Lets not forget the afro beat influence either. I hear it in there as well as a latin influence coming through strong in most broken beat. Then there is the jazz funk influence(the precursor to acid jazz) that is a big influence as well. Another influence that is there in an almost subliminal way is early eighties boogie(that magicaly syncopated pre-house midpoint between disco, electro, and jazz funk). Many of the West London cats involved were heavy into boogie. There is an article in last months grand slam mag about the broken beat scene and this fact was mentioned. Really though I think the beauty of broken beat is that it has no singular point of origin/set of influences. The artists creating it have way to broad a range of influnces to make any such claim. BB is a radical new combination of elements from artists who have been paying attention to what has made all these other styles(d&b, soul, afro beat, jazz funk, dub, boogie, etc.) work so well. They have found creative ways to summarize the best parts of these other styles and in doing so are creating an entirely new genre. Also I think BB is a strong reaction to the complacently stagnant and linear rhythm's of house and trance, as well as the lethargic tempo of hip hop. Much of Broken beat has the rhythmic complexities and dynamics of drum and bass but refined to a more dance floor friendly tempo. This makes bb the next logical step in the evolution of dance music. At the same time it is also a step into the past to reclaim what has been missing from dance music lately-odd time signatures and dense polyrhythms that have more to do with non western tribal drumming and ritual than they do trendy dance clubs. But that decentralized polyrhythmic groove of broken beat is more than just a new groove. It is the sound of a world in flux. A world remembering just how dynamic and free it truly is. A world expressing itself in a thousand ways all at once and getting more efficient at such expression in each unfolding moment. No rules, no format, just new ways of experiencing ancient rhythms and bringing them back into the collective conscience. BB is like a new way of living and looking at life. Its a new mode of perceptual experience. As old structures break down, new modes of being, dancing, and seeing will arise to fill the void. New rhythms of Life for a new world. I think BB is quite possibly the first new musical form of the 2st century.