17/10/09
Ital Soundz pt. V ::: Breakage & SP:MC :: Foundation(Digital Soundboy) LP Launch night

Breakage
Digital Soundboy, Bassbin, Critical/ UK

Moving effortlessly through styles from drum & bass to dubstep, Breakage has proved himself to be one of the most versatile operators in either scene to date. A prodigious talent, he already as a number of classic releases under his belt but continues to develop his sound with releases across leading imprints including Digital Soundboy, Tempa and Warp.
Combining rich tones and a sense of spaciousness in the mix, Breakageʼs music is both subtle yet devastatingly effective. With basslines big enough to test any dancefloor and DJ support ranging from Shy FX to Marcus Intalex to Mary Anne Hobbes, his tracks have wide-ranging and lasting appeal.

Breakageʼs second longplayer is due in 2009 and will no doubt feature tracks across a range of tempos. Never one to be pigeonholed, you can expect fresh music of the highest quality from Breakage and hear this first as he takes the ʽFoundationʼ album on tour worldwide from August.

Extended biography:

Never afraid to make an impact, Breakage burst onto the drum & bass scene back in 2000 and announced his arrival with a raucous remix of a hardcore classic, Nasty Habitʼs ʽHere Come the Drumsʼ on Reinforced. Backing up this bold move with a series of EPs for the legendary label proved he was no young pretender and he quickly established himself at the forefront of new wave of breakbeat scientists. Breakage developed a close relationship with veterans such as Equinox (Scientific Wax) and Threshold (Special Branch) and together helped to bring the breaks back to drum & bass at a time when the scene seemed to have forgotten itʼs jungle roots.

A regular guest at nights such as Technicality in London and Bassbin in Dublin, Breakage brought his own unique mix of reggae basslines and timestretched funk breaks to the clubs with huge success. His remix of Equinoxʼs ʽAcid Rainʼ (originally released on Inperspective) plus massive singles for Bassbin (ʽSo Vainʼ) and Critical (ʽStaggered Dubʼ) drew support from a range of DJs across the scene, including Fabio, Shy FX and Zinc, and quickly regarded by some as classics.

Support from Planet Mu boss Mike Paradinas resulted in a release on the esteemed label (ʽDrowning b/w 9th Handʼ) and hinted at the appeal of Breakageʼs music beyond the club environment. With further releases on Critical and Scientific Wax plus the development of a collaborative partnership with DJ Flight (under the name Alias), Breakage had already proven his versatility and shown that he was capable of much more.
His debut album release came in 2006 and clearly demonstrated Breakage could adapt to a range of styles. Featuring joint efforts alongside SP:MC and Rohan, ʽThis Too Shall Passʼ also included more slower tempo material and hinted at what was to come.

Linking up with Digital Soundboy in 2007, Breakage soon turned heads with the haunting half-time dubbed-out beats of ʽClarendon b/w Shroudʼ. It came as no surprise that he would make waves in the dubstep community with his next release, ʽCallahan b/w Untitled,ʼ and set dancefloors ablaze with a joint remix of Benga & Cokiʼs ʽNight,ʼ alongside Shy FX as Digital Soundboy. With reggae legend David Rodigan lending vocals to his next release (ʽTogether b/w Rainʼ), Breakage continued to build on his successes and established himself firmly as one on of the leading lights at 140bpm.
Remixes for the Sony-backed songstress Zarif plus leftfield hiphop maverick Flying Lotus are slated for release before his next LP, ʽFoundation,ʼ and hint strongly at the strength of Breakageʼs appeal. With high profile collaborations across a range of styles, the album shows Breakage at his best and will be accompanied by a worldwide tour kicking off in August 2009.

SP:MC
Shogun Audio, www.abunchofcuts.com / UK

Within the last 5 years, SP:MC has established himself as one of the busiest and most innovative MCs in both drum & bass and dubstep. As well working closely with front-runners DJ Friction, D-Bridge, Breakage and Youngsta, he holds residencies at leading nights including Shogun Audio, A Bunch of Cuts and Club Autonomic. His passion for the music undoubtedly comes through on the mic. With a unique flow and the confidence to leave space for the beats to breathe, itʼs clear that SP is an MC who only compliments and never competes with the DJ.

With a deep understanding of the music heʼs so passionate about, SP has proved himself to be a talented producer in his own right. Recent releases on Tempa (alongside Joker D) and Shogun LTD (with Jubei and Dakuan as Code3) have demonstrated both quality and diversity, whatever the tempo. With another 12" on Tempa dropping soon, plus a Code3 release forthcoming on D-Bridge's Exit Records, 2009 looks set to be yet another big year.

Extended biography:

Inspired by the sounds of MC GQ on tapes from seminal raves such as AWOL and Roast, SP:MC first picked up the mic around the age of 16. His first residency came soon after, following a chance meeting at Londonʼs Metalheadz club night with the promoters of a night called Subway. After hearing a demo CD the long-running Chelmsford crew made SP their resident MC, where he would host for often 4-5 hours a night at their monthly events. By consistently impressing both the regular crowds and guest DJs, SP:MC quickly earned a reputation that would lead him on to working with some of the best artists in the scene.

MC GQ made him resident at his own Emcee Monthly Sessions in London and, with his support, SP further raised his profile. After performing once alongside DJ Friction, the pair began to link regularly at Renegade Hardware nights around early 2002. An enduring partnership was born and with electrifying high-energy sets, matched to the venue and the vibe of the night, theyʼve made regular appearances for promoters ranging from Hospitality to Valve to Frictionʼs own Shogun Audio nights in London and Brighton.

Diversity has been the key to SP:MCʼs success so far and he has also represented labels including Exit, Commercial Suicide, Prototype, Bassbin, Good Looking, Metalheadz, Quarantine, Digital Soundboy and Soul:r. In 2003, he was nominated for ʼBest Breakthrough MCʼ at the Knowledge D&B Awards and has since received nominations for ʽBest MCʼ from BBC 1Xtra and Drum & Bass Arena; proof that his appeal is wide-ranging and isnʼt restricted to any one corner of the scene.

Above all else, SP:MC has a genuine passion for music that shines through whether performing live or in the studio. He first began producing in 2005 and, exercising the same quality control as he does on the mic, has built up a steady catalogue of releases. Collaborations with Breakage (ʼShadowʼ on Breakageʼs debut LP, and ʼThe Lurgieʼ on Shogun Audio) and fellow MC/producer, Verse, (ʼSurrenderʼ, ʼBorder Patrolʼ, and ʼLost Soulsʼ) set the standard, with support from some of drum & bassʼ heavy hitters including DJ Friction, Andy C, Goldie and Marcus Intalex. More recently, heʼs been working with Jubei and Dakuan as Code:3 with releases for Shogun (ʽDeltaʼ b/w Escape Hatchʼ) and Coded Music (ʽPayloadʼ) in 2009.

With a deep understanding of beats and bass whatever the tempo, SP:MC has also made waves across the dubstep community with a massive debut release on Tempa alongside Joker D (ʽFutureʼ b/w ʽTrust Nobodyʼ). An EP has been slated for Tempa in late 2009 and, with dubplate material receiving support from leading selectors including Youngsta and Loefah, has already become a highly-anticipated release.

A busy tour schedule will be taking SP:MC worldwide once again in 2009, with appearances in Japan, the USA and Australia & New Zealand among others. As MC of choice for DJ Friction, D-Bridge, Breakage and Youngsta, itʼ no surprise that heʼs in constant demand when held in such high regard by the DJs he works with.