Breakbeat · Genres
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What is breakbeat?

Breakbeat (sometimes breakbeats or breaks) is a term used to describe a collection of sub-genres of electronic music, usually characterized by the use of a non-straightened 4/4 drum pattern (as opposed to the steady beat of house or trance). These rhythms may be characterised by their intensive use of syncopation and polyrhythms.

Artists to start with

  1. Jamie Paige
  2. Kelela
  3. Roa
  4. Hyper
  5. Bomfunk MC's
  6. Evil Nine
  7. Overmono
  8. Freestylers
  9. Adam Freeland
  10. Ils

Albums to hear first

  • Music for the Jilted Generation by The ProdigyMusic for the Jilted GenerationThe Prodigy
  • Experience by The ProdigyExperienceThe Prodigy
  • Firestarter by The ProdigyFirestarterThe Prodigy
  • Compro by Skee MaskComproSkee Mask
  • Vegas by The Crystal MethodVegasThe Crystal Method
  • You Can Be Special Too by Evil NineYou Can Be Special TooEvil Nine
  • Pool by Skee MaskPoolSkee Mask
  • I Choose Noise by HybridI Choose NoiseHybrid

Breakbeat songs

  1. Stateside by PinkPantheress
  2. Capable of love by PinkPantheress
  3. The Contract by Twenty One Pilots
  4. Contact by Kelela
  5. Omen by The Prodigy
  6. Happy Ending by Kelela
  7. Warrior's Dance by The Prodigy
  8. Feed The Addiction by Ils
  9. Break & Enter by The Prodigy
  10. Shapeshifter by Lorde

Breakbeat on Risocast

  • Bicep by BICEPBicepBICEP · 2017
  • Good Lies by OvermonoGood LiesOvermono · 2023
  • BUMPS 'N' BREAKS by BAKGROUNDBUMPS 'N' BREAKSBAKGROUND · 2020
  • First Blue Sky by Placid AnglesFirst Blue SkyPlacid Angles · 2019
  • Slurp and Giggle by OpiuoSlurp and GiggleOpiuo · 2010
  • The Cry by Placid AnglesThe CryPlacid Angles · 1997
  • GOLD by ModusGOLDModus
  • Touch The Earth Remixes by Placid AnglesTouch The Earth RemixesPlacid Angles · 2022
  • 180db_ [130] by Aphex Twin180db_ [130]Aphex Twin · 2014
  • Good Lies by OvermonoGood LiesOvermono · 2023
  • So U Kno by OvermonoSo U KnoOvermono · 2023
  • Is U by OvermonoIs UOvermono · 2023

Neighbouring genres

In the electronic family. All genres

breakcoredeep housedance-popdeconstructed clubdancehallacid houseatmospheric drum and bassdrum and bassdeep technopsytranceacid technohyperpop

Questions

What is breakbeat?
Breakbeat (sometimes breakbeats or breaks) is a term used to describe a collection of sub-genres of electronic music, usually characterized by the use of a non-straightened 4/4 drum pattern (as opposed to the steady beat of house or trance). These rhythms may be characterised by their intensive use of syncopation and polyrhythms.
Who are the best-known breakbeat artists?
By Last.fm listening: Jamie Paige, Kelela, Roa, Hyper, Bomfunk MC's and Evil Nine.
What genres are similar to breakbeat?
On Risocast it sits with breakcore, deep house, dance-pop, deconstructed club, dancehall and acid house.

Risocast is free. Install it once and it logs everything you play.

Download for WindowsFree · v4.0.9Open RisocastRight here · Spotify or Last.fm

Updated 6 October 2026

Risocast Help

A music log that fills itself in. It records the songs you play on your computer and your phone, turns them into your top songs, stats and a public profile, and finds people whose taste overlaps with yours.

Yes. The app and the website are free.

A song counts once half of it has played, or four minutes — whichever comes first. Songs of 30 seconds or less, and videos or podcasts over 20 minutes, never count.

On Windows, anything that shows up in Windows' media controls: Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Deezer, browsers, foobar2000, Windows Media Player and more (VLC, iTunes and MusicBee through their free media-controls plugin). On Android, any music app — it reads the same now-playing info your lock screen shows. You can also connect Spotify or import from Last.fm.

Yes. Plays are counted on your device and sent when you're back online, and the phone app opens without a connection.

It does the same core job — scrobbling, automatically — without plugins per player, and adds taste matching: see who listens like you and how much your taste overlaps.

Your profile and listening are public so people with similar taste can find you, unless you make your profile private (then only your buddies see it); your email never is. Nothing is sold and there are no ads; anonymous usage analytics (Microsoft Clarity, Google Analytics) show what to improve. See the privacy policy for the details.

More in Help, the guides and the privacy policy.

Welcome to Risocast
Risocast

Your music, logged. Your people, found.

A small player that sits in your tray, writes down every song you play, and shows you who listens like you.

243 songs logged today

Download for WindowsFree · v4.0.9Open RisocastRight here · Spotify or Last.fm

Android is coming to Google Play. Get notified

How logging works

On Windows, Risocast reads the system media controls, so any player counts: Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Deezer, browsers, foobar2000. No plugins.

On Android the app reads what any music app is playing (it's coming to Google Play). Anywhere else, connect Spotify or a Last.fm username.

When a song countsAfter half its length, or four minutes, whichever comes first.Tracks under 30 seconds are ignored.Offline plays are counted on the device and sent later.

More on automatic logging · Risocast vs Last.fm

Taste twins

See how much your taste overlaps with anyone's, and find the people who listen most like you. The match comes from what you both actually play, not a list of favourites.

Open People

How the match works

Weekly Disc and Taste Map

Every week becomes a disc of your top songs. Every record you play goes on a map, grouped by genre.

Weekly DiscTaste Map

Real ones, from the maker's own listening.

Download Risocast

Risocast is free for Windows 10 and 11. Android is coming to Google Play; on any other device, use the web app with Spotify or Last.fm.

Download for WindowsFree · v4.0.9Open RisocastRight here · Spotify or Last.fm
  • Version 4.0.9 · Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit) · about 100 MB
  • Updates itself: new versions download in the background and install on restart.
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Features
Automatic loggingWeekly DiscTaste MapTaste matchProfiles and statsMusic windowsBPM, key and soundSong stripLikes that syncPlay in your appFindPeople and buddiesCompare tasteAnthemsGenre labelsAndroid appImport and connectWindows 98 look
18 object(s)Open as a list
Guides
Track music on WindowsLog YouTube MusicApple Music statsFind people like youPlayers that workLog VLCLog foobar2000Log MusicBeeiTunes on WindowsLog DeezerLog TidalLog SoundCloudAmazon MusicWindows Media PlayerSpotify historyTop songs of all timeWhat genre is it?Describe your tasteExport your dataComing from Last.fm
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4 object(s)Open as a list
243 logged today