Hardstep

This article is about the drum and bass subgenre. For the dubstep/hardstyle hybrid, see dubstyle.

Hardstep is a subgenre of drum and bass which emerged in the mid-1990s.^[1] It is characterized by a gritty production style that consists of an inner-city feel. The breaks are less choppy than oldschool jungle, and have faster and harder simple electronic melodies. One characteristic is an accentuated, and yet sparse percussive beat.^[2]

Hardstep
Stylistic origins	Oldschool jungle breakbeat hardcore darkcore
Cultural origins	Mid-1990s, United Kingdom
Derivative forms	Techstep

The genre found favor with junglists, and though it has been overtaken in popularity by techstep, the fans of the style still remain. Early hardstep artists include DJ Hype, and DJ Zinc.^[3]