Downtempo, Breakbeat, Dub??? Breaks & Beats Musically speaking, Breaks and Beats is unusual in that what you'll hear is invariably lifted from other musical sources. Originators like Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash are still an influence today, especially on British artists like Coldcut, The Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim, who did much to revive (feléleszt) the genre in the 1990s. Breakbeat began as the result of New York DJ Kool Herc singling out and looping the "break" sections of mid 70s Funk records. As years and technology progressed, samplers simplified the process and, combined with synthesizers, gave rise to the high-energy, sweet funky goodness of artists like Plump DJs and Rennie Pilgrem.