Weekend Weapons: Break

Weekend Weapons: Break

30 November, 2010 | 3.38AM

• Written by: Dan Cole
• Filed under: Music News: break, symmetry recordings, weekend weapons

Bristol is a drum & bass factory, churning out one exciting producer after another. Charlie Bierman started releasing records towards the start of the century, coming from the No U-Turn school of hardstep. Like many of the peers within his field, such as Fierce, Silent Witness, and Survival, Break’s style is characterized by funk-driven basslines and neuro-styled, pad-heavy productions.

Now running his own label, Symmetry Recordings, Break has diversified his productions to include the vocal and liquid styles of d&b that can be heard on his new album, Resistance.

We caught up with one of the scene’s most prolific producers to see what tracks are making the grade for him at the moment.

Survival feat Christina Nicola, “Hand it Over” [Audio Tactics]

This is one of my favourite tunes of the year. It creeps in with eerie pads and keyboards and a haunting but catchy vocal from Christina; then it floats off and switches jungle-style to a massive bassline steppa. This is always one of the heaviest baselines of the night in clubs when I play out, great to cut up and mix with other tunes, lovely mixdown, top tune.

Break & Die, “Slow Down” [Symmetry Recordings]

Hard to pick favourites, but this is one of mine from the new album Resistance. All the vibes I’m into: soulful oldskool female vocal with that jungle sound to it, a sick breakbeat which I’ve never used before (one of Die’s specials he had saved) and massive sub bass spaced out in the arrangement for maximum re-impact. Nice intro to mix or good fun as intro or outro. Bristol Jungle Vibes.

Octane, DLR & Survival, “Transition” [Renegade Hardware]

This tune sounds totally delicious, it’s great to turn up loud and then more and doesn’t hurt the ears at all. Very stepping spacious groove, but super tight to mix with; the gritty bass alternations are very pleasing. Cool ride cymbals and samples, more like this all day please. Wicked vibes, quality hardware in your box.

Eastcolors, Noel & Enei, “Cracker” [Critica]l

Really liking the tunes from Enei and the other guys he collabs with right now, really quality stuff, no silliness and all tasteful and slick production. This tune is one of the best examples, it’s a groove I’m definitely into, and the switch to the bass stabs on the first breakdown is devastating. As a track to mix in you can always guarantee it will get a reaction when it switches to just bass for 20 seconds. The drop is rolling and the beats are stepping with a little jungle shaker feel on top. Funky vibes and sonically wicked. Heavy stuff.

Silent Witness, “Frozen Still” [Triple Seed]

From his latest release, this is the flipside to “Braindrain.” Silent Witness bringing two different flavas to this release, I’m really into this side because of the soundscape journey it takes you on, I feel in a constant state of motion when I’m listening.  A more minimal feel than usual in the beats, but this step is interlaced with crazy futuristic drum edits and slick percussion changes that keep your ear on edge all the time. Something I can imagine hearing Klute or Doc Scott playing. Deep future jungle.

Break feat Kyo, “Hold On” [Symmetry Recordings]

I put this in the list not really as a big club drum n bass smasher, but just ‘cos making the track was different to all the others on the latest album. We approached the track with a more conventional verse/chorus/verse/bridge/chorus approach; normally the standard drum n bass arrangement is more suited to the club and is more spaced over the five or six minutes. So it was fun to make a tune at 174BPM with that different approach over a three-to-four minute song length. The club mix of this track fits more into that conventional arrangement, but we hoped this version would be enjoyed out of the club more as a listening tune. Strings guitars and vocals are the main feature, with jazzy funk beats, so it has a mainly live, organic sound.

Calibre, “Even If” [Signature]

One of my other definite favourites of the year, Calibre in top form. After a delicious intro of deep strings, which sound live and real, the chords echo off and a classic rolling Calibre beat drops with a smooth bassline which totally hits the sweet spot. Vocals from Calibre and a catchy vocal stab on the first beat of the bar keep the vibe rolling perfectly; it’s like a sad summer tune for me, bittersweet. I always can’t wait for the breakdown ‘cos it’s a chance to hear those lovely strings on their own again. The second drop always seems to hit the spot even more when I play it in the club. High quality drum n bass.

Proktah, “Elephant March” [Dubplate]

Proktah has sent me a few tunes and I’ve been feeling all of them. He has a wicked sound to his production, which is thumping and crisp but not harsh or awkward sounding. This is another slick demonstration of his skills, a perfect DJ friendly intro brings in the groove, dropping with heavy beats and then the grinding bass slowly filters in to drop fully, with heavy impact, right on cue. Between the nice edits and rolling arrangement, this ticks all the boxes for me.

Die, “Getto Biz’nis” [Clear Skyz]

This is classic Die vibes all over, big tune. Jazzy funk stabs on the intro punch a wicked groove, with funky bassline and synth joining in with a vibing hook. A cool little vocal stab cuts it off, switch, stepping sub and crisp rolling beats. It has a classic jungle feel to it, but sounds up to date and high quality in the combination of rare groove and dnb. Really nice to mix and double drop with other basslines; has a sparseness to the arrangement that is quite addictive, with the right bits of music leaking through when you need it. Quality flavours.

Villem, “Do You I Wanna” [dubplate]

From the Bristol trio Mute & Mako, one half of Mute, Villem has dropped one of the rudest b-lines I’ve heard for ages. On this solo track Villem has done a cool arrangement to the intro which starts with beats and pads, breaks down and drops back in with beats and vocal looping but no bass; by the time this builds to the drop you’re ready and the jungle bass that’s delivered is naughty, reminds me of an old V Recordings tune but with a modern but oldskool edge. The clean mixdown achieved by Villem is something these guys always deliver and this track really has great energy in the dance. Stuck firmly in the bag.

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