Breaks | Breakbeat 337 Items

'Prole Art Threat' is producer Anthoney Hart's second LP for Planet Mu under his East Man alias, after 2018's well received debut 'Red White & Zero'. It brings together a set of MCs from all over London, Darkos and Eklipse from East London and Lyrical Strally from near Feltham who were on the first album, Ny Ny and Mic Ty also from East London, Streema and 'Vision Crew' member Whack Eye from Lewisham plus Fernando Kep, an MC from the burgeoning Brazil grime scene. They work across a cohesive set of tight riddims forged from thoughtful amalgams of grime, dancehall and drum & bass. The album takes its name from a Fall song/mission statement of the same title, the band being self-consciously working class and led by a brilliant autodidact in Mark E Smith. East Man relates that the title is to be taken as "a reflection of working-class creativity and how the establishment marginalise us and (perhaps on a subconscious level) see us as a threat." Les Back, author of 'The Art of Listening' and 'Out of Whiteness: Color, Politics and Culture (with Vron Ware)' contributes liner notes to the record: East Man understands the force and the democracy of the mic. Listening to Prole Art Threat is like being at a dance. As the mic is passed between each of the MCs, a different tale is 'elevated... off the map' as Ny Ny puts it. We hear instalments from Forest Gate, Lee, Lewisham and Manor Park as these 'lyrical gaffers' and 'top boys and girls' tell tough stories of life under the scrutiny of the 'Feds' in a brutal and divided city. The bars and rhymes document what it means to live here; from the double standards applied to the sexuality of young girls and boys to the corrosive violence of everyday life. All this is dissected without compromise. This is not just a London story though, the inclusion of Fernando Kep from the burgeoning Grime scene in Brazil is evidence of the outernational reach of the music. The tracks on East Man's album explode the wilful ignorance of those who see 'the working class' in contemporary London...

Killer debut LP by Lol K starring vocals by Coby Sey and LA Timpa, following the Londoners’ EP for Mica Levi and co’s Curl Recordings with a crafty set of queer, sensuous pop, configured in brilliant, surprising ways for Rabit’s Halcyon Veil. The six songs and corresponding instrumentals of ‘The Breeze’ explore ideas of escapism, belonging and inner city isolation in an up-to-date vernacular firmly blunted by sparing, crisply defined but shapeshifting production. The album clearly marks a concerted development of Lol K’s sound - especially compared to their oblique appearances on the ‘Born Under a Bad One’ (Curl, 2018) EP - with the duo’s CJ Calderwood and Junior XL more confidently venturing their vocals into the mix this time, switching between melodic hooks and blunted hush, to a rave-punkish prang out and puckered chamber composition with lowkey rude and innovative production to match.

A beautiful and dark record focused in the sounds of the club, Diessa's incredible Szns7n debut draws influence from a multitude of genres such as 140, breaks, trance and gabber. Ascii Fantasy highlights Diessa's talent at combining haunting atmospheres with punching hypnotic rhythms that travel with ease inside and outside the rave. With the B side packing punching remixes by future superstars Grove and Teya Logos this record takes absolutely no prisoners and we are honoured to be putting out Diessa's EP in what is we believe to be her break-out year.

The A1 track means a lot to me because two years ago my parents passed away within two weeks of each other due to cancer. It happened quickly between mid-August and the end of August. This was the saddest time in my life. I was struggling with myself, with the world, with everything. After a few months, I decided to translate my emotions into a song. I wrote this song for them but I was never able to finish it. It felt like I had overproduced it and was missing that special something. My good friend told me, Michael, dont think about the project for a period of time. Sometimes, something will happen when you dont expect it to. After nine months it was Christmas and we did a lets say a corona confirm dinner party. My good friend Basch invited Robert (Owens). Since Basch s mother and Robert are from the same town and maybe the same street in Detroit, they ve been connected to each other for the past 30 years! Robert came to the dinner party and it was synergy. I told him the story and about the missing elements for the song. He listened to it after dinner and said, okay where is your studio? After the Xmas dinner party, we went to my studio where we recorded the vocals. Robert did it on the fly and all friends in the studio cried tears as if there was some kind of magic in the air. Since then, we are working together on something special. It s blossomed into a friendship we both enjoy. The journey ends in London with my all-time favorite Label Fingerlickin Records. I requested a Remix from the Plump DJs and Jem Stone. Both agreed and the results are making this record unique. The Plump DJs Remix is a Uk Breakbeat-Chord-Style groove monster. Jem Stones version is an emotional journey that cannot be explained in words? Blackbox is a project from Tmplt, Robert Owens and Sebastian Sauve. What is in the Blackbox? There is no answer yet, but stay tuned. Sometimes you will find it out.

Born October 1966. Break Dancer in 1984, under the moniker Mad Max, started a crew named the Back Street Warriors, Busking all over the UK at places such as Covent Garden/Leicester Square Performing on stage & in clubs. They once jammed with the Rock Steady Crew in Camden Palace in front of an audience.

Then in 1987 he became a DJ, playing all genres of music, he first played on RJR Radio, playing Electro, Hip Hop, Soul, R&B & Reggae. Moving forward he started playing Acid House & Four to the Floor Music styles, by the early 90s he played on Weekend Rush and then went onto Defection, Touchdown, Don & Passion FM, playing Acid & Hardcore Jungle.

In the early days MixMaster Max was one of the Innovators of Jungle music by mixing Hardcore, Reggae & Hip Hop together, helping others to produce, fuse & gain ideas in the music industry. He was by Far the most Original, Innovative, DJ anybody had ever heard.

In 1991 he played alongside John Saunderson at the Camden Palace on a Friday night, he also played at the famous Hacienda club in Manchester. He was the First DJ to create the Topsy Turvey, which is one turntable on top of the other, he came runner up in the DMC world championships in the early 90s.

He played at some of the Biggest Raves back in the day, Pirate club 93, Fantazia 92, Dungeons 91/92, Turnmills 92, to mention a few. He also played on Avenues FM & People's Choice, which were legal Radio Stations, not forgetting Kool fm & Centreforce.

He performed on stage with the We Papa Girl Rappers in 1990 at the Notting Hill Carnival. This Legendary Cult figure is a Master of the Nunchuckers & TurnTables! His innovative Mixes were ‘legendary’ he was a pioneer precursor to the Art form known as Jungle Music, not to mention his Scratching abilities, which was ‘extraordinary’!

For those that listened to pirate radio back in the day, he was the legendary cult figure that inspired us all, giving us the freshest musical styles that had never been heard before!

He can still be heard on OriginUK.Net Radio today... What an inspiration this unsung hero has been to us All!

Taiwanese label JIN records enters autumn 2022, with a new promising release by South Korea’s Yetsuby. As always searching for gems in the pan-Asian domain, JIN is delighted to have Yetsuby for its latest/6th release. On this EP, one-half of the ambient duo Salamanda, Yetsuby showcases her expertise in mood setting soundscapes, taking listeners on a sound journey across a wide array of musical spectra. Opening on A1, Yetsuby reinterprets a traditional Korean folk story of a bear devouring garlic and green onions, transforming the animal into a human being. Aptly named ” Bear Becomes The Human,” she transforms the transformed, turning the bear into a buzzing modern drum & bass-fused energetic tune. It turns out garlic is a powerful source after all. B1’s “Jelly” showcases Yetsuby’s talent for stripped-back glitch music: With a minimal bass and drum pattern, the track gently muddles along and presents itself as well suited warm-up track for the earlier hours of any party. For the remix sides, Cleveland delivers a vinyl only remix of “Bear Becomes The Human” with a futuristic house tune filled with jungle like drum pattern and techy yet smooth atmosphere on A2. On B2, New Zealand’s Eden Burns takes an entirely different path on his reinterpretation of Jelly. Embarking from the original pattern, he turns the original into a slow brewing psychedelic trance cracker that seems most suited for the early morning after hours that need an energy boost.

Arriving on Lobster Theremin's White Label on comes a fresh-sounding and typically loud release from Leeds vinyl enthusiast Peaky Beats. Never one to be pigeon-holed into a specific style of music, his recent releases have explored 2-step, speed garage and dub - bringing his wicked ear for big UK blends into the spotlight - and earmarking him as one of the UK's most exciting emerging producers.

On Paradise Falls EP, Peaky Beats unites the worlds of jungle, drum & bass and 2-step on a high velocity, future-facing project, with a little help from contemporary jungle legend Tim Reaper. 'Paradise Falls' is a melodic stepper that ventures close to 150bpm territory. Those skippy UKG elements are all there, but this time with a hefty dose of jungle influence which brings a certain weightlessness to the track. 'Soul Diesel' ventures further into the garage sphere; the velocity diminishing slightly as the vitality continues to soar. Introspective breaks for sunny days.

'Tangerine Dream' is a prime old school cut of dubbed-out nostalgia. Sitting somewhere between The Streets, El-B and Coco Bryce, its deep bass-weight inspires big 'Any Jungle In, Guy?' energy, before Tim Reaper's remix of 'Paradise Falls' blows the bloody doors off with a typically emotive and atmospheric cut of jungle fantasia.

Q1E2 Recordings are excited to announce the newest EP from Veezo, ‘Adayofthesun’. Veezo's second EP picks up where 'themonolith' left off. This concept release blends cinematic atmospheres with a lo-fi hip hop flavour. The EP shows off the artist's pedigree - choppy vocal samples meld with wobbly pads, and Veezo's warm wandering Rhodes grooves tying everything together.

Veezo is a beatmaker out of Milan. A wizard on the Rhodes, he grew up on a healthy diet of jazz before branching out and undertaking collaborations with a number of hip hop acts. This led to a monumental shift in how he saw his place in music. He began experimenting with sampling, and exploring analogue sounds - introducing him to the world of modular systems, refining his studio skills and defining the artist we see now.

With sincere pride, Warning presents the debut EP of emerging artist JCow.

Magma, a manic rollercoaster, opens the A side and is accompanied by Purity of Spirit, an uplifting basement Rave anthem. On the flip things get a bit more twisted with Groove Ryder, a melange of funky Breakz and Trance with a fat hit of Organic Groove. The Acid Fiend Mix of Rave Patrol completes this record with an over the top composition of drums and JCow’s wild Guitar play.

The memory of the Criminal Justice Act won’t be forgotten anytime soon. The rage of the lovers of “Sankeys Soap” club hypnotises the soul of the artists who built this new compilation. On side A the dance floor is unleashed through sub-bass frequencies. Carefully crafted by synth operators, their humming spreads a wave of euphoria set to drown landscapes filled with limitless parties. Side B clears the confetti, opening to a raw space of endless mirrored walls. Men with colourless thoughts can appear to harvest, the blood frozen by their speech.

Brazilian-born, USA-based record label Concreta Sala arrives to the scene in 2021 with a celebration of Brazilian Bass and the culmination of 25 years of research and digging through their EP compilation series Proibidœ. This inaugural volume showcases an original and remastered 20-year-old techno track by the intentionally elusive multi-instrumentalist El Presidente Hi-Fi. Initially released in the year 2000, the aggressive but precise rhythms of “Drop Your Guns” are reworked by three emerging Brazilian artists: Sisto, Mau Maioli, and Hugo Frasa. With the original press limited to 150 copies and instrumental stems lost to the wind back in 2002, Concreta Sala is incredibly proud to bring this release to a new generation of dance floors and headphones via three unique remixes. The original track is transformed into a certified weapon, remastered and repressed in a limited run of only 300 vinyl copies with the highest audio quality. From a listener’s perspective, both sides of Proibidœ VOL. I are loaded with ammunition for any given moment.