Printable page: Breakbeat

Uneven, syncopated drum beats are the hallmark of breakbeat [Audio], a style with many different offshoots. Sometimes the drum beats are actually samples from hip-hop or reggae songs that have been sped up; other times they're more freeform, resembling acid jazz. Breakbeat is fast, usually around 130-150 beats per minute, and is good at getting crowds to dance.

Jungle [Audio], a breakbeat style gaining a good deal of popularity in North Carolina, is more layered and complex than simple breakbeat. Sampled vocals are often heard. Jungle is sometimes called "drum-n-bass," and debate rages among deejays over whether they're synonymous or not. Jump-up jungle [Audio] is a less complex, stripped-down version of jungle music.

Funky breaks [Audio] is a slower style of breakbeat, sometimes confused with trip-hop. "Trip-hop" is a fusion of breakbeat with ambient music, but the term covers a wide range of material and regional differences confuse matters. "Funky breaks could mean breakbeat house from Florida, or laid-back trippy hip hop and jazz, which is a U.K. creation," says Uzoma Nwosu, deejay and director of music for a Chapel Hill record store. "The latter is the more common usage."

Elektro [Audio] relies more heavily on hip-hop influence and the sounds of the Roland 808 drum machine. "Think 1980s breakdancing music," Nwosu says of elektro.

Additional breakbeat styles include "darkside" or "darkstep," a London creation with a slower, darker sound; "speed garage," a fusion of jungle and house; and others.


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