Do you find yourself jamming to some heavy bass and dubstep? Bass music is for you then! The greatest thing about EDM is the wide range of genres, and even within each genre, there are so many subgenres within that will expand your taste and bring you more and more new music and styles! This blog will go into depth revolving around bass music and the subgenres within bass music.

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Dubstep

This is one of the biggest subgenres of bass music. It originated in Europe in the early 2000s so it is relatively newer compared to other EDM genres. Music classified as dubstep consists of heavy basslines and 2-step rhythms. The genre grew in popularity as DJs played it on BBC Radio as well as being played in the British local scene in the mid 2000s.

It especially grew in popularity thanks to American producers, notably Skrillex who helped the genre’s popularity grow in the US. It grew to mainstream popularity also thanks to the rise of YouTube channels like UKF Dubstep that would bring exposure to younger listeners. Some notable dubstep artists include Flux Pavilion, Knife Party, Chase & Status, and more during the early phases. Some bigger ones now in the scene include Excision, Zomboy, Virtual Riot, Subtronics, Zeds Dead and more.

Riddim

Riddim is technically a subgenre of dubstep. It features more minimal sub-bass and triplet sounds. It grew to popularity around the mid 2010s. It will typically use more clap elements instead of snares. Compared to regular dubstep, it will sound like there is more space and less chaos going on. Some notable riddim DJs include Infekt, Midnight Tyrannosaurus, BadKlaat, Boogie T, Ganja White Night, and more.

Drum and Bass

Drum and bass, also known as DnB emerged in the UK rave scene in the 1990s and is one of the older subgenres of bass music. It has characteristics of faster beats at around 165-185 bpm and heavy bass and sub bass elements. Many DnB songs also have melodic vocals on the songs. Some of the most popular DnB artist include Sub Focus, Chase & Status, Wilkinson, Delta Heavy, Netsky, Dimension, and many more.

Trap

Trap is a unique subgenre of hip hop that features elements of dubstep and bass music that came around in the 1990s. It became popular with the mainstream around the early 2010s and producers like Baauer, RL Grime and Flosstradamus, and Yellow Claw brought it to more mainstream popularity. Trap music consists of heavy sub-bass, rhythmic snares and kick drums. Trap also grew in popularity globally such as in South Korea in K-pop where they incorporated trap elements that brought attention to this genre of music.

Melodic Bass

Melodic bass is another sub genre of bass music that incorporates bassy elements of dubstep along with more euphoric melodies from trance. It includes harmonies along with heavy drops that has become more popular as of late, thanks to DJs like Seven Lions, Jason Ross, Illenium, Mitis, Trivecta, Nurko and more.

Future Bass

Future bass is like a combination of dubstep and trap, and has softer, less harsh rhythms compared to both. Future bass was pioneered by artists like Hudson Mohawke and San Holo and brought to mainstream popularity by DJs like Flume, Louis the Child, Mura Masa and more.

Bass House

Bass house is a combination of house and bass elements of riddim and dubstep. The tempo for bass house usually sits around 120-130 bpm similar to regular house and will typically be slower than dubstep. It is also relatively newer, arising in the mid 2010s. Some notable DJs in this subgenre include Joyryde, Habstrakt, Tchami, Jace Mek, Knock2 and more.

New Beat or Midtemp Bass

There is a very new subgenre of bass music called modern new beat which is also referred to as midtemp bass. This subgenre has elements of versatility and can range from gritty and heavy to calm and melodic. Some producers in this subgenre include Rezz, 1788-L, and Notaker.

If you’re struggling to get into bass music, hopefully this article will provide some guidance on the different types of bass music and with the wide range of different sounds that go into it!