GENRE

Electronic drum patterns.

Drum machines set the pulse here: four-on-the-floor kicks, offbeat hats and the shuffles, half-time drops and broken rhythms that grew out of them.

323 grooves
4 styles
1981–2010
20 landmarks

Landmark records

20 of 20 grooves

1981
Electronic
Numbers Open Numbers in a new tab
Kraftwerk
Syncopated machine beat that Arthur Baker had programmed into a TR-808 for Planet Rock; the seed of the electro drum pattern
1982
Electronic
Planet Rock Open Planet Rock in a new tab
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force
Hired TR-808 programmed with the Numbers beat; made the 808 the core of electro and early hip hop drums
1984
House
On and On Open On and On in a new tab
Jesse Saunders
Bare TR-808 track recorded in 1983; frequently cited as the first house record released on vinyl
1985
Electronic
No UFO's Open No UFO's in a new tab
Model 500
Juan Atkins' drum-machine funk with less song structure than Cybotron; often named one of the earliest techno tracks
1986
House
Move Your Body Open Move Your Body in a new tab
Marshall Jefferson
Driving Chicago drum track under the first prominent house piano; its groove and chords were imitated for decades
1986
House
Can You Feel It Open Can You Feel It in a new tab
Mr. Fingers
Larry Heard's unhurried drum-machine groove under lush chords; one of the first deep house records
1987
Electronic
Strings of Life Open Strings of Life in a new tab
Rhythim Is Rhythim (Derrick May)
Syncopated machine drums under sampled piano and strings; Detroit techno's signature anthem, also claimed by house
1987
House
Acid Tracks Open Acid Tracks in a new tab
Phuture
Squelching TB-303 line over a long, hypnotic drum-machine loop; the record that defined acid house
1993
Electronic
Spastik Open Spastik in a new tab
Plastikman
Nine minutes of almost nothing but drum-machine percussion, building to heavy kicks; a minimal techno touchstone
1995
UK garage
Never Gonna Let You Go (Kelly G Bump-N-Go Vocal Mix)Open Never Gonna Let You Go (Kelly G Bump-N-Go Vocal Mix) in a new tab
Tina Moore
Kelly G's mix skips kicks for a syncopated, bumping beat; often credited as the first 2-step record, a UK No. 7 in 1997
1996
UK garage
Sugar Is Sweeter (Armand Van Helden's Drum 'n' Bass Mix)Open Sugar Is Sweeter (Armand Van Helden's Drum 'n' Bass Mix) in a new tab
CJ Bolland
Van Helden set a 4x4 kick under breakbeat-style snares and a jungle bass; called by some the first true speed garage track
1998
House
Music Sounds Better with You Open Music Sounds Better with You in a new tab
Stardust
TR-909 beat under a filtered Chaka Khan guitar loop; the filter-house blueprint of the French touch era
1998
UK garage
Stone Cold Open Stone Cold in a new tab
Groove Chronicles
El-B's crew pulled the kicks off the grid under swung hats and heavy sub: the breakthrough record for darker, deeper 2-step
1999
UK garage
Re-Rewind Open Re-Rewind in a new tab
Artful Dodger ft. Craig David
2-step beat with rewind effects and an R&B vocal; a UK No. 2 that carried the skipping garage shuffle into the pop charts
2001
Dubstep
Fist of Fury Open Fist of Fury in a new tab
Horsepower Productions
Tempa 12" of stripped, dubbed-out garage: sparse broken drums over deep sub; Horsepower are credited with dubstep's birth
2004
Dubstep
Horror Show Open Horror Show in a new tab
Loefah
DMZ's second release: a kick and a heavy snare on beat three with wide space around them; the minimal half-step template
2005
Dubstep
Midnight Request Line Open Midnight Request Line in a new tab
Skream
Skippy, syncopated drums under a looping melodic riff; credited as dubstep's most recognisable crossover hit
2006
Dubstep
Anti War Dub Open Anti War Dub in a new tab
Mala (Digital Mystikz)
Half-time roller: sparse kick, snare on the three and tribal-style drum samples; a cornerstone of the DMZ sound
2007
UK garage
Heartbroken Open Heartbroken in a new tab
T2 ft. Jodie Aysha
Bassline: a straight four-to-the-floor kick under a warped, wobbling bass; the UK No. 2 that took the Yorkshire sound national
2010
Dubstep
Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites Open Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites in a new tab
Skrillex
Half-time drops with abrasive mid-range bass and rapid edits; Dazed credited the EP with launching brostep