Breakbeat

[edit] Americola's celebrity biographies are provided by AmericolaWiki, a celebrity wiki. You can help contribute to Americola and edit this article.

This article is about breakbeat, the electronic dance music genre. For the technique and the meaning of the term with hip-hop and funk music see break (music). For the record label, see Breakbeat Kaos

Breakbeat
Stylistic origins:	Rave, Techno, Hip-hop, Dancehall
Cultural origins:	early 1970s New York City, mid-1990s, London, Brighton, Bristol
Typical instruments:	Synthesizer - Drum machine - Sequencer - Keyboard - Sampler - Laptop
Mainstream popularity:	Small, largely in late 1990s United Kingdom as well as United States, Australia and Europe.
Derivative forms:	Big beat
Subgenres
Funky Breaks - 2Step - Hardcore - Breakcore - Broken beat - Drill n bass - Drum'n'bass - Grime - Jungle - Nu skool breaks - Techstep
Regional scenes
Florida
Other topics
Notable breakbeat artists

Breakbeat (sometimes breakbeats or breaks) is a term used to describe a collection of sub-genres of electronic music, usually characterized by the use of a non-straightened 4/4 drum pattern (as opposed to the steady beat of house or trance). These rhythms may be characterised by their intensive use of syncopation and polyrhythms, which are prominent in all music of African origin, including African American music.

History

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, hip-hop DJs (starting with DJ Kool Herc) began using several breaks (the part of a funk or jazz song in which the music "breaks" to let the rhythm section play unaccompanied) in a row to use as the rhythmic basis for hip-hop songs. One of the most commonly-used breaks was the Amen Break, which has appeared in many songs from many different genres.

In the early 1990s, acid house artists and producers started using breakbeat samples in their music to create breakbeat hardcore, aka rave music. The hardcore scene then diverged into sub-genres like Jungle and Drum and Bass, which generally had a darker sound and focused more on complex sampled drum patterns. A good example of this is Goldie's album 'Timeless'.

In recent times, the term breakbeat has become synonymous with the many genres of breaks music which have become popular within the global dance music scene, including nu skool breaks and progressive breaks. DJs from a variety of genres, including house and techno, work breaks tracks into their sets. This may occur because the tempo of breaks tracks (ranging from 115 to 150 beats per minute) means they can be readily mixed with these genres, whereas the comparatively fast speed of jungle and drum and bass (165-180 bpm) may have restricted the utility of these subgenres to DJs playing slower-tempo music.

Breakbeat (or funky breakbeat) may also refer to the music of bands such as Breakestra, who play funk and soul music with an emphasis on the elements that became popular in hip-hop and later breaks-based music. This sound is characterized by slower tempos (80-110 bpm) and organic, "human" rhythms. It is sometimes differentiated by the term "broken beat".

See also

• Category:Breakbeat musicians
• List of electronic music genres
• Big beat
• Organic Breaks

Breakbeat/Breaks
2Step - Big beat - Breakcore - Broken beat - Drill n bass - Florida - Hardcore - Hardcore Breaks - Nu skool - Progressive
Other electronic music genres
Ambient | Breakbeat | Dance | Drum and bass | Electronica | Electronic Art Music | Hard Dance | Hardcore | House | Industrial | Synthpop | Techno | Trance

be:Брэйкбіт

de:Breakbeat es:Breakbeat fr:Breakbeat hr:Breakbeat it:Breakbeat hu:Breakbeat nl:Breakbeat ja:ブレイクビーツ no:Breakbeat pl:Breakbeat pt:Breakbeat ru:Брейкбит sr:Брејк бит fi:Breakbeat sv:Breakbeat

Wikipedia information about Breakbeat This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Breakbeat". It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer). Help contribute to Americola and edit this article.