Breaka presents ‘Breaka 001’, the first release on his own self-titled label.
“This record is a special project for me. Releasing myself has allowed me to collect four tracks reflecting different sides of my musical world. ‘Breaka 001’ opens with ‘Icy Grills’, a classic Breaka style track based on Breaks, 808s and euphoric melodies. ‘Stretch 130’ is a portal into the world of Stretchy Dance Supply, a workout-based club night I co-created. It’s one to limber up and get down to. The B-side starts with ‘Apricot Cocktails’, a track inspired by the classic Broken Beat sound. I made the instrumental in 2018, but the track got a new lease of life when paired with vocals written and performed by soul diva Lydia Kotsirea. The EP comes to a close with another collaboration, this time working with producer and session guitarist Bradley Hutchings (Guava). I often open my sets with this one. I think you’re going to love it.”
Off the back of the response to my first self-release, I’m very excited to present to you Breaka002. We start off with ‘Liquid Gold’, a fairly explosive sunny day groover. I hope to hear this one sound-tracking many a small gathering over the next few months. ‘Ease Up’ draws you in with a melancholic Rhodes riff, building slowly back to a more euphoric head high in the second half. ‘Steeze Flex’ combines Brazilian percussion, a dubby bassline and dreamy trumpet lines delivered by Ethan Landin.
Breaka’s come a long way since he first turned heads in 2018 with shivering bass anthem ‘Rory’s Theme’. After releasing further records on Holding Hands and other labels, he also kicked off his own eponymous label, and held down remix duties for Interplanetary Criminal and Kelly Lee Owens. Now, his musical curiosity gets the spotlight with self-released debut LP ‘We Move.’
Made on a laptop and midi keyboard during the winter of 20/21, the album clearly goes out to the club: singles ‘Mass Gathering’ and ‘Solaria’ earned attention from DJs like Anz, Call Super, and Om Unit, while also doing the rounds on NTS, Rinse FM, and the BBC, as well as featuring on BBC essential ‘Mix of the Year’ by Elkka. Tracks such as ‘Look Inside’ and ‘Solaria’ navigate themes of reflection and isolation, while numbers ‘We Move’, ‘Honeydrum’ and ‘Baile Steppa’ work genres like UK funky, trance, kuduro, and samba together into new forms. Whether considering the dance from a distance or toying with new ideas of what the dance can be, ‘We Move’ is a confident statement of intent, showcasing Breaka’s love for explorations across the electronic axis.
Artwork comes courtesy of Breaka and Jake Elwes, with featured photography from Sophie Jouvenaar.
The third of Breaka’s self-releases sees collaborations between himself, known-associate Frazer Ray, and brother Bakey.
"Fun with a capital F is the theme of this EP. I selected these four with that in mind, each one also bringing a different flavour of the UK sound. ‘The Loudest Woiioii Ever’ and ‘Phone’s Ringin’ are the product of a few sessions that me and Frazer managed to squeeze in last year. We were hugely inspired by early dubstep, instrumental grime, and of course UK Funky.
For the flip, I thought it was high time to release some of me and my brother’s productions for the world to hear. ‘Club Dynamics’ takes things right up to 150bpm, and draws on Jungle and Juke influences. We round off the release with ‘Pro Perc', a UKG groover to vibe out to, named after the now closed drum shop on Kentish Town Road we’d visit as kids."
a1. Breaka & Frazer Ray - The Loudest Woiioii Ever
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