Broken beat
| Broken beat | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Early to mid-1990s, London, United Kingdom |
| Typical instruments | |
Broken beat or "BRUK" is an electronic music genre that can be characterized by syncopated rhythm typically in 4/4 meter, with staggered or punctuated snare beats and/or hand claps. It has heavily influenced music in the UK.
Artists in this area mostly have a drum and bass, house, hip hop, techno or acid jazz background. Broken beat also has its roots in 1970s jazz fusion and has been influenced by artists such as Lonnie Liston Smith, The Mizell Brothers (producers for Donald Byrd, Bobbi Humphrey and Johnny Hammond in the mid-1970s), Herbie Hancock, George Duke, and others. One might also hear echos of disco, 1980s contemporary R&B and funk (Shalamar, Prince), early electronica (Kraftwerk), hip hop ("Planet Rock"), 1980s new wave (Depeche Mode, New Order), house and techno in broken beat.
Broken beat first appeared in the 1990s and was pioneered by Bugz in the Attic, IG Culture, and the release of the 4hero album, Two Pages, was influential on the emerging sound and scene. John Bush from All Music called it "about as fusion-soaked as it gets." Appearing in the western parts of London, the genre is also referred to as West London, mainly because Goya Music's offices were in London's Ladbroke Grove, W11, as were most of the participating artists' studios.
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