History
Broken beat is a form of electronic dance music that began in the late 1990s s1. It is also called bruk s1. The music has syncopated, choppy rhythms instead of a straight four-to-the-floor beat s1. It often uses female vocals and sounds from 1970s jazz-funk s1. It is influenced by house, drum and bass, hip hop, techno, acid jazz and R&B s1. It uses samplers, analogue synthesizers and live instruments s1. The style appeared in West London and is sometimes called 'West London' s1. Bugz in the Attic and IG Culture were pioneers s1. The 4hero album Two Pages was important to the new sound s1. The music mixes funk, soul and hip hop with abstract drum and bass s1. Producers such as Kaidi Tatham and Seiji became well known s2. Club nights such as Co-op and Plastic People hosted the scene s1. Broken beat is different from breakbeat: it is a jazz and soul scene, not a rave style s2.
Sound
- Syncopated, choppy drum patterns
- Jazz-funk chords and live instruments
- Soulful female vocals
- A warm, complex mix
- No strict four-to-the-floor beat
Key figures
- Bugz in the Attic — West London collective central to broken beat
- IG Culture — Producer linked to the start of the scene
- 4hero — Drum and bass act whose album shaped the sound
- Kaidi Tatham — Multi-instrumentalist and producer in the scene
Labels
- Reinforced Records — London , 1989
- People Music — London , 1997
- Bitasweet — London , 1997
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Drum and Bass , Garage House , Jungle
Sources
- Broken beat — Wikipedia
- Charting the Evolution of West London's Broken Beat Sound — Bandcamp Daily