Re-Defined: Afrobeat Breaks is a deep and rhythmically rich live drum collection from Rian O’Grady, the drummer behind our best-selling Re-Engineered: Classic Breaks. With over a decade of live performance experience and a creative résumé that spans collaborations with some of the biggest names, Rian returns by popular demand with an inspiring new offering - this time channelling the hypnotic, polyrhythmic spirit of Tony Allen and the legendary Afrobeat grooves of Fela Kuti & Africa 70.

This pack contains 36 full-length Afrobeat breaks played between 85 and 119 BPM, tempos that are also primed for stretching to shift into other musical directions - pitch them up into broken techno, jungle, or leftfield house territory, or bring them down into hip-hop, downtempo, or cinematic grooves. Each break was performed live for 1-2 minutes (with no looping and no copy/paste), recorded using vintage mics, analogue pre-amps, and a world-class kit featuring Ludwig drums and Istanbul Agop cymbals for a warm, dynamic tone that’s rich with movement.

These grooves evolve with many subtle structural changes across their entirety, such as moving from hats to rides, or from rim clicks to full snares, complete with expressive fills and transitions. These are breaks designed for real tracks, with enough variation to drive entire sections of a song without sounding static or repetitive, as many samples can do.

Each break is split into its layered constituent parts, including stripped-down drum takes, isolated percussion elements (shakers, congas, claves, etc), and fully combined grooves. This modular approach gives you maximum control, whether you’re producing with raw breaks or layering parts into electronic arrangements.

Also included is a comprehensive one-shot library covering all drums and cymbals used in the recordings. Captured with multi-velocity round-robins, these hits are perfect for programming beats that retain the same dynamic, human feel as the loops.

It’s time to redefine your music with this live, breathing drum toolkit that bridges the past and present with respect, authenticity, and ultimate depth.