Breakbeat
Breakbeat is an electronic dance music genre characterized by manipulated and looped drum breaks sampled from funk, soul, and jazz records, most notably the Amen break. It serves as the foundational architecture for jungle, drum and bass, and big beat, emphasizing syncopated rhythmic complexity, heavy basslines, and high-energy dancefloor drive.
Origin: United Kingdom, heavily influenced by New York hip-hop and Chicago house.
Era: Late 1980s to present, with peak popularity in the 1990s.
