Four on the floor

Bass drum on every quarter note. Disco, house, techno and most dance music since 1975 stand on it; the open hi-hat on the offbeats ("and") is the usual partner and gives the lift. On its own the cell has no syncopation at all, which is why it works as a floor: every other layer (clave, tresillo, 3-3-2 synths, swung hats) is heard against this grid. Listen for how a tumbao or a dembow snare changes the moment the four-on-the-floor kick is added under it.