Drum and bass

Drum and bass
Stylistic origins	Rave, Breakbeat hardcore, Techno, Hip-hop, Reggae/Ragga, Dancehall/Dub, Funk, Breakbeat
Cultural origins	early/mid-1990s, London, Bristol
Typical instruments	Synthesizer - Drum machine - Sequencer - Keyboard - Sampler - Laptop
Derivative forms	Breakcore/Drill n bass
Subgenres
2Step - Clownstep - Drumfunk - Hardstep - Intelligent DnB - Jump-Up - Jungle - Liquid funk - Techstep - Neurofunk (complete list)
Fusion genres
Jazz'n'Bass/Jazzstep
Other topics
List of jungle and drum n bass artists List of jungle and drum n bass record labels dubplate

Drum and bass (drum n bass, drum'n'bass, DnB, d'n'b) is an electronic music style.

Originally an offshoot of the United Kingdom breakbeat hardcore and rave scene, it came into existence when djs and producers mixed reggae basslines with sped-up breakbeats, predominatly sampled from 70's funk and hip hop records. Pioneers such as Fabio, Grooverider, Andy C, Roni Size, DJ SS, Brockie, Mickey Finn, Kenny Ken, Goldie, and other DJs quickly became the stars of drum and bass, then still called jungle.

There is no universally accepted semantic distinction between the terms "jungle" and "drum and bass". Some associate "jungle" with older material from the first half of the 1990s (sometimes refered to as "jungle techno"), and see drum and bass as essentially succeeding jungle with the newer, post-techstep developments. Others use jungle as a shorthand for ragga jungle, a specific sub-genre within the broader realm of drum and bass. In the USA, the combined term "Jungle Drum and Bass" (JDB) has some popularity, but is not widespread elsewhere. Probably the widest held viewpoint is that the terms are simply synonymous and interchangeable: drum and bass is jungle, and jungle is drum and bass - although many drum and bass or jungle fans will debate this belief.

History

Beginnings in the UK

Template:ReggaeboxEarly jungle was an offshoot of rave (Readers may think of this as techno music but the word "rave" used here is describing a very different sound from the stripped-down Detroit "techno" sound) music that focused on the breakbeat. Although jungle music originated largely within Britain's Afro-Caribbean communities, it benefited from the diverse influences of many racial and cultural groups, often brought together in the inclusive ecstasy-fueled atmosphere of the Acid House raves which exploded in popularity in the late eighties. The subculture which produced jungle remains one of the most racially-mixed musical cultures, and the proliferation of sub-genres within drum and bass often proceeds from the adoption of unexpected musical elements. The influence of Jamaican sound-system culture can be found in the use of basslines and remixing techniques derived from Dub and Reggae music, alongside the fast breakbeats and samples derived from urban musics such as hip-hop, Funk, jazz, and r&b alongside many production techniques borrowed from early electronic music such as house, techno, not to mention the vocals as well.

As time went on, the complex nature of the sampled funk breakbeats led to the adoption of basslines which had less in common with the simple patterns of house and techno music than with the complex phrasings of dub and hip-hop. Gradually, the bass and drum elements began to dominate to the music and, combined with the liberal use of 32nd notes and abstract time signatures, jungle became incompatible with house and techno and began to develop its own separate identity. This sonic identity became highly-distinctive for both the depth of its bass and the increasingly-complex, rapid-fire breakbeat percussion. Vastly different rhythmic patterns were distinctively being used, as well as new types of sampling, synthesis and effects processing techiniques, resulting in a greater focus on the intricacies of sampling/synthesis production and rhythm. As the influences of reggae and dub became more prominent, the sound of jungle began to take on an urban sound which was heavily influenced by ragga and dancehall music as well as hip-hop, often incorporating the distinctive vocal styles of these musics.

However, as the early nineties saw jungle break out from its underground roots and begin to win popularity with the general British public, many producers attempted to expand the influences of the music beyond the domination of ragga-based sounds. By 1995, a counter movement to the ragga style was emerging, dubbed "intelligent" jungle by the music press, and embodied by producers such as LTJ Bukem and his Good Looking label. Some say that the move to intelligent jungle was a conscious and concerted reaction by top DJs and producers against a culture that was becoming tinged with "gangsta" and violent elements, and stereotyped with the recognizable production techniques of the ragga-influenced producers. Intelligent jungle maintained the uptempo breakbeat percussion, but focused on more atmospheric sounds and warm, deep basslines over vocals or samples which often originated from Soul or Jazz music. From this period on, jungle would maintain the unity of a relatively-small musical culture, but one characterised by a competing group of stylistic influences. Although many DJs have specialised in distinctive sub-genres within jungle and drum and bass, the majority of artists within the genre remain connected via record labels, events and radio shows.

Early Pioneers

Early heroes of dnb music include A Guy Called Gerald (seminal track "28 Gun Bad Boy") and 4hero ("Mr Kirk's Nightmare") who later developed own styles, leaving the drum and bass mainstream. In contrast, producers such as Remarc, Mickey Finn, Goldie and Omni Trio continue to be active within the genre. The majority of the early producers and DJs still produce and play in today's scene, forming something of a jungle 'old guard'.

Jungle to drum and bass

At the same time that intelligent jungle appeared, the ragga jungle sound mutated into a more stripped-down, hard percussive style known as Hardstep. Simultaneously, certain producers developed as more hiphop and funk influenced sister style known as Jump-Up, which was exemplified by artists like Mickey Finn and Aphrodite (with their Urban Takeover label), and the releases on the Ganja Kru's True Playaz label). Outside these genres, which became the most popular styles, other artists pushed a smoother, dubby style of music which had more in common with the jazzy and soulful interests of intelligent jungle. Records in this style were often referred to as rollers.

Through 1996, Hardstep and Jump Up sounds were very popular in clubs and at raves, whereas Intelligent jungle was pushing a sound which was considered more accessible to the home listener, resulting in the popularity of the style with mainstream music magazines, as CD album releases by 4 Hero and Goldie were more readily-available than the underground dubplates which characterised the club-based styles. Stylistically, drum and bass began to adopt an ever more diverse range of influences, crossbreeding with many other forms of dance music to produce a series of hybrid sounds. In 1997, a sound which was influenced by the double-bass work of jazz musicians came to the forefront, producing a funky, accessible style which achieved mainstream success for artists such as Roni Size and Reprazent. The group's New Forms album won the UK's Mercury Prize, and their innovative live band helped drum and bass to break out of the DJ circuit, winning acclaim for performances at music festivals and on television shows.

Around this time, drum and bass also sealed its popularity by winning a Friday night slot on Radio One, the BBC's flagship radio station. Initially presented by a revolving groups of jungle luminaries, hosted by MC Navigator, the station eventually secured the presenting services of Fabio and Grooverider, two of the oldest and most-respected DJs in the scene.

The birth of techstep

As a lighter sound of drum and bass began to win over the musical mainstream, many producers continued to work on the other end of the spectrum, resulting in a series of releases which highlighted a dark, technical sound which drew more influence from Techno and the soundscapes of science fiction and anime films. This style was championed by the labels Emotif and No U-Turn, and artists like Trace, Ed Rush and Optical, and Dom and Roland, and is commonly referred to as techstep. Techstep focused intensely on studio production and applied new techniques of sound generation and processing to older jungle appraoches. Self-consciously underground, and lacking the accessible influences of much other drum and bass, techstep is deeply atmospheric, often characterized by sinister or science-fiction themes, cold and complex percussion, and dark, distorted basslines.

As the 1990s drew to a close, drum and bass withdrew from mainstream popularity and concentrated on sounds which were popular in clubs, rather than on mainstream radio. Techstep came to dominate the drum and bass genre, with artists like Konflict and Bad Company amongst the most visible. As time went on, techstep was becoming more minimal, and increasingly dark in tone, and the funky, commercial appeal represented by Roni Size back in 1997 was waning. However, 2000 saw an increasing movement to "bring the fun back into drum and bass", heralded by the chart success enjoyed by singles from Andy C and Shimon (Bodyrock) and Shy FX and T Power (Shake UR Body). In the clubs there was a new revival of rave-oriented sounds, as well as remixes of classic jungle tunes that capitalised on nostalgia and an interest in the origins of the music. Many felt that jungle music had weathered the support, and then hostility, of the mainstream media (which had declared that "Drum and bass is dead" in the late 90s), and that the revival of chart success indicated that the style was more than a passing fashion.

Since 2000

Since the revival in popularity in 2000, the drum and bass scene has become very diverse, despite its relatively-small size, to the point where it is difficult to point to any one subgenre as the dominant style.

In 2000, Fabio began championing a form he called Liquid funk, with a compilation release of the same name on his Creative Source label. This was characterised by influences from disco and house, and widespread use of vocals. Although slow to catch on at first, the style grew massively in popularity around 2003-2004, and by 2005 it was established as one of the biggest-selling subgenres in drumnbass, with labels like Hospital Records and Soul:R and artists including High Contrast, Calibre, Nu:Tone, London Elektricity and Logistics among its main proponents.

The decade also saw the revival of Jump-Up. Referred to as "Nu Jump Up", or pejoratively as Clownstep, this kept the sense of fun and the simplistic, bouncing basslines from the first generation of Jump Up, but with tougher, harder production values. Prominent Nu Jump Up artists include Twisted Individual, Generation Dub, and DJ Hazard.

Sales figures for 2004 suggest that liquid funk and Nu Jump Up combined probably account for a significant majority of the drum and bass market.

The period also saw the rise of a style known as Dubwise, which returned drum and bass to its reggae-influenced roots, combined with modern production techniques which had advanced immeasurably since the early days of jungle. Although the dub-influenced sound was not new, having long been championed by artists like Digital and Spirit, 2003-2004 saw a significant increase in its popularity and visibility, with new artists like Amit at the forefront.

Similarly, whilst there had long been a niche dedicated almost entirely to detailed drum programming and manipulation, championed by the likes of Paradox, the first half of this decade saw a revival and expansion in the subgenre known variously as Drumfunk, "Edits", or "Choppage". Major labels include Inperspective and the new wave of artists in this style include Fanu, Breakage, and Fracture and Nepture.

The new millennium also saw a fresh wave of live drum and bass bands. The likes of Reprazent and Red Snapper had performed live drum and bass during the 1990s, but the re-creation of London Elektricity as a live band focussed renewed interest on the idea, with acts like The Bays, Keiretsu and Ultra-Violet pursuing this avenue.

The global scene in 2005

The other major development largely occurring since the turn of the millennium is geographical: from UK-oriented beginnings, drum and bass has firmly established itself worldwide. There are strong scenes in other English-speaking countries including the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It is popular across Europe, especially in Germany and in The Netherlands. It is also popular in South America. Asia also has a drum and bass scene in places like Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Hong Kong. São Paulo is sometimes called the drum and bass Ibiza. Brazilian drum and bass is sometimes called Sambass, although in Venezuela, artists have created Industrial forms of Drum and bass, and also Drill N Bass / IDM, mixing also with latin rhythms like Salsa or Latin Jazz.

List of notable drum and bass artists

Musicology of drum and bass

There are many views of what constitutes "real" drum and bass as it has many scenes and styles within it, from heavy pounding bass lines to the relaxed vibes of Liquid funk. It has been compared with jazz where the listener can get very different sounding music all coming under the same music genre, because like drum and bass, it is more of an approach, or a tradition, than a style. As such, therefore, it is difficult to precisely define; however, the following key features may be observed:

Defining characteristics

Basslines

Regarded by many as being the most important musical element in drum and bass. Basslines exist in many forms, but most notably they originate from sampled sources or synthesizers. Live played basslines are rare. Sampled basslines are often taken from double bass recordings or from publicly available loops. Synthesized basslines are very common and have sprouted a classic sound known as the Hoover or Reese.

Tempo

Drum and bass is usually between 160-180 BPM, in contrast to other forms of Breakbeat such as Nu skool breaks which maintain a slower pace at around 130-140 BPM. A general upward trend in tempo has been observed during the evolution of drum and bass. The earliest Old School rave and breakbeat-descended jungle was around 155-165 BPM, whilst 21st Century material rarely falls below 170BPM, and often hits 180BPM.

Importance of drum and bassline elements

The name "drum and bass" should not lead to the assumption that tracks are constructed solely from these elements. Nevertheless, they are far and away the most critical features, and usually dominate the mix of a track. The genre places great importance on deep sub-bass which is felt physically as much as it is heard. There has also been considerable exploration of different timbres in the bassline region, particularly within techstep.

Context

For the most part, drum and bass is a form of dance music, designed to be heard in clubs. It exhibits a full frequency response and physicality which often simply cannot be fully appreciated on home listening equipment. As befits its name, the bass element of the music is particularly pronounced, with the comparitively sparse arrangements of Drum and bass tracks allowing room for basslines that are deeper than most other forms of dance music. Consequently, Drum and Bass parties are often advertised as featuring uncommonly loud and bass-heavy systems.

Drum and bass is therefore typically heard via a DJ. Because most tracks are designed to be mixed by a DJ, their structure typically reflects this, with intro and outro sections designed for a DJ to use while beat-matching, rather than being designed to be heard in entirety by the listener. The DJ typically mixes between records so as not to lose the continuous beat. In addition, the DJ may employ hip-hop style "scratching", "double-drops" (where two tracks are synchronized such that both tracks drop at the same time), and "rewinds."

Most mixing points begin or end with the "drop". The drop is the point in a track where a switch of rhythm or bassline occurs and usually follows a recognisable build section and "breakdown". Frequently the drop is used to switch between tracks, layering components of different tunes. Some drops are so popular that the DJ will "rewind" or "reload" by spinning the record back and restarting it at the build. This is a technique which can easily be overused as it breaks the continuity of a set.

DJs are typically accompanied by one or more MCs, drawing on the genre's roots in Hip hop and Reggae/Ragga.

Relationship to other electronic music styles

Recently, smaller scenes within the drum and bass community have developed and the scene as a whole has become much more fractured into specific sub-genres. Some major sub-genres of drum and bass include:

• Clownstep
• Drumfunk (or "Choppage", "Edits")
• Hardstep
• Intelligent drum and bass (or "Atmospheric DnB")
• Jazz step (or Jazz'n'Bass)
• Jump-Up
• Jungle
• Liquid funk
• Techmospheric
• Techstep
• Neurofunk
• Wobble
• Dubstep

As with all attempts to classify and categorize music, the above should not be treated as gospel. Many producers release albums which touch into many of the above styles.

Drill and bass, a sub-genre of Intelligent dance music (also known as "IDM"), popularized by Aphex Twin, features many of the same types of rhythms used in drum and bass and is generally focused on complexity in programming and instrumentation. Amongst its main proponents include Squarepusher, Amon Tobin and Venetian Snares, amongst others.

Appearances in the mainstream

Certain drum and bass releases have found mainstream popularity in their own right, almost always material prominently featuring vocals. Perhaps the earliest example was Goldie's Timeless album of 1995, along with Reprazent's New Forms in 1997. More recently, tracks such as Shy FX and T-Power's "Shake Your Body" gained a UK Top 40 Chart placing. Hive's "Ultrasonic Sound" was also used on the first Matrix soundtrack.

On the other hand, pop music has also occasionally co-opted elements of drum and bass, albeit in watered-down fashion. Examples include Puretone, Kosheen and Girls Aloud. Drum and bass also often appears in advertising and TV.

Key record labels

The following are some of the major labels within drumnbass:

• 31 Records
• Black Sun Empire
• Breakbeat Kaos
• Certificate 18 Records
• Commercial Suicide
• Creative Source
• Formation Records
• Full Cycle Recordings
• Good Looking Organisation
• Hospital Records
• Metalheadz
• Moving Shadow
• No U-Turn
• RAM Recordings
• Reinforced Records
• Renegade Hardware (part of the Trouble on Vinyl group)
• Soul:R
• Subtitles Recordings
• Suburban Base Records
• Underfire Recordings
• V Recordings
• Violence Recordings
• Virus Recordings
• Valve Recordings
• Rinse Proof Records

Accessing drum and bass

Purchasing

Drum and bass is mostly sold in 12-inch vinyl single format, although some albums, compilations and DJ mixes are sold on CD. File downloads are also becoming increasingly available. Purchasing drum and bass can involve searching specialized record shops or using one of many online vinyl, cd and mp3 retailers.

Media

The best known drum and bass publication is Knowledge. Other publications include the longest running drum and bass magazine worldwide ATM Magazine, Canadian-based Rinse Magazine and Austrian-based Resident.

The highest profile drum and bass radio show is Fabio and Grooverider on BBC Radio One. The BBC's "urban" station 1Xtra also features the genre heavily, with DJs L Double and Bailey and Flight. The genre has long been supported by pirate radio stations, particularly in London; these days, they are joined by a large, and ever-expanding number, of internet radio stations available globally. In the US, XM Satellite Radio dedicates two hours a day to its drum and bass show, "Pressure", on channel 80 - The Move (XM).

Drum and bass has a strong online presence with many dedicated portals, forums and communities. Some of the largest of these are linked below.

Books

• All Crews: Journeys Through Jungle / Drum and Bass Culture by Brian Belle-Fortune (ISBN 0954889703)
• The Rough Guide to Drum 'n' Bass by Peter Shapiro and Alexix Maryon (ISBN 1858284333)
• State of bass, jungle: the story so far by Martin James, boxtree (ISBN 0752223232)

See also

• List of jungle and drum n bass artists
• List of jungle and drum n bass record labels
• Dubplate

External links

• • rolldabeats (rolldabeats.com) - comprehensive drumnbass discography database
  • Organic Souls DnB - a UK-based DnB profile directory
  • Planetdnb.com- Popular drum & bass Breakberesource
  • alfazen.com - Interviews with Drum and Bass DJs and producers
  • Drumnbass.be - a resource for unsigned Drum and Bass producers
  • Discogs - THE online record catalogging site.