Neurofunk

Neurofunk (commonly abbreviated neuro) is a subgenre of drum and bass pioneered by

Neurofunk (commonly abbreviated neuro) is a subgenre of drum and bass pioneered by producers Ed Rush, Optical, Matrix, and MC/producer Ryme Tyme circa 1997/1998 in London, England as a progression of techstep. It was further developed by juxtaposed elements of heavier and darker forms of funk with multiple influences ranging from techno, house and jazz, characterized by consecutive stabs over the bassline and rhythmically structured by razor-sharp backbeats where highly nuanced, dark ambient atmospheric production is prominent. The prototype sound of the early evolution of neurofunk - diverging from its techstep counterpart - at its most creative period which defined the style, can be heard on the essential live mix by Ed Rush & Optical for Radio 1 (1998).

Between 1999 and 2000, Scottish producers Konflict advanced the sound and structure of the style into a harsher, darker, stripped-down form with a stronger techno influence at the forefront of their productions. Konflict´s innovative contributions during this period was to set a certain standard for 21st century producers to follow suit. Since the early experimental stages of neurofunk when producer Optical defined the subgenre with his seminal track "To Shape the Future" (Metalheadz Records/1997), producers Sinthetix, Cause 4 Concern, and Silent Witness & Break took Konflict´s minimalist approach to production in 2002 with emphasis on colder, precision beat engineering, harder stabs over the bassline and sharper mixdowns - another influence on some subtle changes of sound over the years, were the continuous developments of music production software and recording studio equipment - with further new dimensions of performance by producers Rob F (ex-Sinthetix), Fierce, Optiv, Corrupt Souls, Mindscape, Noisia, Phace, The Upbeats, Misanthrop, Jade & Matt U, Prolix, Desimal, and Psidream. Producer Gridlok however, mostly focused on complex horn arrangements of the big band era in jazz yet maintained the dissonance of classic neurofunk minimalism in his music.