Juno Recommends Breakbeat: August 2022

Review: Well this one is fun. And fun, just about, in a good way, rather than stupid silly un-cool and uncouth fun. Kolter's Breakarama EP kicks off with the title track which makes use of the melodic motif from TV's much loved animation Futurama. It is sure to get some super reactions in the club with its playfulness and charm. 'Ghost In The Breaks' is more serious, with a slick and futuristic feeling breaks vibe then 'Get Out James!' is another laugh that makes use of the iconic riff from James Bond over some sleazy and dark UKG. 'Horny Breakdancers' is an airy, uplifting one to close.

Review: Way back in 1994, two San Francisco scene sorts - Courtney Nielsen and DJ Spun - joined forces for a debut single as Central Fire. Heavily influenced by sub-heavy UK breakbeat but blessed with the kind of psychedelic acid lines and trippy electronics that were then a big part of the Bay Area free party sound, 'This Is Going Out' has become something of a cult classic in the years since. This much-needed Mint Condition reissue boasts all three tracks from the original EP: the pleasingly rolling and dubby 'Into The Future' and marginally chunkier Jim Hopkins' mixes of 'This is a Shout Going Out', and the freewheeling dub disco-goes-house heaviness of 'Central Fire (Yes People's It's Time: part 1 & 2)'.

Review: Since he first landed on our radar via Vivid a few years back, Yosh has dished out enough high grade garage and breakbeat gear to fuel the scene on his own. Not only a prolific producer, he's also got a razor sharp flair which edges him in front of a crowded scene, and now he's back to Vivid to show us exactly what he's about with a 12-track double-pack, his biggest release to date. In one sense you should know exactly what to expect - elevated steppers and deft rollers, but the fundamental appeal of Yosh is all those ear-snagging traits which make his tracks sparkle, and you never know what they're going to be until the needle's tracking in that groove. Now you can enjoy that sensation 12 times over - a good deal if ever we saw one.

Review: Jon Mace is Inkipak, a new name who has impressed with a quick and busy run of releases on labels like Ping Disc, Mighty Force and Glawiio Music. This time out he lands on Magnonic Signals with four more tracks of brilliantly designed and lush techno soundscapes. 'Confine' opens with a far-sighted sense of forlornness over bumpy breaks. 'Outbreak' then cuts lose with plunging bass and starry eyed melodies that take you far off into the cosmos and 'Alastria' continues the voyage with crunchy percussion and bleeping melodies. 'Omichron' is as catchy as the virus it is presumably named after.

Review: It's five up for the CCCP Edits label which deals in serving up nicely reworked jams from house and disco's past. The eponymous and mysterious production team is in fine form here with four more cuts out of Russia that all have Cyrillic names but have been transliterated for English audiences which means '??? ???? ????' becomes 'Moi Drug Tima'. It's a funky cut with house and disco elements over a punchy break. 'Ektoplazma' is rugged electro that races through the stars and 'BBC' is a heavyweight tech-house stomper. 'Choovak' closes with more rough-edged grooves.

Review: With previous releases on Tombolo, Natural Sciences and cassette label Gin & Jazz XX, Mutant Joe is back with a new one this week on Los Angeles-based Evar Records. Since his arrival on the scene back in 2019, the Aussie producer's output has spanned diverse genres. There's four tracks featured on Wrong Way Out; he builds on earlier work with underground trap artists on opener 'Bangin On', the ketamine-laced electro of 'Static Effect' had us equally impressed as did the gnarly jungle deconstructions of 'Eyes Without A Face' and the brooding beat contortions of 'The Living Dead'.

Review: Following their exceptional remix of Noisia earlier this year Cocktail Party Effect joins the gang at Sneaker Social with a wide range of breakbeat designs and visceral body music. 'Racka' is a contemporary twist on electro while 'Grims8' takes us deep down the tribal drum & bass rabbit hole with dubby, trippy results. Elsewhere '58bethe7' subverts a classic hardcore breakbeat with some very modern and breath-taking twists while 'C A T C R' closes on a frenzied jungle tip. Grab it while you can.

Review: There is a new hound in the pound of Berlin label 777. Dogpatrol bares his teeth with this razor sharp EP of visceral electro. The brilliantly titled 'Came Back From Hell & I Feel Good' opes up with roaming synths and slivery percussive slices over booming drums and broken beats. There is more space in the nimble drums of 'Safari Simulator' while 'The Deep Valley Of Self-Neglect' has a heavy, pounding and linear groove. 'Usingmyquirk' brings a haunting vibe with its low end oscillations and shimmering pads and 'Granular Memory Experience' is a wonky and kinetic machine workout for the afters.

Review: With a string of forthright, club-rocking releases to his name for labels including Denham Audio, E-Beams, WNCL Recordings, Sneaker Social Club and, most recently, Shall Not Fade, it would be fair to say that Mani Festo is currently one of the UK's premier rave revivalists. Here he brings his trademark sound, which doffs a cap to breakbeat hardcore, jungle, techno and electro, to Lobster Theremin for the very first time. There's plenty to admire throughout, from pulsating metallic bass, darkcore breaks and paranoid sonic textures of 'Digital Projection', to the opioid chords, drowsy melodies and shuffling 4/4 garage beats of 'Roam' and the thunderous techno beats and 'Selected Ambient Works'-era Aphex Twin chords of 'Sleepless in West Norwood'.