Nu skool breaks or nu breaks is a subgenre of breakbeat originating during the period between 1998 and 2002. The style is usually characterized by more abstract, more technical sounds, sometimes incorporated from other genres of

electronic dance music Electronic dance music (EDM), also referred to as dance music or club music, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres originally made for nightclubs, raves, and List of electronic dance music festivals, festivals. It is generally ...

, including

UK garage UK garage, abbreviated as UKG, is a genre of electronic dance music which originated in England in the early to mid-1990s. The genre was most clearly inspired by garage house and jungle production methods, but also incorporates elements from ...

, electro, and

drum and bass Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated as DnB, D&B, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterised by fast Break (music)#Breakbeat (element of music), breakbeats (typically 165–185 Tempo, beats per minute) with heavy Bass (music) ...

. Typically, tracks ranged between 125 and 140

beats per minute Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...

(bpm), often featuring a dominant bass line. In contrast with

big beat Big beat is an electronic music genre that usually uses heavy breakbeats and synthesizer-generated loops and patterns – common to acid house/techno. The term has been used by the British music industry to describe music by artists such as the ...

, another subgenre of breakbeat, the sound set consisted less of

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

samples and

acid An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. Hydron, hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory, Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis ...

-type sounds, instead emphasizing dance-friendliness and "new" sounds produced by modern production techniques using

synthesizer A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...

s, effect processors, and

computers A computer is a machine that can be programmed to automatically carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations ('' computation''). Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as ''programs'', ...

Origins

The term "nu skool breaks" is widely attributed to

Rennie Pilgrem Rennie Pilgrem is an English electronic music producer. He is often considered responsible for the creation of the nu skool breaks genre. Before moving into breaks, Pilgrem was part of the influential rave group Rhythm Section along with Richie ...

and

Adam Freeland Adam Freeland (born 7 August 1973) is an English record producer and DJ. He is also the owner and creative director of the record label Marine Parade, which has released material by artists including Evil Nine, ILS, Alex Metric and Jape. ...

, who used it to describe the sound at their nightclub Friction, which was launched at Bar Rumba in 1996, with promoter Ian Williams. The tracks "Renegades" by Uptown Connection and "Double Impact" by Boundarie Hunters are considered to be the earliest produced to formally adopt the genre. In 1998, the term "Nu Skool Breaks" was used on two compilations, ''Nu Skool Breakz, Volume 1 and 2'', mixed by Rennie Pilgrem and released through UK-based

Kickin Records Kickin Records is an independent record label founded by Peter Harris (who died 6th January 2008) In 1988.Ben CardeKickin Records founder and independent champion Peter Harris has died.January 6, 2008 Music Week The record label released music by ...

. The first volume of these was recorded live at the aforementioned London club night Friction. Labels that featured early Nu Skool Breaks releases included Botchit & Scarper, Fuel Records (UK),

Hard Hands Hard means something that is difficult to do. It may also refer to: * Hardness, resistance of physical materials to deformation or fracture * Hard water, water with high mineral content Arts and entertainment * ''Hard'' (TV series), a French TV ...

Marine Parade Records Marine Parade is an independent record label set up and owned by the electronic music DJ and producer Adam Freeland in 1998. Details The name of the label originates from the street on which Freeland used to live in his hometown of Brighton, ...

, TCR, and Ultimatum Breaks.

Artists

Aquasky Aquasky is an English electronic group composed of Dave Wallace, Kieron Bailey, and Brent Newitt. Aquaskyat Allmusic In early 1995 they got together to produce their own music. Shortly afterwards they sent a demo tape to Moving Shadow records ...

BLIM Blim TV (stylized as blim tv) was an on-demand video subscription service, offered online via TelevisaUnivision, through an Internet connection, which offers access to programs strictly for personal use, in exchange for payment of a monthly su ...

Dylan Rhymes Dylan may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Bob Dylan (born 1941), American singer and songwriter ** ''Dylan'' (1973 album), a 1973 album by Bob Dylan ** ''Dylan'' (2007 album), a 2007 compilation album by Bob Dylan * Dylan (musician), profess ...

* Buckfunk 3000 *

Evil Nine Evil Nine are an English electronic music duo comprising members Tom Beaufoy and Pat Pardy. Their musical style is primarily classified as breakbeat, although it additionally encompasses other influences. Biography The duo first came togeth ...

* FatBassLines * Freq Nasty * Future Funk Squad *

General Midi General MIDI (also known as GM or GM 1) is a standardized specification for electronic musical instruments that respond to MIDI messages. GM was developed by the American MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA) and the Japan MIDI Standards Commi ...

* Hexadecimal *

Hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two diff ...

Hyper Hyper may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Hyper'' (2016 film), 2016 Indian Telugu film * ''Hyper'' (2018 film), 2018 Indian Kannada film * ''Hyper'' (magazine), an Australian video game magazine * Hyper (TV channel), a Filipino sports c ...

* Ils * Koma and Bones * Lee Coombs *

Meat Katie Mark Pember, also known as Meat Katie, is an English electronic musician. He creates music making hybrid sounds by combining several genres of music; tech-funk, techno, tribal, hip hop, breakbeat and house A house is a single-unit residen ...

* Nubreed *

Plump DJs Plump DJs are an English dance music duo consisting of Lee Rous and Andy Gardner, considered to be early pioneers of the breakbeat genre in the late 1990s. Throughout the 2000s, they have been very prolific creatively, releasing many celebrated ...

Stanton Warriors Stanton Warriors are a British DJ and production duo consisting of Dominic Butler and Mark Yardley. Originally from the West Country, the duo have performed internationally with their infamous Stanton Sessions parties in Europe, North Americ ...

* Tipper

References

External links

Nubreaks.com online radio and community

the international breakbeat awards

Future Funk Squad won "Album of the Year" at Breakspoil Awards 2015

New generation of nu skool breaks - The Sables and Future Funk Squad "Right Time Is Now" {{Breakbeat-footer Breakbeat genres English styles of music