Neurofunk evolved from techstep as producers pushed bass design beyond distortion

Several original techstep producers — notably Ed Rush and Optical — eventually developed the neurofunk style, with artists like Teebee and Noisia further expanding it. Techstep had already pivoted DnB bass from aiming for deep low-end toward exploring timbre through distortion. Neurofunk took this further: complex morphing mid-bass built through FM, resampling, and modulation. The lineage techstep → neurofunk explains why neurofunk retains the cold, technical aesthetic while adding greater bass complexity and what critics called a funkier feel. Learners who understand techstep first can decode what neurofunk added.

Examples

Ed Rush & Optical’s ‘Bacteria’ (1999) is the bridge record: still identifiably techstep but pushing toward the intricate bass design that defines neurofunk. Noisia and Phace took the lineage further in the 2000s-2010s.

Assessment

Describe the direction of change from techstep to neurofunk: what did techstep pioneer in bass design that neurofunk then extended? Name two artists who made that transition.