Betting on Breakspoll part 3: General Midi and Stereo:Type have a flutter

Betting on Breakspoll part 3: General Midi and Stereo:Type have a flutter

25 February, 2009 | 5.41PM

• Written by: Caleb Rakes
• Filed under: Music News: breakspoll, general midi, stereo type

In our final series of features in the run up to this year’s annual breakbeat awards at Fabric in London, we talk to scene stalwarts General MIDI and one of this year’s freshest acts, Stereo Type.

General MIDI, who is also nominated for Best Breaks Artist in the BMAs, had a massive year with his ‘Milton’ release on Distinctive Records and will be playing at the awards show on February 26th.

Stereo Type, meanwhile (the partnership between Ctrl Z’s Tommy Dash and Screwface), recently dropped their debut album on Hardcore Beats and have been tipped to be among the biggest production acts of 2009.

Since last year’s event what do you think has changed within the breaks scene?

GM: There’s definitely been a contraction over the last year. A lot of the fair weather types are off pursuing the latest fads but I think this has been really good for the scene as it means that a lot of the opportunists are out leeching somewhere else. That said, there’s a real blurring over genres going on and generally I’m finding things great. There’s a lot of amazing music out there.

S: The most notable change that we’ve noticed is that breaks has seemed to have lost its identity a bit. The genre has always borrowed from other styles, but a lot of producers seem so caught up in trying to make the sounds ‘du jour’. Having said that, one look at this year’s Breakspoll line-up will confirm how many new acts have broken through, which has got to be a healthy thing for any scene.

Who do you think will scoop the best producer award?

GM: Slyde are definitely front runners for me although Rico Tubbs has had a great year too.

S: We think it’s a toss up between NAPT and Far Too Loud. They’ve both put in a lot of hard work this year and deserve to reap the benefits. Or the Plump DJs could win because they usually do!

For you, what was the standout record of the past year?

GM: I reckon Allan Braxe ‘Nightwatcher (Show Me)’ (Tony Senghore’s Night Vision Version) on Eye Industries.

S: It’s probably a bit cheeky to say, but we think it’s ‘Balls To The Wall (Stereo:Typical Pt.II)’ by ourselves. Only because it’s been hammered by people across the board, and it’s not often that a tune is played by such a wide spectrum of DJs, especially one that mocks not only ourselves but other genres, too! Whatever you think of it, it’s hard to ignore and that’s what makes a record standout for us.

Who would get your vote for best DJ?

GM: I’ve got to get myself in here somewhere! But seriously both Elite Force and Tayo have played killer sets this year.

S: This is a tricky one for us as we take DJing very seriously. There isn’t so much of a DJ culture in breaks compared to scenes like d&b or hip-hop. A lot of the DJs we hear were obviously producers before they were DJs and you can tell! Although a set should be good to dance to first and foremost, it should also have enough in there to keep your mind interested too, and at a mid level tempo. We think it’s important to keep the pace going and keep the crowd involved.

There are obviously exceptions: Terry (Atomic) Hooligan and Elite Force spring to mind as having some serious skills. If you’re of a like mind, you should check out the 5 deck show we’re currently touring!

Best Newcomer?

GM: Rektchordz all the way!

S: Dilemn. He’s had a stark rise over the past year and has demonstrated that he can turn his hand to many different styles without compromising his sound. His unique blend of breaks and electro has certainly been turning heads in the scene.

Who do you think should get best label?

GM: Distinctive Records should be in with a good chance, Mofo have had a killer year, and the mighty LOT 49 can do no wrong.

S: Probably Funkatech Records. They have had a really good year with both NAPT and Far Too Loud, and also with their new signing, Pyramid.

Standout album?

GM: Slyde ‘Everyone Is Entitled To Our Opinion’. They’ve got that great ability to make tracks poppy without losing that hard dancefloor edge.

S: Slyde ‘Everyone’s Entitled to Our Opinion’. It’s one of the only albums that came out last year that was predominantly breaks with some killer singles too: ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’, ‘Frequency’ and ‘Vibrate to This’ were all really strong.

Who are you looking forward most to seeing at the awards?

GM: Loads of peeps—it’s always a great chance to catch up with the global crew.

S: Definitely A Skillz. We think his tracks are great, and he’s also a very accomplished DJ. It will also make a change from all the other acts on the bill.

And finally, with the recent heavy influence from dubstep and electro on the breaks scene, where do you think the sound will be heading in 2009?

GM: That’s a tough call this year. To be honest, I’ve absolutely no idea, but the osmosis that exists between scenes and sounds is incredibly strong and healthy and will lead to good things - I’m all about mongrel music!

S: The past year has seen big name breaks DJs practically abandon the genre for dubstep and electro. There is nothing wrong with those genres - we even play a little bit of both - but how is breaks going to survive if some of the key players stop making and playing the music they had a part in shaping?

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