History
Big beat is a British term for a loud, sample-heavy type of electronic music s1. It uses heavy breakbeats and synthesizer loops from acid house and techno s1. It also uses loops from 1960s and 1970s funk, soul, jazz and rock songs s1. Tracks often include punk-style vocals or rap s1. They use drops, builds, drum rolls, sirens and film samples s1. The tempo is usually 100 to 140 beats per minute s1. This is slower than jungle and drum and bass s1. The style was named by the British music press s1. It had its commercial peak between 1995 and 1999 s1. The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, The Prodigy and the Crystal Method were the well-known acts s1s2. Fatboy Slim's album You've Come a Long Way, Baby was a worldwide hit s1. Big beat appeared in many advertisements and films s1. Its popularity fell quickly after 2001 s1.
Sound
- Heavy, distorted breakbeats
- Big funk and rock samples
- Loud, compressed drums
- Sirens, horns and film samples
- A tempo slower than jungle
Key figures
- The Chemical Brothers — British duo central to big beat
- Fatboy Slim — British producer behind big beat hits
- The Prodigy — British group that mixed big beat with punk and rave
- The Crystal Method — American duo in the big beat style
Labels
- Skint Records — Brighton , 1995
- Virgin Records — London , 1972
- XL Recordings — London , 1989
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Breakbeat , Hip Hop Breaks , Breakbeat Hardcore
Led to: Nu-Skool Breaks