Drill 'n' bass


Drill 'n' bass is a subgenre of electronic music which developed in the mid-1990s as IDM artists began experimenting with elements of drum and bass, breakbeat, and jungle music. Artists utilized powerful audio software programs and deployed frenzied, irregular tempos that often discouraged dancing. The style was often interpreted as having a lightly parodic relationship with the dance styles that inspired it.

History

Early exponents of drill 'n' bass included Luke Vibert, Aphex Twin, and Squarepusher. The style was pioneered by Vibert on his 1995 EPs under the name Plug. Other pioneering releases included Aphex Twin's Hangable Auto Bulb EP and Squarepusher's EP.
By the end of the 1990s, it had largely dissipated. Subsequent artists such as Kid606 drew on the style. It would help produce the IDM spin-off genre breakcore, which took a more earnest and frenetic approach to the jungle sound.