Drum and Bass

Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated to d&b, DnB, dnb, d’n’b, drum n bass, drum & bass) is a type of electronic dance music which emerged in the mid 1990s. The genre is characterised by fast tempo broken beats (generally between 160–180 beats per minute, but also having occasional differences in some older compositions), with heavy sub basslines.

The genre roots itself in the UK rave scene, and has spread around the world, notably to Europe, Russia, and the USA.

Up until the late 1990s/mid 2000s, drum and bass remained a relatively underground genre. However, artists such as Pendulum and High Contrast and labels such as Breakbeat Kaos and Hospital Records have helped push the popularity and awareness of the genre into the public domain.

As it stands, drum and bass is gaining more and more popularity, enjoying regular airplay on the radio, such as BBC Radio 1 in the UK.