{{Short description|EDM music genre and associated dance style}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}} {{Infobox music genre | name = Jumpstyle | image = | caption = Jumpstyle logo; commonly found on merchandise associated with the dance, such as hoodies | stylistic_origins = {{hlist|Mákina|gabber|hardstyle|hardcore|hard house|tech trance|industrial|techno}} | cultural_origins = Late 1990s—2000s in Belgium and Netherlands | fusiongenres = Melbourne bounce | regional_scenes = {{hlist|Belgium|Netherlands|Ireland|Germany|United Kingdom|Russia|Poland|France|Denmark|Australia|Luxembourg}} | other_topics = Yabujincore }}
'''Jumpstyle''' is a subgenre of electronic dance music that emerged in Western Europe in the late 1990s, particularly in Belgium and the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite web |date=29 January 2008 |title=What Is It? Jumpstyle |url=https://www.xlr8r.com/features/2008/01/what-is-it-jumpstyle |access-date=1 February 2014 |publisher=XLR8R}}</ref> It is associated with a distinctive dance style commonly referred to as ''jumpen''.
The genre developed within the broader European hard dance scene and became commercially prominent during the mid-2000s. In the 2020s, it experienced a revival through a microgenre known as "Yabujin-core", pioneered by Lithuanian rapper Yabujin.
==History== ===Late 1990s–early 2000s: Origins=== Jumpstyle is sometimes described as having roots in Chicago hard house{{citation needed|date=February 2026}}, though it developed its distinct identity in Europe. The style emerged in Belgium around 1997–1998, where artists such as Da Boy Tommy helped popularise the term "jumpstyle". In its early form, the genre remained relatively niche.
During the early 2000s, further stylistic development in Germany and the Netherlands contributed to its growing popularity across Europe.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Echo Chamber of ‘Postinternet Dance’ |url=https://artreview.com/lahorde-julia-stoschek-foundation-berlin-review/ |access-date=2025-06-30 |website=artreview.com |language=en}}</ref>
=== 2006–2008: Commercial peak === Jumpstyle reached a commercial peak between 2006 and 2008. DJs Ruthless and Vorwerk, who produced as Jeckyll & Hyde, released "Frozen Flame" and "Freefall", both of which became hits in the Netherlands. Jeckyll & Hyde would eventually become a live act which Ruthless & Vorwerk were not a part of. Patrick Jumpen also achieved chart success with tracks such as "The Secret" and "Holiday".
The German rave band Scooter contributed significantly to the genre's international exposure with singles including "The Question Is What Is the Question?" and "Jumping All Over the World". Their 2007 album ''Jumping All Over the World'' reached number one on the UK Albums Chart.
During this period, crossover experimentation increased. Several hands up producers, including Jens O., Bangbros, and Megastylez, incorporated jumpstyle elements into their productions. The compilation series ''Jumpstylemania'', released by Club Tools between 2007 and 2008, documented the genre’s commercial prominence{{citation needed|date=February 2026}}.
=== 2010s–2020s === By the early 2010s, jumpstyle's mainstream commercial presence had declined. Dedicated communities and online radio stations continued to support the genre, including JumpStation.FM, which operated from 2005 until 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jumpstation.fm/ |title=First French Tek / Hardtechno / Jump Radio |publisher=JumpStation.FM |date=28 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803210117/http://www.jumpstation.fm/ |access-date=1 February 2014|archive-date=3 August 2016 }}</ref> The style has also been fused with other genres. For example, Major Lazer and The Partysquad incorporated jumpstyle and hardstyle influences into the track "Original Don", and Joel Fletcher’s remix of Savage’s "Swing" features jumpstyle-inspired elements.{{citation needed|date=February 2026}}
In the early 2020s, the style experienced renewed online attention through Lithuanian rapper Yabujin who experimented with jumpstyle-inspired production under the alias DJ Gyrotta Zao.<ref name=":1" /> His style contributed to a "TikTok genre" referred to as "Yabujin-core", which gained traction on TikTok.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Press-Reynolds |first=Kieran |date=2025-02-19 |title=Chasing Yabujin, the Artist Who Secretly Shaped the Underground Sound of the 2020s |url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/chasing-yabujin-the-artist-who-secretly-shaped-the-underground-sound-of-the-2020s/ |access-date=2025-06-30 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Music== Jumpstyle developed from tech-trance, hardstyle, gabber, and mákina. Its tempo typically ranges between 140 and 150 BPM. While it shares characteristics with gabber, it is not simply a slowed-down form of that genre.
The style commonly features a 909 kick drum in a four-on-the-floor rhythm. It also incorporates elements from hard house and, in later developments, electro house. From around 2002–2003 onward, jumpstyle increasingly reflected hardstyle influences, including pitched basslines, melodic structures, multiband distortion, and synthesizers utilising square waveforms.<ref>{{cite web| publisher = Jumpisthestyle.com| title = Over Jumpen (about Jump)| url = http://jumpisthestyle.com/jumpstyle/overjump| access-date = 2 November 2008|language=nl}}</ref>
==Dance== The dance associated with jumpstyle is often referred to as ''jumpen'', derived from the English word "jump" combined with the Dutch and German infinitive suffix "-en".<ref>{{cite web|publisher=USA Jumpstyle |title=Jumpstyle Info |url=http://www.usajumpstyle.com/jumpinfo.htm |access-date=7 September 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080812055932/http://www.usajumpstyle.com/jumpinfo.htm |archive-date=12 August 2008 }}</ref>
It is characterised by energetic jumps, fast kicks, and rotational footwork performed in time with the music. Dancers typically maintain a relatively stiff upper body, with most expressive movement concentrated in the legs.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Jumpstyle Music Guide: 3 Characteristics of Jumpstyle Music - 2025 |url=https://www.masterclass.com/articles/jumpstyle-music-guide |access-date=2025-07-05 |website=MasterClass |language=en}}</ref>
Several stylistic variants exist, including oldschool, hardjump, ownstyle, and freestyle.{{citation needed|date=February 2026}} A performance involving two dancers is commonly referred to as a "duojump".<ref name=":0" /> Practitioners are often called "jumpers".
===Tournaments and competitions=== Jumpstyle competitions are frequently organised through online video submissions and internet-based contests. In Belgium, staged tournaments have been held, including the European Jump Masters.{{citation needed|date=February 2026}}
Online communities such as jumpstylers.ru began hosting online competitions and tournaments such as the World Sidejump League or WSJL,<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Summer JumpStyle League 2012 - teaser - JumpStyle Community JumpStylers.Ru |url=https://jumpstylers.ru/jumpstyle-league-video/1180-wsjl-2012-teaser.html |access-date=2026-05-31 |website=jumpstylers.ru}}</ref> where dancers all around the world competed for the top spot.
Despite competitions being held mostly online, some competitions did take place in real life, such as the Urban Dance Fire which took place in Moscow in 2016.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hPAq4t00WA |title=Urban Dance Fire Festival 2016(YouDesireFantasy) |date=2016-08-24 |last=Vladislav “YouDesireFantasy” Sukharev |access-date=2026-05-31 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
=== Jumpstyle groups and teams === Jumpstyle groups, such as the Russian Harddance Generation,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Russian Hard Dance Generation - JumpStyle Community JumpStylers.Ru |url=https://jumpstylers.ru/jumpstyle-teams/998-rhdg.html |access-date=2026-05-31 |website=jumpstylers.ru}}</ref> One Style Brothers,<ref>{{Cite web |title=[One Style Brothers] Jumpstyle Team - JumpStyle Community JumpStylers.Ru |url=https://jumpstylers.ru/jumpstyle-video/594-one-style-brothers-jumpstyle-team-sp-2016740808.html |access-date=2026-05-31 |website=jumpstylers.ru}}</ref> and the Los Angeles Hardjumperz<ref>{{Cite web |title=Facebook page |url=https://www.facebook.com/LosAngelesHardJumperz/}}</ref> were formed. These groups sometimes held meetings in public places such as parks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Video of a meeting held by a jumpstyle group known as the Just Can't Stop Team or JCST |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6HlO0O6Kt4}}</ref>
The most notable group that is still active to this day is a group known as the Atomic Destination Team, which originated from Poland in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Strona główna - Atomic Destination Team - Jumpstyle |url=https://adtjumpstyle.com/ |access-date=2026-05-31 |website=Atomic Destination Team – Jumpstyle |language=en-US}}</ref> The group posts about the dance on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ADT's Instagram page |url=https://www.instagram.com/adt_jumpstyle/}}</ref>
Jumpstyle movies also exist, in which a dancer showcases one's skill, which is sometimes accompanied by visual effects and edits to make the movie more visually appealing. Some jumpstyle movies also showcase the skill of other jumpers around the world.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZgxPXSUJ0k |title=JUMPSTYLE {{!}} ALLSTARS - This is your time [Official Video] |date=2013-05-01 |last=Xardas Jumpstyle |access-date=2026-05-31 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
=== Notable figures === Notable jumpers such as Scot and Jagr became prominent in the jumpstyle scene by participating in online tournaments and competitions. Many other notable jumpers exist, such as Vedr from Serbia, who was even featured on a talent show.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7hGFwF3r20 |title=JA IMAM TALENAT {{!}} JUMPSTYLE {{!}} VEDR [SERBIA] 13.1.2013. |date=2015-04-13 |last=Serbian Jumperz |access-date=2026-05-31 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
== Related genres ==
=== Yabujincore === '''Yabujincore''' (also known as '''Yabujin-core''' or '''Yabujin jumpstyle''') is an Internet music-based style of jumpstyle pioneered by Lithuanian rapper Yabujin. The style emerged through Yabujin's jumpstyle songs under the alias DJ GYROTTA ZAO, which according to ''Pitchfork'' spawned a "TikTok genre" referred to as "Yabujin-core".<ref name="Press-Reynolds">{{Cite web |last=Press-Reynolds |first=Kieran |date=February 19, 2025 |title=Chasing Yabujin, the Artist Who Secretly Shaped the Underground Sound of the 2020s |url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/chasing-yabujin-the-artist-who-secretly-shaped-the-underground-sound-of-the-2020s/ |website=Pitchfork}}</ref> British magazine ''Dazed'' noted the style as "Yabujin jumpstyle", defined as "a niche internet movement", adding that "the yabujin community thrives on platforms like TikTok and Discord, offering a virtual space for fans of hardstyle music".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Matalqa |first=Noura |date=2025-03-16 |title=Beyond Borders: Reimagining flags in the digital age |url=https://www.dazed.me/art-photography/beyond-borders-reimagining-flags-in-the-digital-age |access-date=2026-04-05 |website=Dazed MENA |language=en-US}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Dance}} {{Electronica}} {{street dance}} {{Hardcore dance music-footer}}
Category:Dance culture Category:Dance in the Netherlands Category:Belgian styles of music Category:Dutch styles of music Category:Electronic dance music genres Category:Rave