# Techstep

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Heavy subgenre of drum and bass

Techstep Stylistic origins Drum and bass industrial hardstep darkcore techno Belgian hardcore techno Cultural origins Mid-1990s, Great Britain Derivative forms Breakcore darkstep neurofunk Other topics List of drum and bass artists drum and bass record labels

**Techstep** is a dark subgenre of [drum and bass](/source/Drum_and_bass) that was created in the mid-1990s.[1]

## Style

It is characterized by a dark,[2] [sci-fi](/source/Sci-fi) mood, near-exclusive use of [synthesised](/source/Synthesiser) or [sampled](/source/Sampler_(musical_instrument)) sound sources, [hardstep](/source/Hardstep) kicks and snares[3] and influences from [industrial](/source/Industrial_music) and [techno](/source/Techno) music, what some writers have described as a "clinical" sound.[4] Although described as having a "techy" feel, techstep's relationship with techno should not be overstated. It shares the technique of creating a high-energy collage from abstract, synthetic noises, including samples, bleeps and squelches: it rarely uses instruments that have not been processed by effects. Similarly, [quantized](/source/Quantization_(music)) drum-machine kit and percussion sounds are favored over naturalistic human [breakbeats](/source/Break_(music)). However, it usually adheres to drum and bass norms in other regards, especially in terms of musical structure, with the emphasis on the "drop". Techstep saw [jungle music](/source/Jungle_music)'s obsession with bass change, from aiming for low and deep to exploring [timbre](/source/Timbre), artists aiming to outdo each other with ever more [distorted](/source/Distortion) and "twisted" bass sounds.

## History

Techstep developed from [jungle music](/source/Jungle_music) and [hardstep](/source/Hardstep) around 1995.[5] The name of the genre was coined by Ed Rush and Trace, who were both instrumental in shaping the sound of techstep.[6] In this case, "tech" did not refer to the smoother style of [Detroit techno](/source/Detroit_techno), but to the raver, more caustic hardcore sounds that were popular in [Belgium](/source/Belgium) in the earlier part of the decade, often known as [Belgian techno](/source/Belgian_techno).[7] Techstep was a reaction to the appearance of more pop and virtuosic musical elements on jungle and drum 'n' bass tracks, which were seen as an adulteration of "true" or "original" jungle.[8] Instead the genre was infused with a simpler, colder sound that stripped away most [R&B](/source/Contemporary_R%26B) elements, and replaced them with a more hardcore sound,[9] and ideological influences like [dystopian](/source/Dystopia) films like *[Blade Runner](/source/Blade_Runner)* and *[RoboCop](/source/RoboCop)*.[10] One of the first incarnations of the techstep sound is DJ Trace's remix of T-Power's "Mutant Jazz" which appeared on S.O.U.R. Recordings in 1995. This remix, co-produced by Ed Rush and Nico, features the trademark stepping beats and distorted [Reese bassline](/source/Kevin_Saunderson#The_Reese_Bassline) which would become symbolic of the techstep genre. The *Torque* compilation (No U Turn), the *Techsteppin'* compilation (Emotif), *Breakage* LP (Penny Black 1997), and *Platinum Breakz 1, 2*, and *MDZ 01* (Metalheadz) feature some selections of techstep tracks.

Some of the original techstep producers eventually developed the [neurofunk](/source/Neurofunk) style. These included early pioneers [Ed Rush](/source/Ed_Rush) and [Optical](/source/Optical_(artist)). Artists such as [Teebee](/source/Teebee) and [Noisia](/source/Noisia) further developed the Neurofunk sound. [Moving Shadow](/source/Moving_Shadow) and [Metalheadz](/source/Metalheadz) were important labels in the development of the style.

## See also

- [Digital hardcore](/source/Digital_hardcore)

- [Breakbeat](/source/Breakbeat)

- [Breakbeat hardcore](/source/Breakbeat_hardcore)

- [Dubstep](/source/Dubstep)

- [Breakcore](/source/Breakcore)

- [Darkstep](/source/Darkstep)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Frere-Jones, Sasha (1997-11-11). ["But Then Again, Who Says It Should?"](http://www.villagevoice.com/music/9745,212159,332,22.html). [Village Voice](/source/Village_Voice). Retrieved 2008-06-05.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Fritz, Jimi; Tristan O'Neill; Virginia Smallfry; Trent Warlow (1999). [*Rave Culture: An Insider's Overview*](https://books.google.com/books?id=CiW3aOptLW4C). Small Fry Publishers. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-9685721-0-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-9685721-0-3).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Over two hours of prime techstep from DJ Mark N."](https://darkfloor.co.uk/two-hours-prime-techstep-dj-mark-n/) *Darkfloor*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-rough_4-0)** Shapiro, Peter (1999). [*Drum 'n' Bass: The Rough Guide*](https://books.google.com/books?id=IxEpAyPvyXoC). [Rough Guides](/source/Rough_Guides). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-85828-433-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-85828-433-3).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Venderosa, Tony (2002). [*The Techno Primer: The Essential Reference for Loop-based Music*](https://books.google.com/books?id=VT7_x7m-RWcC). [Hal Leonard Corporation](/source/Hal_Leonard_Corporation). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-634-01788-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-634-01788-8).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Reynolds, Simon](/source/Simon_Reynolds) (2005). "War in the Jungle". In Bennett, Andy; Shank, Barry (eds.). [*The Popular Music Studies Reader*](https://books.google.com/books?id=QQZNciX0OgEC). [Routledge](/source/Routledge). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-415-30710-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-415-30710-9).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Reynolds, Simon (2012). *Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture*. Picador. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-59376-407-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-59376-407-4). The term (Techstep) was coined by DJ–producers Ed Rush and Trace, who shaped the sound in tandem with engineer Nico of the No U Turn label. The 'tech' stood not for Detroit techno, dreamy and elegant, but for the brutalist Belgian hardcore of the early nineties. Paying homage to R & S classics like 'Dominator' and 'Mentasm', to artists like T99 and Frank de Wulf (...)., p. 357.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Monroe, Alexei (1999). "Thinking about mutation: genres in 1990s electronica". In Blake, Andrew (ed.). *Living Through Pop*. [Routledge](/source/Routledge). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-415-16199-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-415-16199-1).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Mitchell, Tony (2001). [*Global Noise: Rap and Hip-hop Outside the USA*](https://archive.org/details/globalnoiseraphi00mitc). Middletown: [Wesleyan University Press](/source/Wesleyan_University_Press). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8195-6502-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8195-6502-4).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-genecs_10-0)** [Reynolds, Simon](/source/Simon_Reynolds) (1999). [*Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture*](https://books.google.com/books?id=tGaRJiXe74UC). [Routledge](/source/Routledge). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-415-92373-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-415-92373-5).

v t e Drum and bass Darkstep Drill 'n' bass Drumfunk Drumstep Hardstep Intelligent Atmospheric Jazzstep Jump-up Jungle Darkcore Ragga jungle Liquid funk Neurofunk Sambass Techstep

v t e Techno Subgenres Acid techno Ambient techno Birmingham sound Bleep techno Detroit techno Dub techno Hardtechno Free tekno Industrial techno Minimal techno Schaffel Tech house Tech trance Toytown techno Related Ghettotech Hard trance Hardcore Bouncy techno Gabber IDM Microhouse Nortec Power noise Techstep Tecno brega

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Techstep](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Techstep) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Techstep?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.