Hardstep

Hardstep is a strain of drum and bass that emerged in London in 1994, named by *Grooverider* for its hard-stepping breakbeats, grinding basslines and stripped, aggressive swing. After the smoother sounds of jungle softened, producers like *Dillinja*, *DJ Hype* and *Ray Keith* pushed the drums forward and roughened the low end, a template documented on the compilation "Hardstep Selection Vol. 1". It became the dominant club sound of the late 1990s and the direct bridge from jungle to modern drum and bass.