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Jazzstep — when drum & bass learns to speak the language of jazz

Jazzstep is a subgenre of drum & bass in which broken electronic rhythms are combined with jazz harmony, live instruments, and an improvisational mindset. It is music where the high speed of DnB does not conflict with jazz sophistication, but rather highlights it.

Today, Jazzstep is increasingly listened to online as an intelligent and atmospheric form of drum & bass — music for focused listening, background play, and concentration.

What Jazzstep really is

Jazzstep is not just “DnB with a saxophone.” Its essence goes much deeper.

In this style:

• the fast drum & bass tempo is preserved,
• jazz chords and progressions are used,
• live instruments or authentic samples are applied,
• swing, dynamics, and a sense of “play” matter more than machine precision.

Jazzstep sounds fast and relaxed at the same time, which makes it unique within the DnB scene.

Genre history: from atmospheric DnB to jazz thinking

Jazzstep emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s as a natural continuation of:

• atmospheric drum & bass,
• intelligent DnB,
• experiments with jazz samples in jungle.

Producers began moving away from rigid rave aesthetics and increasingly drew inspiration from:

• jazz,
• soul,
• fusion,
• film music.

Thus, Jazzstep became a bridge between club electronics and live musical tradition.

Sound and technical characteristics

• Tempo: 160–175 BPM
• Rhythm: breakbeat, often soft and fluid
• Harmony: jazz chords, extended harmonies
• Instruments: saxophone, trumpet, double bass, piano
• Bass: warm, rounded, non-aggressive

Production often follows the Organic Sound principle — the track’s breathing matters more than sterile precision.

Jazzstep and the Organic Sound philosophy

In 2025–2026, Jazzstep fits perfectly into the Organic Sound trend — a move toward natural, human-focused sound in electronic music.

The genre is valued because it:

• preserves micro-dynamics,
• uses live instruments or honest recordings,
• avoids hyper-compression,
• sounds warm and spacious.

Jazzstep is drum & bass that breathes, not presses.

How Jazzstep differs from related styles

• Liquid Funk — more soul-oriented and vocal
• Atmospheric DnB — more ambient and spatial
• Drumfunk — rhythmically complex but less harmonic
• Jazzstep — focus on jazz harmony and live timbres

Key artists and the scene

• LTJ Bukem
• Makoto
• Roni Size
• Peshay
• Nu:Tone

Jazzstep as music for focus

Despite its high BPM, Jazzstep is often chosen as:

• background music,
• music for concentration,
• a soundtrack for work and creativity.

Conclusion

Jazzstep is a meeting of speed and intelligence, electronics and jazz, rhythm and improvisation.

Listen to Jazzstep online, discover popular tracks and new releases on Minatrix.FM.