Genres · Bass & breaks
Breaks
Dance music built on chopped-up funk drum breaks instead of a steady kick.
- Tempo, BPM
- 125–135
- Where it started
- The UK, 1990s
What it sounds like
Instead of the kick on every beat, the rhythm comes from “breaks”: drum solos sampled from old funk records, chopped and looped. Big, rolling, a little rough around the edges.
Hear it
The Chemical Brothers, “Block Rockin' Beats”
Rolling breakbeat drums and a huge bassline.
1997 · Posted by The Chemical Brothers · Open on YouTube
Listen for
- Drums that roll and stutter instead of thumping
- Old funk and hip-hop samples
- Big, distorted bass and synth stabs
Go if
You want energy with a bit of swagger.
Hear it this week
1 night
Nights with a DJ who plays breaks, from the venues' posts.