Photo: Angie Linder, CC BY-SA 2.0. Illustrative, not from the story
Drum and bass typically sits between 160 and 180 beats per minute, and since 1996 most of it has landed in the 170 to 180 range. It started in the UK in the early 1990s out of jungle, and it became its own thing around 1995 when some jungle producers moved away from the ragga influenced style. The two stay closely related and often overlap.
The light end
Liquid drum and bass is built on harmonic and melodic grooves. Intelligent drum and bass is smoother, with ambient, jazz and soul in it. Jazzstep leans hard on jazz scales and instruments and on trip hop, and sambass mixes in samba and bossa nova from Brazil.
The middle
Jump up is heavy and energetic with robotic bass sounds, and it dates from the mid 1990s. Drill and bass uses complex chopped rhythms with ambient touches.
The heavy end
Techstep is known for science fiction soundscapes and samples. Neurofunk grew out of techstep and added jazz and funk. Hardstep has gritty basslines with heavy electronic melodies, and darkstep pairs fast drums with a dark mood and an industrial edge.
Hear them
Our Fifty Cuts Deep list is split by sound: ten jungle tracks, ten rollers, ten liquid, ten jump up and ten neuro and tech, each linked to Apple Music.
