breaks
what it is
Breaks, is the popular name for Nu Skool Breaks, a term used to describe a genre of electronic music that emerged in the UK in the mid-1990s, usually characterized by the use of break beat samples, combined with elements from various other genres, including techno, electro, drum and bass, house, funk and hip-hop, at a speed of approximately 125-140bpm. The term ‘Nu Skool Breaks’ is credited to Rennie Pilgrem, who used it to describe the sound played at Friction, a club night he started in 1996 with Adam Freeland, Tayo and promoter Ian Williams. Rennie Pilgrem has stated that the name was designed to differentiate the sound from Big-Beat.
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✦ who's making it, level by level
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make breaks a playlist
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questions
What is breaks?
Breaks, is the popular name for Nu Skool Breaks, a term used to describe a genre of electronic music that emerged in the UK in the mid-1990s, usually characterized by the use of break beat samples, combined with elements from various other genres, including techno, electro, drum and bass, house, funk and hip-hop, at a speed of approximately 125-140bpm. The term ‘Nu Skool Breaks’ is credited to Rennie Pilgrem, who used it to describe the sound played at Friction, a club night he started in 1996 with Adam Freeland, Tayo and promoter Ian Williams. Rennie Pilgrem has stated that the name was designed to differentiate the sound from Big-Beat.
What are good breaks albums to start with?
Try You Can Be Special Too by Evil Nine, Super Freq by Machine Girl, Seven Stitches / Groundhog by Noisia, and ZAPPER by NANORAY.
Who are some women making breaks?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/breaks/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making breaks, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20