broken beat
{{Short description|Electronic dance music genre}}
{{Infobox music genre
| name = Broken beat
| other_names = Bruk
| stylistic_origins = {{hlist|EDM|house|jazz-funk|R&B|acid jazz|dub|drum and bass}}
| cultural_origins = Late 1990s, London, UK
| derivatives = Gqom, Dubstep, UK Funky
}}
Broken beat (sometimes referred to as "bruk") is an electronic dance music genre that emerged in the late 1990s and is characterized by syncopated beats and frenetic, choppy rhythms, often alongside female vocals and elements inspired by 1970s jazz-funk. It has been heavily influenced by styles such as house, drum and bass, hip hop, techno, acid jazz, and R&B.{{cite web |title=Genre: Broken Beat |url=https://www.allmusic.com/style/broken-beat-ma0000004475 |website=AllMusic |access-date=25 December 2024}} The eclectic style generally avoided rigid four-on-the-floor rhythms and could make use of samplers, analogue synths, and live instrumentation.{{cite web |title=The beginner's guide to: broken beat |url=https://www.musicradar.com/how-to/the-beginners-guide-to-broken-beat |website=Music Radar |access-date=25 December 2024}}
History
Broken beat first appeared in the late 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.{{cite web|url = https://www.vice.com/en/article/what-happened-to-broken-beat-alex-nut-eglo-records/|title = Vice: Whatever Happened to Broken Beat?|date =29 January 2014 |author=Patrick Carnegy|website = Vice}} John Bush from AllMusic called it "about as fusion-soaked as it gets."{{cite web|url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/two-pages-mw0000044955|title = All Music: John Bush reviews Two Pages- 4hero|date = |accessdate = |website = AllMusic|publisher = |last = |first = }} 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.{{cite web|url=https://thevinylfactory.com/features/breaking-broken-beat-goya-music/|title=Breaking Broken Beat: How a West London basement became the scene's incubator|author=Jake Hulyer|date=29 December 2016|website=The Vinyl Factory}}
Bugz in the Attic's Neon Phusion, Mark Force, Afronaut and IG 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.{{Cite web|url = http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ig-culture-mn0000534966/biography|title = All Music: IG Culture Biography|date = |accessdate = |website = AllMusic|publisher = |last = |first = }} The transition was to a more abstract form of drum and bass. Many artists that started releasing through 4hero's Reinforced label are now considered pioneers of broken beat. Simultaneously, established techno artists like Carl Craig and Stacey Pullen experimented with the music they were making, trying to add jazz 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 producers Kirk Degiorgio or As One and Ian O'Brien, who tried to form it into a more soulful variation which further influenced the development of the broken beat genre.{{cite web|url=http://www.factmag.com/2010/03/08/20-best-broken-beat/ |title=The 20 best broken beat records ever made |author=Mr Beatnick | date=8 March 2010| publisher = FACTmag}}
Influences
Broken beat draws from 1970s jazz-funk 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 in broken beat, 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), drum and bass, house and techno.
Scene
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 at Notting Hill Arts Club which then went on to be at East Village in Shoreditch.{{cite web|url=http://www.musicismysanctuary.com/uk-legendary-broken-beat-coop-selectors-assemble-next-moves|title=UK's Legendary Broken Beat Crew CoOp Unveil Their Next Moves|website=Music Is My Sanctuary|date=21 February 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.residentadvisor.net/features/2670|title=CoOp: The beats are broken|website=Resident Advisor|date=20 October 2017}}
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 of Soul, 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.