| Broken beat | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Bruk |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Late 1990s,London, UK |
| Derivative forms | Gqom,Dubstep,UK Funky |
Broken beat (sometimes referred to as "bruk") is anelectronic dance music genre that emerged in the late 1990s and is characterized bysyncopated beats and frenetic, choppy rhythms, often alongside female vocals and elements inspired by 1970sjazz-funk.[1] It has been heavily influenced by styles such ashouse,drum and bass,hip hop,techno,acid jazz, andR&B.[1] The eclectic style generally avoided rigidfour-on-the-floor rhythms and could make use of samplers, analogue synths, and live instrumentation.[2]
Broken beat first appeared in the late 1990s and was pioneered byBugz in the Attic,IG Culture, and the release of the4hero albumTwo Pages was influential on the emerging sound and scene.[3] John Bush from AllMusic called it "about as fusion-soaked as it gets."[4] Appearing in the western parts ofLondon, the genre is also referred to as "West London", mainly because Goya Music's offices were in London'sLadbroke Grove,W11, as were most of the participating artists' studios.[5]
Bugz in the Attic's Neon Phusion, Mark Force, Afronaut andIG Culture are credited with kick-starting the scene with numerous releases under various monikers, and the New Sector Movements releases for People Music. The sound created combined a variety of music styles including funk, soul, and hip-hop.[6] The transition was to a more abstract form of drum and bass. Many artists that started releasing through4hero's Reinforced label are now considered pioneers of broken beat. Simultaneously, establishedtechno artists likeCarl Craig andStacey Pullen experimented with the music they were making, trying to addjazz elements and breaks to their sound. As the music is still based on classic Detroit techno and usually has a harder sound, it is sometimes referred to as "broken techno". This eclectic mixture was picked up by the Detroit and jazz-affiliated UK techno producersKirk Degiorgio orAs One andIan O'Brien, who tried to form it into a more soulful variation which further influenced the development of the broken beat genre.[7]
Broken beat draws from 1970sjazz-funk and has been influenced by artists such asLonnie Liston Smith,the Mizell Brothers (producers forDonald Byrd,Bobbi Humphrey andJohnny Hammond in the mid-1970s),Herbie Hancock,George Duke, and others. One might also hear in broken beat, echos ofdisco, 1980scontemporary R&B andfunk (Shalamar,Prince), earlyelectronica (Kraftwerk),hip hop ("Planet Rock"), 1980snew wave (Depeche Mode,New Order), drum and bass, house and techno.
Regular nights that play this genre of music include Co-op, held at Velvet Rooms, and then a few years later moving on to Plastic People, a famous club located in London, for a number of years before re-launching at East Village - both in Shoreditch. In 2008, Afronaut and Bruce Q (Liquid Fusion) teamed up for monthly Co-op sessions which was launched at Concrete in Birmingham. Liquid Fusion ran every Sunday at the Living Room first (2000-2002) then onto Zinc (2002-2008). It had a following of several hundred weekly. Another night was Inspiration Information, previously atNotting Hill Arts Club which then went on to be at East Village in Shoreditch.[8][9]
In March 2023, DJ Cengiz introduced Bruk Therapy Nights, an event series held initially at Grow Hackney Wick in East London. The initiative aims to cultivate a vibrant fusion ofSoul,Jazz,House, and Future Beats, with a particular emphasis on the enthralling realm of Bruk/Broken Beats. These dynamic nights receive steadfast support from members of Selectors Assemble, a collective of DJ/producers dedicated to bolstering projects affiliated with CoOp Presents and Dance Regular labels. Their collaborative efforts spotlight the abundant talent within London's Bruk/Broken Beat movement, fostering an atmosphere of musical exploration and community engagement.