Drum and bass, often abbreviated as DnB, D&B, or drum ‘n’ bass, is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the UK in the early ’90s as an evolution of rave, hardcore, and jungle music. It’s named for its two key elements: fast breakbeat drums and deep and heavy basslines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drum and bass’ sound has evolved significantly over time. It initially centered on early funk breakbeats sampled from vinyl records, typically using an AKAI (950, 2000, 3000, etc.) or EMU (S900, S950, etc.) sampler, combined with a heavy 808 and \/ or Reese bassline. Additionally, electronic drums were layered to reinforce the breakbeat, creating punchier, more modern-sounding productions for the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this guide, we’ll dive into the characteristics, subgenres, influential artists, and more that make up the rich world of drum and bass music. Feel free to use the table of contents below to quickly navigate to a specific section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let’s get started!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we’ve begun to outline above, drum and bass music has a distinct sonic identity, characterized by music production techniques that emerged around the ’90s and its various subgenres\u2014here are some key characteristics that tie its sound together:<\/p>\n\n\n\n