The Breakbeat in Jungle, Drum & Bass, And Breakcore Music

Electronic music is an umbrella term that comprises an extensive spectrum of styles. Among them are jungle, drum & bass, and breakcore, highly dynamic subgenres of electronic music. All three revolve around breakbeats - tensile drum patterns that are intentionally ‘displaced’ (syncopated). This particularly energetic approach to rhythm is often described as ‘playing off-beat’ instead of ‘on-beat.’

Breakbeats have been around for a long time and have been frequently integrated into various genres, including funk and R&B. They were popularized and further developed in the mid-1970s’ West Bronx (NYC) by the highly influential DJ Kool Herc. Inspired by Jamaican sound systems, a multitude of genres, and the reactions of crowds, he began extending breakbeat sections of R&B and funk records. His highly engaging “merry-go-round” technique was met with much enjoyment by the visitors of his events. This way, DJ Kool Herc not only found his niche but also paved the way for breakbeat music to become an established style.

Over time, the style gained much popularity in the UK, where it continued to develop in various directions. The integration of breakbeats by artists located in the UK allowed for the emergence of several new subgenres, including jungle, drum & bass, and breakcore. Let’s look into their history and main characteristics.

Jungle developed out of the UK rave scene and Jamaican sound system culture in the 1990s. It was born out of the fragmentation of breakbeat hardcore, allowing for the introduction of more melodic elements into the style.

The genre is heavily influenced by reggae, dub, funk, hip-hop, and dancehall. Such influences were brought into the UK music scene by Caribbean migrants, who introduced elements of their music cultures into the UK electronic music scene of the time. Lennie De-Ice’s “We Are I.E.” is often considered the track that has set the tone for the subgenre.

Jungle is characterized by its high energy levels, fast, dynamic breakbeats, deep and heavy basslines, sharp percussion sounds, and samples. Tracks usually lie between 150 and 180 BPM. Producers frequently use drum and vocal samples from the aforementioned genres that they then chop up and speed up. Other frequently used elements are synth sounds and synthesized effects.

Yet, breaks are the most crucial feature of the genre jungle, allowing for the disruption of a track’s flow. Among the most popular drum samples are the Amen Break, drummed by the late Gregory C. Coleman, and the Apache Break, which have been used by producers plenty of times.

Drum & bass is an electronic dance music substyle that developed out of the genre jungle. While it is influenced by genres crucial to jungle, the development of DnB was set off by some producer’s choice to move away from some of the stylistic elements that characterized its predecessor.

Drum & bass can be described as highly dynamic and, at times, unpredictable. The style revolves around fast breakbeats and a bass-centric approach towards production. Artists usually work with tempos between 160 and 185 BPM, chopped-up and looped drum samples, and manually programmed drum sounds. Its heavy (synth) bass and sub-bass lines are crucial to the genre, as they provide tracks with much energy that the audience can physically experience.

Because drum & bass is a rather experimental and fluid genre, it can be further broken down into various subcategories. Among the subgenres that developed out of drum & bass are ambient drum & bass, neurofunk, liquid drum & bass, techstep, and breakcore.

Breakcore is one of the many subgenres that was born out of drum & bass during the mid-to-late 1990s. It is characterized by highly complex breakbeats and polyrhythms, fast tempos, experimentation, and a wide palette of sounds. Drum patterns are either sampled or manually constructed and are often heavily processed. Some of the most commonly used effects are distortion, choruses, and delays.

Breakcore thrives on the art of sampling, with artists drawing from a diverse range of genres. This approach allows for close-to-limitless genre blending—for example, it is not uncommon to come across a breakcore track that combines electronic music with heavy metal.

Although breakcore (as well as its predecessors) experienced phases of decreased popularity, it recently underwent a significant revival. At the present moment, it is quite common to come across breakcore tracks on TikTok and IG, which are often used in meme videos or combined with sometimes nostalgic, sometimes obscure visuals from video games or anime. A perfect illustration of the many influences on breakcore – from music to anime and internet culture – is the duo Machine Girl, which does not shy away from ignoring rules and breaking boundaries.

Here's some more 90's jungle, drum & bass, and breakbeat music!