Knowra Drum and bass Drum and bass Drum and bass is an electronic music genre built around fast breakbeats, heavy basslines, and syncopated rhythms. It emerged in the United Kingdom in the early 1990s.
Breakbeat : A rhythm built from a short, often syncopated drum passage repeated or rearranged. Drum and bass developed by accelerating and reshaping sampled funk breaks.
Breakbeat hardcore : An early-1990s British rave genre combining fast breakbeats, sampled sounds, and influences from house and techno. Drum and bass grew from this style as producers emphasized darker bass and intricate breaks.
Liquid funk : A melodic drum and bass style featuring smooth textures, soulful samples, and often lighter rhythms. It shows how the genre can soften its breakbeats without abandoning speed.
UK garage : A British electronic dance genre characterized by swung rhythms, sampled vocals, and syncopated bass. Its generally slower, more swung grooves distinguish it from drum and bass’s rapid breaks.
Amen break : A six-second drum passage from the Winstons’ 1969 recording “Amen, Brother,” widely sampled in electronic music. Its chopped, rearranged pattern became a defining source of drum and bass rhythms.
Acid house : A house music style associated with the squelching sound of the Roland TB-303 bass synthesizer. The British rave movement that nurtured drum and bass had been reshaped by acid house.
Techstep : A dark drum and bass style built around mechanical rhythms, sparse arrangements, and hard-edged bass. It pushed the genre toward austere, futuristic club sounds in the 1990s.
Hardcore techno : A fast electronic dance genre featuring forceful beats, distorted sounds, and aggressive production. Both arose in rave culture, but hardcore techno typically emphasizes a more regular kick pattern.
Reese bass : A rich, modulated bass sound made by layering detuned versions of a synthesizer tone. Its moving low-frequency texture became a signature sound in many drum and bass styles.
UK rave : A British dance-music and party movement that grew around warehouse events, clubs, and outdoor gatherings. Its parties and sound systems provided the scene where early drum and bass circulated.
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