New To Drum N Bass? Read This Thread

[Doppelganger]

Greetings and if you are a new member, welcome to this site and section.

By looking at this thread it shows that you are taking an interest in this genre of music and we are glad to hear it. Drum N Bass has been around for a long time and we all hope it will continue to gather momentum.

I'm sure though you don't fully understand how the genre is defined and this is the purpose of this article. It should help you work out what sub genres you like and don't like.

Remember, if there is something you don't fully understand either if it's to do with the sub genres or mixing them, please feel free to post in this section of the froum. Please try not to post in the general or beginners section of the forum. This is not against forum rules but you won't usually receive advice from dnb and jungle dj's, but mostly house and trance DJ's, who may use different techniques, depending on your question.

Don't be scared, we are a friendly, welcoming bunch

[Doppelganger]

OK Lets start off

Sub Genres

Liquid / Liquid Funk

Characterised by influences from disco, jazz, house and garage music, and widespread use of vocals.

Artists
Calibre
London Elektricity
High Contrast (Before his third album was released)
Utah Jazz
DJ Marky
Makoto (post 2002)
Klute
Logistics
Nu:Tone
Syncopix
Alix Perez
Bachelors Of Science
Zero Tolerance (aka Zero T)
Marcus Intalex and ST Files (aka M.I.S.T, MIST:ICAL AND STcal)
Furney
Greg Packer
Total Science

Labels
Shogun LTD
Innerground
Hospital Records (before 2009)
Horizons
Golden Orb
Plush Recordings
Liquid V
Creative Source
Signature
Soul:R
Commercial Suicide

Examples of a liquid track

[Doppelganger]

Jump Up

Is an energetic get on your feet/get moving style of drum n bass

Artists

Bad Company
Twisted Individual
Sub Focus
G Dub
Red One
Shimon
Original Sin
Ram Trilogy
J Majik & Wickerman
Sub Zero
Tantrum Desire
Clipz
Hazard
Taxman
Majistrate
Dillinja

Labels

Ram
V
Audio Zoo
Breakbeat Kaos
Playaz
Ganja
Chronic
Low Down Deep Recordings
Cold Blooded Recordings
Grid
MTA
Viper

Examples of Jump Up

[Doppelganger]

Drumfunk

Like atmospheric drum and bass with heavy emphasis on break-styled drum loops, occasionally broken up by drumless atmospheric passages or heavy tech pads and synths. There is a very blurred line between this genre and atmospheric as this genre also uses chopped up drum pattens

Artists

Seba
Paradox
Nebula
Alaska
Nucleus
ASC
Dub One
Equinox
B-Key
Nolige

Labels
Covert Operations
Secret Operations
Paradox Music
Arctic Music
Outsider
Scientific Wax
Bassbin
Interspective

Examples of Drumfunk

[Doppelganger]

Neuro / Neurofunk/ Tech Step

Techstep is characterized by a dark, sci-fi mood, near-exclusive use of synthesised or sampled sound sources, influences from industrial and techno music, and what some writers have described as a "clinical" sound. This then progressed in Neuro/Neurofunk by juxtaposed elements of heavier and harder forms of funk with multiple influences ranging from techno, house and jazz, distinguished by consecutive stabs over the bassline and razor-sharp backbeats.

Artists

Ed Rush and Optical
Phace
Teebee
Chook
Miss Redflower
Matrix (pre 2002)
Calyx
Audio
Skynet
Noisia
Black Sun Empire
Bulletproof(pre-2009)
Concord Dawn(post-2005)
Unknown Error
Break
Silent Witness
Dom & Roland
Gridlok
Ill Skillz
Hive
Rascal & Klone
Rawthang
State Of Mind
Psidream
Axiom
Vector Burn
Jade
Spor


Labels

Subtitles
Virus
Run Dnb
Black Sun Empire Recordings
Coded
DNAudio
Invader
OHM Resistance
Moving Shadow(2000-2007)
Lifted Music
Ammunition Recordings

Examples of Tech Step







Examples of Neuro/Neurofunk

[Doppelganger]

Hardstep
It is characterised by a gritty production style, that has an inner-city feel to it. The breaks are less cut-up sounding than oldschool jungle, and harder, hence the name hardstep. Techstep is hardstep's most popular subgenre.

Artist
Tech Itch
Current Value
Limewax
Zardonic
Noistek
Dylan
Panacea
Evol Intent


Labels
Freak
L/B
Tech Itch
Barcode

Examples of Hardstep

[Doppelganger]

Old Skool Jungle

Usually consists of the amen break chopped up and then rearranged. Most tracks have elements of reggae or ragga in them. This sound was widely used until the late 90s

Artists

Shy FX (pre 1998)
Origin Unknown (pre 1999)
Photek
Adam F
M Beat
Foul Play
Flytronix
Tribe of Issachar
Congo Natty/Blackstar/Lion of Judah
DJ Krome & Mr. Time
DJ Rap(pre-2000)
DJ Randall
Cool Hand Flex
Majistrate
Ellis Dee
Stakka and K-Tee
Ray Keith
Drum N Bass Dream Team
DJ SS
DJ Trace
Rufridge Kru

Labels

Ram (pre 1999)
Moving Shadow (pre 1998)
DeeJay
Reinforced
Metalheads
Dread
Joker
Juice
Toxic
Kemet

Examples of Old Skool Jungle

[Doppelganger]

Atmospheric / Intelligent

Much more laid back than most other genres. Has rising pads and synths with chopped up drum pattens in some tracks

Artists

LTJ Bukem
PHD
Makoto (pre 2002)
Big Bud
Seba & Lotek
Orange and Blue
JCB
ASC
Rantoul
Omni Trio
Aquasky (pre 2000)
Photek (aka Source direct, the sentinel, Aquarius, code of practice etc)
Subject 13
Blu Mar Ten
Blame(Good Looking era, circa 1997-2003)
Higher Sense
JMJ & Richie

Labels

Good Looking Records / Looking Good Records
Assendant Grooves
Vibez
Creative Source (pre 1998)
Moving Shadow (pre 1999)
Basement Records
Cadence Recordings
Metalheads

Examples Of Atmospheric/Intelligent

[Doppelganger]

Minimal

Came around in about 2008 and consists of the bare bones of drum n bass, sometimes at half the tempo.

Artists

D Bridge
ASC
Loxy
Resound
Genotype
Jubei
Bop
Commix (post 2006)

Labels

There are not really any minimal only labels but quite a few minimal tracks have been released on the following labels

Exit
Levitated
Metalheadz

Examples Of Minimal