drum and bass
/drʌm ənd beɪs/
CommonFast-paced electronic music built on rapid breakbeats and heavy sub-bass, originating in early 1990s UK.
Often shortened to DnB or D&B online. Covers a huge range of sub-genres from liquid (smooth, melodic) to neurofunk (dark, technical) so the term alone doesn't tell you the vibe.
Real-world examples5 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | this drum and bass set at 2am was exactly what i needed | The speaker had a great late-night experience listening to DnB. | x, 2024 |
| 02 | put on some dnb while i work and suddenly i'm 40% more productive | The speaker finds drum and bass useful as a focus aid. | reddit, 2023 |
| 03 | people keep calling this jungle but it's drum and bass, different thing | The speaker is correcting a genre mislabeling. | youtube, 2024 |
| 04 | liquid drum and bass on a sunday morning is a different universe | Describing the relaxed, melodic sub-genre as a morning listening experience. | instagram, 2024 |
| 05 | drum and bass saved my life multiple times at this festival | The speaker is enthusiastically describing how much they enjoyed DnB sets. | x, 2025 |
Use it when
- Referring to the genre when talking about music or a set.
- Describing a track or artist that fits the breakbeat and heavy bass template.
- Mentioning a rave, club night, or playlist focused on this style.
Do not use it when
- You mean jungle specifically, which predates and diverges from DnB.Use “jungle” instead.
- You mean dubstep or bassline, which share bass-heavy traits but are distinct genres.
Variations and related forms
Drum and bass vs jungle
drum and bass
Drum and bass evolved from jungle with more polished production and diverse sub-genres.
VS
jungle-revival
Jungle is rawer, more sample-heavy, and rooted in early 1990s rave culture.
Origin and context
Emerged from the UK rave scene in the early 1990s, evolving out of hardcore and jungle. Artists like Goldie, LTJ Bukem, and labels like Moving Shadow helped define the sound.
- First seen
- 1992
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/drum-and-bassUpdated: 2026-08-29License: CC BY 4.0