What Is Drum & Bass?
Drum & bass (D&B or DnB) is an electronic music genre defined by fast breakbeat rhythms — typically between 160 and 180 BPM — layered over heavy, sub-frequency bass lines. It's one of the most technically demanding genres to produce and DJ, and one of the most viscerally exciting to experience on a proper sound system.
If you've ever felt a bass line physically vibrate your ribcage at a club night, there's a good chance it was drum & bass.
Origins: From Jungle to DnB
Drum & bass emerged from the UK rave scene of the early 1990s, directly evolving from a genre called jungle. Jungle itself was a fusion of hardcore rave music, Jamaican sound system culture, dancehall, and reggae. The breakbeats — specifically the "Amen break," a six-second drum loop sampled from a 1969 soul track by The Winstons — became the rhythmic foundation of the movement.
As the 1990s progressed, jungle evolved into something more refined and subdivided. Producers began separating into camps: those making darker, more minimalist music (which became drum & bass proper) and those keeping the reggae influences front and centre (which stayed closer to jungle). By the mid-1990s, labels like Moving Shadow, Metalheadz (Goldie's label), and V Recordings were releasing records that defined the genre globally.
The Amen Break: The Most Important Six Seconds in Music
Almost everything in drum & bass traces back to the Amen break. This drum loop — originally played by Gregory Coleman — has been chopped, pitched, stretched, and rearranged millions of times across jungle and DnB production. Learning to recognise it in its many forms is part of understanding the genre's DNA.
Key Subgenres of Drum & Bass
| Subgenre | Character | Key Artists |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid DnB | Melodic, soulful, warm — the "smooth" side of DnB | Calibre, Fred V & Grafix, Nu:Tone |
| Neurofunk | Dark, technical, sci-fi textures and complex sound design | Phace, Mefjus, Misanthrop |
| Jump Up | Fun, energetic, heavy reese bass — designed for festival crowds | Andy C, Shy FX, Bou |
| Dark / Rollers | Driving, minimal, hypnotic — influenced by techno | dBridge, Paradox, Spectrasoul |
| Jungle / Ragga | Classic 90s sound, reggae vocals, choppy breakbeats | Goldie, LTJ Bukem, Congo Natty |
Key Artists in Drum & Bass History
- Goldie — Metalheadz founder and one of DnB's most iconic figureheads. His 1995 album Timeless is considered a landmark record.
- LTJ Bukem — Pioneered the atmospheric, jazz-influenced side of drum & bass through his label Good Looking Records.
- Andy C — Widely considered the greatest drum & bass DJ alive, known for his superhuman mixing speed and precision.
- Roni Size — His band Reprazent won the Mercury Prize in 1997 for New Forms, bringing DnB to mainstream attention.
- Calibre — A modern master of liquid drum & bass, revered for his prolific output and deep musicality.
How to DJ Drum & Bass
DnB's high BPM makes beatmatching crucial — even small timing errors are very obvious at 174 BPM. Here are the key techniques:
- Short, sharp mixes: Unlike house or techno, DnB transitions are typically faster — 8–16 bars rather than minutes-long blends.
- Cutting bass: Use your low-EQ to cut the outgoing track's bass just before the drop of the incoming track. Prevent bass frequencies clashing — it sounds muddy and weak.
- Rolling over drops: Mixing into the drop of a new track creates maximum impact. Time your mix so the incoming track's drop lands exactly on a beat.
- Phrase awareness: DnB tracks are built in 8 and 16-bar phrases. Count carefully or use your software's grid to mark phrases.
Where to Hear Drum & Bass
In the UK, events like Hospitality, Metalheadz nights, and the annual Let It Roll festival are essential drum & bass experiences. Online, platforms like Rinse FM and NTS Radio broadcast regular DnB shows, and countless DJ mixes are freely available across YouTube and Mixcloud.