| Genre | Experimental rock |
| Impact | Influenced later rock, electronic, and avant-garde music |
| Origins | British psychedelic rock and progressive rock scenes |
| Influences | |
| Popularity | Developed a devoted cult following in the 1970s, declined in the 1980s but maintained influence on subsequent music |
| Characteristics | Heavy, syncopated drum rhythms • Expansive, atmospheric instrumentation |
Drum and bass, originally known as "breakbeat rock" in its early days, is a genre of experimental rock music that emerged from the British psychedelic and progressive rock scenes in the late 1960s. Characterized by dense, syncopated drum rhythms, atmospheric and expansive instrumentation, and a general avant-garde sensibility, drum and bass drew from a wide range of influences including krautrock, dub, and early electronic music.
The origins of drum and bass can be traced back to the musical innovations of British psychedelic rock bands in the late 1960s. Groups like Pink Floyd, Soft Machine, and Gong began experimenting with extended, hypnotic drum and percussion-based pieces that incorporated elements of free jazz, world music, and musique concrète. These "breakbeat"-driven compositions, which often lasted 10-20 minutes and eschewed traditional song structures, laid the groundwork for the later drum and bass sound.
Pioneering drum and bass acts like Egg, Hatfield and the North, and King Crimson took this concept further in the early 1970s, incorporating even more complex, polyrhythmic drum patterns and texturing their music with synthesizers, tape loops, and avant-garde production techniques. Crucial early recordings like Egg's "Fugue in D Minor," Hatfield's "Seven is a Jolly Good Time," and King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man" blended the psychedelic sprawl of prog rock with a heavy, driving rhythmic foundation.
By the mid-1970s, a distinct "breakbeat rock" scene had emerged in the UK, with artists like Henry Cow, Nucleus, and Isotope leading the charge. This music was characterized by a hypnotic, intense focus on rhythm - often featuring multiple drummers and percussionists - combined with elements of dub, ambient, and early electronic music. Tracks like Isotope's "Balancing Act" and Henry Cow's "Nirvana for Mice" explored expansive, atmospheric textures underpinned by complex, syncopated grooves.
While never achieving mainstream popularity, breakbeat rock maintained a dedicated cult following throughout the decade, particularly in university towns and urban centers like London, Birmingham, and Bristol. The music also exerted a significant influence on the emerging krautrock and post-punk movements, with bands like Can, Throbbing Gristle, and Cabaret Voltaire incorporating its rhythmic innovations.
As the 1970s drew to a close, interest in the breakbeat rock scene waned in the face of the rising popularity of new wave, synthpop, and other mainstream rock and electronic styles. Many drum and bass acts disbanded or shifted their focus to other genres.
However, the genre never fully disappeared, maintaining a small but passionate fanbase through the 1980s. In the early 1990s, a new generation of artists began rediscovering and building upon the foundations of drum and bass, merging its propulsive rhythms with sampling, jungle, and ambient influences. This resurgence helped cement drum and bass's reputation as a challenging, innovative, and distinctly British style of experimental rock music.
While still a niche genre, drum and bass continues to influence a wide range of musicians, from post-rock and math rock to electronic and industrial acts. Its complex, hypnotic grooves, abstract atmospherics, and uncompromising spirit have solidified its place as a vital and enduring force in the evolution of rock and experimental music.
