View source for Breakcore

{{Short description|Style of electronic dance music}}
{{Distinguish|Breakbeat hardcore}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox music genre
| name              = Breakcore
| image             = Rory breaks.wav
| caption           = A breakcore sample
| stylistic_origins = {{hlist
  | [[Hardcore (electronic dance music genre)|Hardcore]]
  | [[jungle music|jungle]]
  | [[drum and bass]]
  | [[gabber]]
  | [[drill 'n' bass]]
  | [[Intelligent dance music|IDM]]|[[digital hardcore]]
  | [[electro-industrial]]
  
  }}
| cultural_origins  = Mid-1990s, Australia, Europe, UK
| subgenres         = *Raggacore
| other_topics      = {{hlist|[[Power noise]]|[[breakbeat hardcore]]}}
}}

'''Breakcore''' is a style of [[electronic dance music]] that emerged from [[jungle music|jungle]], [[Hardcore (electronic dance music genre)|hardcore]], and [[drum and bass]] in the mid-to-late 1990s.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Reynolds |first=Simon |title=Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture |publisher=Soft Skull Press |year=2013 |pages=The style is patched together from all the rude 'n' cheesy street sounds that never be part of the Kompakt universe: jungle, gabba, dancehall, Miami bass, gangsta rap, etc.}}</ref><ref name="Vice" /> It is characterized by very complex and intricate [[breakbeat]]s and a wide palette of [[sampling (music)|sampling]] sources played at high tempos.

== History ==
[[File:DJDS at Glastonbury.jpeg|thumb|left|American breakcore DJ Donna Summer<ref>{{Cite book |last=Reynolds |first=Simon |title=Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture |publisher=Soft Skull Press |year=2013 |quote=Tigerbeat 6 were just one node in an international network of breakcore &mdash; labels like Broklyn Beats, Irritant, Mashit, Cock Rock Disco, producers like Spreedranch Janksy, Hrvatski, V/Vm, knife-hand-chop, Donna Summer.}}</ref> performing live at [[Glastonbury Festival]], UK]]
As the early days of "[[Hardcore (electronic dance music genre)|hardcore techno]]" or just "hardcore" began to settle in Europe, breakcore as a genre began to take more concrete forms in other parts of the world. Inspired by new labels such as Addict, from Milwaukee, US; Peace Off from Rennes, France; Sonic Belligeranza from Bologna, Italy; and [[Planet Mu]], from London, it began to take a new shape, adding in more elements of [[mashup (music)|mashup]] and [[intelligent dance music|IDM]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Reynolds |first=Simon |title=Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture |publisher=Soft Skull Press |year=2013 |quote=Ironically, the scene started as an offshoot of IDM, a.k.a. 'Intelligent Dance Music'.}}</ref> to the hardcore sounds. Each of these labels began to draw in aspects of their own social and aesthetic scenes, allowing for an even broader definition of what was possible in the music. 

In Europe, the breakcore genre was solidified by raves and club events such as Belgium's Breakcore Gives Me Wood,<ref name="Earp-2006"/> featuring local acts such as [[UndaCova]] and Sickboy; Breakcore A Go Go, in the Netherlands, which was run by FFF and Bong-Ra; as well as Anticartel, in [[Rennes]], the seat of PeaceOff, and later, [[Wasted (party crew)|Wasted]]<ref name="Earp-2006"/> in Berlin and Bangface in London.

Breakcore has been subject to changing and branching. Many newer breakcore artists (such as [[Mochipet]] etc.) focus on melodic progressions and complex drum programming while other artists still focus on distorted hardcore breakbeats and dark-edged musical influences (such as [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] and [[industrial music|industrial]]). The artist [[Venetian Snares]] has produced breakcore blended with elements of [[classical music]].<ref>[http://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/venetian-snares-rossz-csillag-alatt-született "Rossz Csillag Alatt Szuletett" review, Tiny Mix Tapes]</ref><ref>''Detrimentalist!'' review, "Soundcheck", ''The Wire'' 293, July 2008, p. 60.</ref> Other artists such as [[Shitmat]], Sickboy, [[DJ Scotch Egg]], and [[Drop the Lime]]<ref>Vivian Host, "Night Music", XLR8R 123, December 2008, p. 40.</ref> take another direction towards mash-up, [[happy hardcore]], and [[rave]] to make a lighter, more humorous sound. The rise of [[Chiptune]] music has also blended with breakcore with artists such as [[Tarmvred]]. The UK [[free party]] scene has also expressed a large interest in producing and distributing its own takes on breakcore, with crews and labels such as Life4land, Hekate, Headfuk, and Bad Sekta helping to push the scene and sound forward, as well as bringing over a number of international artists to play at their parties and club nights. Breakcore is steadily gaining in popularity, and aspiring artists are found scattered across the Internet.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Whelan |first=Andrew |url=https://dj.dancecult.net/index.php/dancecult/article/download/282/253 |title=Breakcore: Identity and Interaction on Peer-to-Peer |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |year=2008}}</ref>

Sociologist Andrew Whelan notes that [[Venetian Snares]] has become "synonymous with breakcore such that alternative styles are being sidelined."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Whelan |first=Andrew |url=https://dj.dancecult.net/index.php/dancecult/article/download/282/253 |title=Breakcore: Identity and Interaction on Peer-to-Peer |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |year=2008 |pages=264}}</ref> He adds that breakcore is the best example of a music genre whose development is intrinsically linked to online and peer-to-peer distribution.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Whelan |first=Andrew |url=https://dj.dancecult.net/index.php/dancecult/article/download/282/253 |title=Breakcore: Identity and Interaction on Peer-to-Peer |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |year=2008 |pages=308}}</ref>

=== 2020s revival ===
In the 2020s breakcore underwent a revival, bringing with it a noticeably different sound than the music produced in the 1990s and 2000s. According to ''[[Bandcamp Daily]]'' writer James Gui, 2020s breakcore is nostalgic, atmospheric, and sentimental, and grew out of the [[digital hardcore]] scene of the 2010s. It is accompanied by an aesthetic that draws from [[video games]], [[anime]], and [[internet culture]] with artists such as [[Machine Girl (band)|Machine Girl]] and Goreshit<!-- do not add sewerslvt here --> being influential to the revival's aesthetic and sound.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gui |first=James |date=20 April 2022 |title=Demystifying the Internet's Breakcore Revival |url=https://daily.bandcamp.com/lists/breakcore-revival-list |access-date=13 November 2022 |website=Bandcamp Daily}}</ref>

== Characteristics ==
The most defining characteristic of breakcore is the drum work, which is often based on the manipulation of the [[Amen break]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Whelan |first=Andrew |url=https://dj.dancecult.net/index.php/dancecult/article/download/282/253 |title=Breakcore: Identity and Interaction on Peer-to-Peer |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |year=2008 |pages=12 |quote=Whelan focuses on three practices that he describes as "shibboleths," or "terms indicative of social location or origin, the use of which therefore serves to distinguish between groups" (p.14). These are the use of 1) nigga/nigger (Chapter 5); 2) gay/ghey (Chapter 7), and 3) the "Amen break" (Chapter 8), a widely sampled drum break from The Winstons' 1969 hit, "Amen Brother".}}</ref> and other classic jungle and hip-hop breaks at high [[beats per minute|BPM]]. The techniques applied to achieve this differ from musician to musician, some preferring to cut up and rearrange the breaks, while others merely distort and loop breaks or apply various effects such as delay and chorus to alter the break's timbre.

Melodically, there is nothing that defines breakcore. Classic rave sounds such as [[acid house|acid]] bass lines, [[Hoover sound|Hoovers]] and Reese bass are common, but breakcore is mostly known for sampling sounds from all over the musical spectrum to accommodate the frantic and fast-paced nature of the rhythm section. Around the turn of the century, more and more breakcore musicians began employing traditional synthesis techniques to compose elaborate melodies and harmonies. There are a growing number of musicians who make use of recorded live instrumentation in their music, such as Istari Lasterfahrer, [[Hecate (musician)|Hecate]], [[Benn Jordan]], Ruby My Dear, Qüatros, [[Venetian Snares]], [[Drumcorps]], and [[Igorrr]].

According to [[Simon Reynolds]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'', "purveyed by artists like [[DJ/Rupture]] and Teamshadetek, the [breakcore] music combines rumbling bass lines, fidgety beats and grainy [[ragga]] vocals to create a home-listening surrogate for the '[[wikt:bashment|bashment]]' vibe of a Jamaican sound system party. Others within the breakcore genre, like Knifehandchop, [[Kid606]] and Soundmurderer, hark back to rave's own early days, their music evoking the rowdy fervor of a time when huge crowds flailed their limbs to a barrage of abstract noise and convulsive rhythm. It's a poignant aural mirage of a time when techno music was made for the popular vanguard rather than a [[Connoisseur|connoisseurial]] elite, as it is today."<ref name="Reynolds-2005" />

=== Raggacore ===
Raggacore is a style of music derived from [[ragga jungle]] that somewhat predates breakcore, characterized by [[ragga]] and [[dancehall]] rhythms and vocals.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 May 2009 |title=Ragga-jungle et raggacore : le reggae sous amphétamines |url=http://musique.blogs.lavoixdunord.fr/archive/2009/05/27/ragga-jungle-et-raggacore-le-reggae-sous-amphetamines.html |access-date=4 May 2014 |language=fr}}</ref> Its roots can arguably be traced back to [[Oldschool jungle|jungle]] producer Remarc, who was one of the first producers to mix ragga and dancehall vocals with chaotic and intricately rearranged break beats. While only a few producers primarily work in the style, it still has a sizable following among breakcore fans. Notable releases in this style include those by Aaron Spectre and Bong-Ra.<ref name="Vice" />

=== Mashcore ===
The term "mashcore" was coined by English breakcore artist [[Shitmat]] to describe his music such as his track "There’s No Business Like Propa’ Rungleclotted Mashup Bizznizz".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mnemonic |date=2014-04-17 |title=Readers recommend: eccentric songs – results |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2014/apr/17/readers-recommend-eccentric-songs-results |access-date=2024-06-01 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref name="Murray-2018">{{Cite web |last=Murray |first=Eoin |date=5 September 2018 |title=Chasing The HAHA: DJ Bus Replacement Service Interviewed |url=https://thequietus.com/interviews/dj-bus-replacement-service-interview/ |access-date=31 May 2024 |website=The Quietus |at="That mash-up was absolute life for me," she says}}</ref> Mashcore primarily draws from the [[Mashup (music)|mashup]]<ref name="Murray-2018" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Whelan |first=Andrew |date=2010-01-01 |title=Free music and trash culture: The reconfiguration of musical value online |url=https://ro.uow.edu.au/artspapers/234 |journal=Faculty of Arts - Papers (Archive) |pages=69}}</ref> genre of music and shows an irreverence towards the idea that free or pirated music is worthless.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Whelan |first=Andrew |date=2010-01-01 |title=Free music and trash culture: The reconfiguration of musical value online |url=https://ro.uow.edu.au/artspapers/234 |journal=Faculty of Arts - Papers (Archive) |pages=68 - 69}}</ref>

== Influences ==
In London, DJ Scud co-founded Ambush Records in 1997 with fellow producer Aphasic to focus on more extreme [[Noise music|noise]]-oriented hardcore [[drum and bass]]. Some artists released on Ambush are Christoph Fringeli, Slepcy, [[The Panacea]], and Noize Creator. "Scud and Nomex tracks like 'Total Destruction' helped create the blueprint for much of breakcore's sound, a high-bpm mash-up of hyperkinetic, post-jungle breaks, feedback, noise, and Jamaican elements paired with a devil-may-care attitude towards sampling that pulls from the broadest musical spectrum of styles (hip-hop, rock, industrial, pop, and beyond)."<ref name="Earp-2006">Matt Earp, [http://www.xlr8r.com/features/2006/07/breakcore-live-fast/ "Breakcore: Live Fast"], XLR8R, 20 July 2006. Access date: 8 August 2008.</ref>

At the same time, [[Bloody Fist Records]] based in [[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]], Australia, released many records of [[Hardcore (electronic dance music genre)|hardcore]]/[[gabber]], [[industrial music|industrial]], and noise. Artists signed to Bloody Fist in its lifetime include Syndicate, Xylocaine, Epsilon and [[Nasenbluten]]. Label founder Mark Newlands said, in 1997, "I think that the uncomfortableness also comes from a reaction towards the mainstream and popular culture that's constantly shoved down our throats, that's forced on the people via television, radio, mass media, etc. I think that also fuels the fire and keeps the aggressiveness there and the uncomfortableness."<ref>Interview in ''Datacide Three'', October 1997</ref> Newlands described their music as products of "[[Cut, copy, and paste|cut'n'paste]] mentality" and an industrial environment.{{sfn|Priest|2009|p=85}} In her ''Experimental Music'', Gail Priest credits the label as recognized globally for its contributions to the breakcore genre,{{sfn|Priest|2009|p=98}}{{sfn|Priest|2009|p=68}} and for spurring its 1990s development.{{sfn|Priest|2009|p=85}} The Bloody Fist sound became breakcore from what was the noise genre, with added elements of high [[beats per minute]] and "extreme", thick, low-fi textures".{{sfn|Priest|2009|p=68}} By way of example, [[Nasenbluten]]'s 1996 ''Fuck Anna Wood'' exemplified this style with controversial [[Public affairs (broadcasting)|public affairs]] [[Sampling (music)|audio samples]] collaged into dialogue atop [[early hardcore]] beats.{{sfn|Priest|2009|p=68}}

Formed in 1994, [[Digital Hardcore Recordings]] released music by artists such as [[Alec Empire]], Shizuo, [[Atari Teenage Riot]], [[EC8OR]], and Bomb20, shaping the breakcore sound.<ref name="Earp-2006"/> This label is also responsible for [[digital hardcore]], a genre developed simultaneously to breakcore. The Alec Empire album ''[[The Destroyer (Alec Empire album)|The Destroyer]]'' is often noted as the first breakcore album.{{by whom|date=August 2012}}

English producer Shoebill has noted that [[autism]], and especially its interaction with [[gender identity]], has influenced "almost everyone" they know in the breakcore scene.<ref name="Dublin South 93.9 FM">{{Cite web |last=Dublin South 93.9 FM |title=Talking Tunes with SHOEBILL. |url=https://soundcloud.com/solidsoundfm/talkingtunes-shoebill |access-date=8 August 2024 |website=Solid Sound FM}}</ref>

== Reception ==
''[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]'' magazine compared the genre to the types of music used during [[Guantanamo Bay detention camp|Guantanamo Bay]] interrogations,<ref name="Vice" /> and has also stated that reizokore sounds like "a new genre of dubstep made with chainsaws and Ritalin".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Keogh |first=Kris |date=2015-03-03 |title=“This is {{sic|Ukra|nian|nolink=y}} {{sic|Det|riot|nolink=y}}” – Can Bandcamp save XO:RE From War? |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/this-is-ukranian-detriot-can-bandcamp-save-xore-from-war/ |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=Vice |language=en-US}}</ref>

== References ==

===Inline citations===
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="Reynolds-2005">{{Cite web |last=Reynolds |first=Simon |date=23 January 2005 |title=The Turn Away From the Turntable |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/23/arts/music/23reyn.html?_r=0&pagewanted=all |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131006112134/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/23/arts/music/23reyn.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all& |archive-date=6 October 2013 |access-date=5 October 2013 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref name="Vice">{{Cite web |title=Breakcore |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/breakcore/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012050845/http://www.vice.com/en_us/read/breakcore |archive-date=12 October 2013 |access-date=5 October 2013 |website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]}}</ref>
}}

===Sources===
* {{Cite AV media |url=http://notes.breakcore.net/ |title=Notes on Breakcore |type=Documentary motion picture |publisher=Erlacher, Daniel |year=2006 |place=Austria |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012061844/http://notes.breakcore.net/ |archive-date=12 October 2013 |url-status=dead |ref={{harvid|Kleinl|Könighofer|2006}} |people=Kleinl, David; Könighofer, Bertram (Dirs.)}}
* {{Cite book |last=Priest |first=Gail |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZOQqDz0Snm4C&pg=PT104 |title=Experimental Music: Audio Explorations in Australia |publisher=UNSW Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-921410-07-9}}
* {{Cite book |last=Whelan |first=Andrew |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fxP0AAAAMAAJ |title=Breakcore: Identity and Interaction on Peer-to-Peer |date=January 2008 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=978-1-84718-657-7 |access-date=5 October 2013}}

==External links==
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* {{Commons category-inline}}

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{{Electronica}}

[[Category:Breakcore| ]]
[[Category:Hardcore music genres]]
[[Category:Musical subcultures]]