GENRE

Breaks drum patterns.

The drum breaks of funk and soul records, sampled, chopped and sped up into breakbeat, jungle and drum & bass.

173 grooves
2 styles
1969–1998
10 landmarks

Landmark records

10 of 10 grooves

1969
Breaks
Amen, Brother Open Amen, Brother in a new tab
The Winstons
G.C. Coleman's ~7 s four-bar solo at 1:26; the most-sampled break and the foundation of jungle and drum & bass
1970
Breaks
Funky Drummer Open Funky Drummer in a new tab
James Brown
Clyde Stubblefield's improvised ghost-note break; from 1986 on it was sampled by Public Enemy, Eric B. & Rakim and countless others
1972
Breaks
Think (About It)Open Think (About It) in a new tab
Lyn Collins
Jabo Starks' Think break plus the yeah-woo shout; looped thousands of times across hip hop and dance music
1973
Breaks
Apache Open Apache in a new tab
Incredible Bongo Band
Jim Gordon's kit-and-bongo break, championed by Afrika Bambaataa and dubbed hip hop's national anthem
1991
Jungle
We Are I.E.Open We Are I.E. in a new tab
Lennie De Ice
Often named the first jungle record: a looping Amen break pushing a ragga-style sub-bass line, recorded back in 1989
1992
Jungle
Terminator Open Terminator in a new tab
Rufige Kru (Goldie)
Darkcore cut credited with pioneering time-stretched, pitch-shifted breakbeats, so the drum loop itself phases like a lead line
1994
Jungle
Original Nuttah Open Original Nuttah in a new tab
UK Apache & Shy FX
Shy FX's rapid-fire chopped breaks under UK Apache's ragga vocal; one of the first jungle tunes to reach the UK top 40
1995
Jungle
Pulp Fiction Open Pulp Fiction in a new tab
Alex Reece
Metalheadz single that popularised the sparse two-step break with Reese bass, moving drum & bass off full Amen rolls
1997
Breaks
Block Rockin' Beats Open Block Rockin' Beats in a new tab
The Chemical Brothers
Distorted Bernard Purdie drum loop driving a UK No. 1 and Grammy winner; big beat's breakbeat at full volume
1998
Jungle
Wormhole Open Wormhole in a new tab
Ed Rush & Optical
Title track of the album credited as the first neurofunk LP; drums cut into single hits and re-sequenced at original pitch