Drum and Bass

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Drum and bass, also written as drum 'n' bass or drum & bass and commonly abbreviated to D&B, D+B, DnB or D'n'B, is a type of electronic music which emerged in England in the mid-1990s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats (typically between 160–180 beats per minute; occasional variation is noted in older compositions) with heavy bass and sub-bass lines.

Drum and bass incorporates a number of scenes and styles, from the highly electronic, industrial sounds of techstep through to the use of conventional, acoustic instrumentation that characterise the more jazz-influenced end of the spectrum. The sounds of drum and bass are extremely varied due to the range of influences behind the music.

Drum and bass could at one time be defined as a strictly electronic musical genre with the only "live" element being the DJ's selection and mixing of records during a set. "Live" drum and bass using electric, electronic and acoustic instruments played by musicians on stage emerged over the ensuing years of the genre's development.