Drum N Bass

Dance music has come a long way since the days of disco, and in many ways the stuff that people are dancing to today is totally unlike anything that has come before it. I mean that in a literal sense: to some people, styles like drum 'n bass (also known as jungle) are completely un-listenable because they are so strange. This isn't without reason--this type of avante garde dance music was developed specifically so that it was a totally new, totally unique sound. Like any type of cutting edge art, it's going to have its fans as well as people who simply don't understand it.

Origins of Drum 'N Bass

Drum 'n bass is one of the most radical types of electronic dance music, since it purposely pushes the limits of musical form. Usually consisting of half-speed bass lines on top of super-fast breakbeats, drum n' bass gets its name from its minimalist style. The earliest drum 'n bass tracks usually took their basslines from reggae tracks, giving them a distinctive sound that lead many to dub the style "jungle."

There has been some debate over what was the original drum 'n bass record, but two tracks are generally agreed upon as having been the initiators of the style. Lenny De Ice's "We Are Ie" and Perfecto's 'Baz de Conga' were early examples of drum 'n bass that would inspire new artists to follow in their footsteps and expand the sound. Ed Rush & Optical, Shy FX, Goldie, and Roni Size were some of the best of these new artists.

Drum 'n bass records are typically exclusively instrumental. That is, they usually consist of nothing more than a bass and drum track. Since the beats per minute of drum 'n bass records are so high, the music is dense enough that it can support itself without overlaid melodies or vocals.