DJ Fresh's song "Hot Right Now" became the first drum and bass track to reach number one on the UK charts. This song was one of the fastest-selling singles of 2012 and helped start Rita Ora's music career. In total, seven drum and bass songs have reached number one in the UK. These include DJ Fresh's "Hot Right Now" (2012), Rudimental's "Feel the Love" (with John Newman) in 2012, "Waiting All Night" (with Ella Eyre) in 2013, Sigma's "Nobody to Love" and "Changing" (with Paloma Faith) in 2014, Kenya Grace's "Strangers" in 2023, and Chase & Status and Stormzy's "BACKBONE" in 2024.

Many video games include drum and bass music. Examples are Hudson Soft's Bomberman Hero, Hi-Rez Studios' Tribes: Ascend, Electronic Arts' Need for Speed: Undercover, Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto series, and Sony's Wipeout series starting with Pure. Microsoft Studios' Forza Horizon 2, 3, 4, and 5 feature a Hospital Records radio channel that plays drum and bass music.

Drum and bass music is also used in some movie soundtracks. Hive's "Ultrasonic Sound" was on The Matrix soundtrack, and E-Z Rollers' "Walk This Land" was in the film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Ganja Kru's "Super Sharp Shooter" appears in the 2006 film Johnny Was.

The Channel 4 show Skins includes drum and bass music in some episodes. For example, in the third episode of the first season, called "Jal," the song "Original Nuttah" by Shy FX and UK Apache was played at a club scene featuring Fazer.