What are breaks? The term �breaks�, derived from �breakbeat�, describes a particular style of electronic music, which originated from �breakbeat�. The �break� refers to both the offbeat nature of the drum rhythm and the heavy use of samples. So where did �breaks� come from? �Breaks� began in the early 1970�s, with the birth of Hip Hop. 3 New York DJ�s began to use the �2 decks & a mixer� technology of disco to cut between records and play the parts they wanted to form a completely new sound. They particularly noticed that the instrumental breakdowns, where just the drums were left (the breakbeat), sent the crowds wild and began to extend these �breaks� by cutting between 2 copies of the same record. Using these �samples� also enabled MC�s to rap over the music. A breakbeat (break or breakdown) was effectively any sampled piece of music. More precisely, a breakbeat was a sample of a break, which could be looped and manipulated. Now, of course, a breakbeat also refers to the offbeat rhythm associated with Hip Hop, Drum & Bass etc. Confusingly, it is also the name given to the early �breaks� sound. Soon the samples were being recorded and looped, using the improving technology available. This advancement allowed those without turntable skills to begin to produce their own material, opening up the sound to a far wider audience. But this technology also opened up a new approach to creating music. Cutting samples of beats from different sources and pasting them together enabled new, original breakbeats and rhythms to be produced. At the start of the 1980�s, Hip-Hop began to filter into the UK, where the technology and sound continued to develop. The influence of hardcore in the early 1990�s saw the breakbeats getting faster and more complex, morphing into Drum & Bass and Jungle. As these genres exploded across the UK, breakbeats started to increase in popularity, branching off into several styles. Trip-Hop and Big Beat were two early examples. Meanwhile, another group of producers were pioneering the sound we now know as �Breaks�. Combining the basslines of Jungle, with Electro, Hardcore, Drum & Bass, Hip Hop or Techno at a house tempo, the nu-skool movement began to pave the way for a music that fuses all styles of music with breakbeats. Now, the breaks sound is as diverse as ever. There are tunes with influences of house, trance, drum & bass, hardcore, funk, rnb, techno, trance, electro and even rock. But despite this broad range, they�re all linked by the breakbeat! break � noun 1 an interruption, pause, or gap. 2 a short rest or pause in work. 3 an instance of breaking, or the point where something is broken. 4 a sudden rush or dash. 5 an informal opportunity or chance. 6 (also break of serve or service break) Tennis the winning of a game against an opponent�s serve. 7 Snooker & Billiards a consecutive series of successful shots. 8 a short solo in jazz or popular music. The Compact Oxford English Dictionary Online
