Anonymous asked beatbar:

“whats neurofunk? i cant tell the difference between other d&b and it”

There’s not a really simple answer to that question.

Yeah, a lot of people who don’t listen to much electronica would not be able to point out a neuro track in amongst some liquid and skullstep.

Some people think sub genres are pointless because there will always be exceptions to the rules that define them, but I believe they are useful when looking for music of a similar sound or aesthetic. Neurofunk definitely warrants the need for sub-genre; it has grown a huge amount and has a dedicated community and a huge listener-base behind it. Also, there are Neuro productions that hardly even sound like Drum n Bass any more; it might as well be an entirely new genre of music in some cases.

Neurofunk covers a lot of ground nowadays, so to give a description of what it sounds like is a bit tricky, but fans of drum n bass can always know a neuro track when they hear one.

Years ago this question would be easier to answer. I would have  said “dark, minimal drum n bass productions with funky undertones and sharp, intricate drum rhythms.”

But now, neurofunk can be a lot of things. It can be dark and brooding, funky and danceable, powerful and thick, minimal and intricate, a-tonal, melodic or angry. Xilent and other similar artists have even shown us that Neurofunk can be uplifting and bright. 

Tension, I think, is definitely something that almost every neurofunk track possesses. It is a big part of why I love neuro, the sound designs are so.. anxious… like they are almost reaching something but not quite. I describe this feeling as “suppressed energy.” Even uplifting neurofunk can have this feeling, but it is definitely more prominent in the really dark stuff. Some of this has to do with the drums; they tend to be minimal yet powerful at the some time.

The neurofunk sub-reddit has this to say:

How would we describe Neurofunk? Deep rolling basslines with a more minimal approach to the breaks & synths. Probably the most mature sound of drum n bass. A very refined style, usually featuring a dark or deep feeling to the music, but also with an edge of funk. Typically features heavy sampling and many layered drum hits. Very technical production.

I think that’s a pretty nice general description of the genre.

The track I’ve included is Stoppit, by the mighty Spor, and is one of my favourite neuro tracks.

You can also press the NEUROFUNK button on The Beat Bar to see everything I’ve tagged as neuro.