Deep DnB BPM
Deep DnB is usually mixed around 168-176 BPM, with 172 BPM as a practical DJ target. Moody, minimalist drum & bass with weighty sub-bass and immersive atmospheres. Calibre, LSB, Marcus Intalex, S.P.Y. The 'less is more' branch pioneered around the Soul:r label.
Viewing Deep DnB within the Drum & Bass family.
Drum & Bass BPM Reference
Drum & Bass: 160-180 BPM, typical 174 BPM.
| Genre | BPM Range | Typical BPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drum & Bass | 160-180 | 174 | Fast breakbeats and heavy sub-bass. Originated in the UK rave scene of the early 1990s. Energetic and bass-heavy. |
| Drumstep | 140-150 | 140 | Hybrid of D&B and dubstep: D&B drum patterns at dubstep tempo (140 BPM). Excision, Datsik, Flux Pavilion crossover sound. |
| Autonomic | 160-172 | 165 | Self-imposed 170 BPM 'speed limit' movement spearheaded by dBridge, Instra:mental and ASC on Exit Records around 2009-2011. Music first, drum & bass second: emotionally charged, spacious, sci-fi. |
| Jungle | 160-180 | 170 | The precursor to drum & bass. Chopped breakbeats, Jamaican sound system influence, and ragga/dancehall vocal samples. Goldie, Roni Size, LTJ Bukem. |
| Ragga Jungle | 160-180 | 170 | Heavy on Jamaican ragga vocal samples and dub influence. Congo Natty, General Levy, Aphrodite. The reggae-soundsystem branch of jungle. |
| Atmospheric D&B | 165-175 | 172 | Lush, ambient drum & bass: LTJ Bukem and Good Looking Records-defined. Jazz-tinged pads, deep bass, and meditative vibes. |
| Minimal D&B | 168-176 | 172 | Reduced, atmospheric D&B with sparse arrangements. Calibre, Marcus Intalex, dBridge's Autonomic sound. |
| Deep DnB | 168-176 | 172 | Moody, minimalist drum & bass with weighty sub-bass and immersive atmospheres. Calibre, LSB, Marcus Intalex, S.P.Y. The 'less is more' branch pioneered around the Soul:r label. |
| Liquid D&B | 170-178 | 174 | The melodic, soulful side of drum & bass. Smooth pads, vocals, and musical breakdowns over rolling beats. High Contrast, Calibre, London Elektricity. |
| Neurofunk | 170-178 | 174 | Technical, dark, and complex. Intricate sound design, glitchy bass, and precise engineering. Noisia, Black Sun Empire, Phace, Misanthrop. |
| Techstep | 168-178 | 174 | Late-90s dark, mechanical D&B that became the foundation for neurofunk. Ed Rush & Optical, Dom & Roland, Trace. No Knit roots. |
| Jump Up | 170-178 | 174 | Aggressive, crowd-oriented D&B with wobbly basslines and simple, high-energy arrangements designed to make people jump. Hazard, Original Sin, DJ Guv. |
| Darkstep | 170-180 | 174 | Aggressive, horror-tinged D&B. Distorted basslines, dark atmospheres, and brutal drops. Limewax, The Outside Agency, Cooh. |
| Halftime | 170-180 | 174 | D&B produced at 170+ BPM but with halftime drum patterns: feels like 85 BPM hip-hop. Ivy Lab, Stray, Sam Binga, Dabs. |
| Drumfunk | 170-178 | 174 | Edit-heavy, broken D&B prioritising chopped breakbeats over wobble bass. Paradox, Fanu, Equinox, Macc. The drummer's drum & bass. |
| Sambass | 170-180 | 174 | Brazilian D&B blended with samba percussion and bossa nova feel. DJ Marky, Patife, XRS Land. Brazilian movement of late 90s/early 2000s. |
| Crossbreed | 175-200 | 185 | Hybrid of D&B and hardcore: fast tempo, distorted hardcore kicks, and D&B drum patterns. Limewax, The Outside Agency, Forbidden Society. |
vibesdj.io/dj-tools - BPM ranges are practical DJ references, not strict genre boundaries.
Drum & Bass
Fast breakbeats and heavy sub-bass. Originated in the UK rave scene of the early 1990s. Energetic and bass-heavy.
Sub-genre BPM landscape
Drum & Bass sub-genres
Jungle
160–180The precursor to drum & bass. Chopped breakbeats, Jamaican sound system influence, and ragga/dancehall vocal samples. Goldie, Roni Size, LTJ Bukem.
Liquid D&B
170–178The melodic, soulful side of drum & bass. Smooth pads, vocals, and musical breakdowns over rolling beats. High Contrast, Calibre, London Elektricity.
Atmospheric D&B
165–175Lush, ambient drum & bass: LTJ Bukem and Good Looking Records-defined. Jazz-tinged pads, deep bass, and meditative vibes.
Neurofunk
170–178Technical, dark, and complex. Intricate sound design, glitchy bass, and precise engineering. Noisia, Black Sun Empire, Phace, Misanthrop.
Techstep
168–178Late-90s dark, mechanical D&B that became the foundation for neurofunk. Ed Rush & Optical, Dom & Roland, Trace. No Knit roots.
Jump Up
170–178Aggressive, crowd-oriented D&B with wobbly basslines and simple, high-energy arrangements designed to make people jump. Hazard, Original Sin, DJ Guv.
Darkstep
170–180Aggressive, horror-tinged D&B. Distorted basslines, dark atmospheres, and brutal drops. Limewax, The Outside Agency, Cooh.
Crossbreed
175–200Hybrid of D&B and hardcore: fast tempo, distorted hardcore kicks, and D&B drum patterns. Limewax, The Outside Agency, Forbidden Society.
Halftime
170–180D&B produced at 170+ BPM but with halftime drum patterns: feels like 85 BPM hip-hop. Ivy Lab, Stray, Sam Binga, Dabs.
Drumfunk
170–178Edit-heavy, broken D&B prioritising chopped breakbeats over wobble bass. Paradox, Fanu, Equinox, Macc. The drummer's drum & bass.
Minimal D&B
168–176Reduced, atmospheric D&B with sparse arrangements. Calibre, Marcus Intalex, dBridge's Autonomic sound.
Ragga Jungle
160–180Heavy on Jamaican ragga vocal samples and dub influence. Congo Natty, General Levy, Aphrodite. The reggae-soundsystem branch of jungle.
Drumstep
140–150Hybrid of D&B and dubstep: D&B drum patterns at dubstep tempo (140 BPM). Excision, Datsik, Flux Pavilion crossover sound.
Deep DnB
168–176Moody, minimalist drum & bass with weighty sub-bass and immersive atmospheres. Calibre, LSB, Marcus Intalex, S.P.Y. The 'less is more' branch pioneered around the Soul:r label.
Autonomic
160–172Self-imposed 170 BPM 'speed limit' movement spearheaded by dBridge, Instra:mental and ASC on Exit Records around 2009-2011. Music first, drum & bass second: emotionally charged, spacious, sci-fi.
Sambass
170–180Brazilian D&B blended with samba percussion and bossa nova feel. DJ Marky, Patife, XRS Land. Brazilian movement of late 90s/early 2000s.
- Core DJ range
- 168–176 BPM
- Practical target
- 172 BPM
- Evidence
- 8 curated reference tracks
- Track evidence
- 8 curated reference tracks
Use the BPM that makes loops, cue points, and phrase markers behave cleanly in your DJ software.
What BPM Is Deep DnB?
Deep DnB sits at 168–176 BPM as a core DJ range, with 172 BPM as a practical target for crate filtering and set planning. As a sub-genre of Drum & Bass, it sits within the broader 160–180 BPM family.
How to Read Deep DnB BPM in DJ Software
Deep DnB is usually mixed around 168-176 BPM, with 172 BPM as a practical DJ target. Use the range as a DJ planning reference, then verify each track's beatgrid before a set.
Reference Tracks for Deep DnB
The current reference snapshot does not include resolved BPM/key cards for Deep DnB. These curated references anchor the page's genre coverage:
DJ Overview for Deep DnB
Use this as a mixing and library-prep description, not an encyclopedia entry.
Compare Nearby Styles
Primary reference for this page.
Broader family range for planning transitions.
Same typical tempo; compare by arrangement and energy.
Same typical tempo; compare by arrangement and energy.
2 BPM slower typical tempo; useful for warmups or pull-backs.
Mix Into Deep DnB
Tempo overlap is only one part of the decision. These suggestions separate BPM fit from style fit so same-tempo but unrelated genres do not look like natural transitions.
Key Planning for Deep DnB
Deep DnB can be produced in any musical key, so use the BPM range as the first filter and then check each track's detected key before mixing. For melodic or vocal-heavy tracks, translate your library's key labels with the Camelot wheel and test compatible moves with the key compatibility checker.
Explore Related References
Mixing Tips
Tempo Window
Stay in the 168–176 BPM band for clean mixes; verify unknown tracks with the BPM tapper.
Harmonic Fit
Use the Camelot wheel to find compatible keys before transitioning, especially when Deep DnB tracks have prominent melodic content.
Tempo Bridges
When bridging into a different tempo, use the key transposer to plan how pitch change affects key, or transition during a breakdown where the beat drops.
Next Reference
Browse the EDM genre BPM chart or the music genre tree to see how Deep DnB relates to neighboring styles.
Typical Tempo
See tracks at the typical 172 BPM on the 172 BPM tracks page.
Hey, it's Ben Modigell 👋
I've been DJing and producing music as "so I so," focusing on downtempo, minimal, dub house, tech house, and techno. My background in digital marketing, web development, and UX design over the past 6 years helps me create DJ tutorials that are clear, practical, and easy to follow.
Author and Methodology
Maintained by Ben Modigell
Ben is the founder of Vibes and builds DJ library, preparation, BPM, and harmonic-mixing tools for working DJs.
Last updated:
Data used: 8 curated reference tracks
Evidence: 8 curated Deep DnB reference tracks; resolved BPM/key cards are shown only when exact genre evidence is available.
Source: Audio features sourced from ReccoBeats (https://reccobeats.com); track metadata via Spotify Search API. Spotify deprecated audio-features for new apps in Nov 2024. Manual label reference tracks use Beatport BPM/key metadata where available.
How this page is made: This page is generated from the Vibes genre taxonomy, curated reference tracks, computed evidence statistics, and reference track metadata where available. AI-assisted research helped draft the taxonomy notes; the visible page is rendered from structured data and reusable page logic.
Genre BPM ranges are practical DJ references, not statistical claims about every track. Different edits, live versions, and analysis engines may report slightly different tempos.
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