Breakcore is an electronic dance music style and subgenre that originated in the mid-to-late 1990s from drum and bass, hardcore, and jungle. While the initial stages of “hardcore techno” or simply “hardcore” took hold in Europe, breakcore emerged as a distinct genre in other regions of the world. Raves and club nights like Belgium’s Breakcore Gives Me Wood, which featured regional acts like UndaCova and Sickboy, helped establish the breakcore genre throughout Europe. Other notable breakcore artists who continue to expand the popularity of the genre include Hrvatski, Autechre, Vsnares and Aphex Twin. At the beginning of its growth, breakcore was heavily influenced by hardcore punk subgenres and metal connections. It applied the aggressive sound and anti-establishment themes of these genres to its early tracks. However, this was eventually lost as its influence grew throughout Europe.

200 beats per minute or faster is the typical tempo for breakcore music. It is frequently distinguished by the heavily sampled and manipulated drum breaks and breaks that are used, but some tracks also feature other production elements that give them a distinctive sound palette, like fat gabber kicks, noise, field recordings, industrial soundscapes, and occasionally even classical motifs. Nothing about breakcore’s melody characterizes it. Although classic rave sounds like Hoovers, Reese bass, and acid bass lines are frequently heard, breakcore is primarily recognized for its use of sound samples from a wide range of musical genres to fit the chaotic and quick-paced rhythm section. It is typically considered a sub-genre of drum and bass, along with ragga jungle, hardstep and darkstep.