As drum and bass matured in the late 1990s it branched from a single root into many coexisting subgenres

As DnB matured in the mid-to-late 1990s, it fractured into distinct aesthetic directions coexisting under one BPM-and-breakbeat umbrella: techstep absorbed techno and sci-fi aesthetics; liquid funk (pioneered by High Contrast, Calibre) brought melodic warmth; hardstep pushed gritty basslines; jump-up used energetic humorous basslines; jazzstep and ‘intelligent’ DnB embraced jazz and ambient textures; neurofunk later developed from techstep. Roni Size & Reprazent’s Mercury Prize-winning ‘New Forms’ (1997) signalled wider critical recognition. The branching is a maturation, not fragmentation of identity — the shared structural core (tempo, syncopated breaks, sub-bass) holds while palette and mood diverge.

Examples

Techstep: Ed Rush & Optical ‘Wormhole’ — harsh, sci-fi textures, dense bass. Liquid: LTJ Bukem ‘Horizons’ — floating pads, jazzlike hi-hats. Both are DnB by tempo and breakbeat structure.

Assessment

Name four DnB subgenres that emerged in the mid-to-late 1990s and, for each, give one characteristic of its sonic palette. Explain what structural features they still share.