A drum pattern in which a particular drum sound (usually a bass drum, sometimes a tom or higher-pitched drum) consistently hits on the beat in 4/4 time. The steady 4/4 bit originated with 1970s disco, and carried over into prototype electronic dance music in the early '80s, particularly house, which originated in the dance parties that carried on where the discos left off. As such, it is a prominent feature in genres that derive from house, including techno and trance. Compare with breakbeat.
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