Staff WriterNat Mac spoke to Breaka ahead of his debut at legendary Cork venue, The Pav, bringing with him his fluid, percussive take on UK breaks, bass, UK funky and techno, shaped by the restless movement of the UK underground.
The night sees Cork-based bass series Outlaw’d and RiseUp Soundsystem come together once again, following previous collaborations with Sully and Tim Reaper. Support comes from RiseUp’s Jonezy, Outlaw’d’s NATMAC and local Cork artist Munk.
With The Pav’s sunken dancefloor and stage framed by the stacks, it’s a fitting setting for Breaka’s sound: where rhythm, low-end and the physical experience of the soundsystem are all part of the equation.
Outlaw’d is a Cork-based bass series influenced by the evolving edges of the low-end, with sound at the centre of every event. The soundsystem is treated as an essential part of the experience rather than an afterthought, with previous guests including Tim Reaper, Sully, Prozak, Sloucho, Dr. Dubplate and Dylan Fogarty. Breaka is next to join the series for his Cork debut.
You can purchase tickets here.
If you had to describe the Breaka sound as a food, dish, fruit, dessert, or even a whole meal, what would it be and why?
My music is definitely tangy, sour, spicy, and sometimes sweet, so probs something Southeast Asian! Maybe papaya salad?
Your sound now moves quite naturally between breaks, bass, UK funky, techno and beyond. Has that versatility always been intentional, or has it just evolved as your tastes have changed?
I just don’t really understand how artists can stick to one discipline or genre when there’s so much out there to get inspired by. The whirlwind of new sounds can get a bit nauseating for me at times, though. I’ve found it useful to narrow down my influences project to project.
From Rory’s Theme / Puffer Jackets in 2018 through to We Move and everything since, where do you hear the biggest progression in your own production?
For me, the moment it all clicked was Rory’s Theme / Puffer Jackets! Before those two tracks, I hadn’t finished anything slower than 160 bpm, and all my releases up until then had been pretty focused on the jungle/footwork sound. Unlocking all the other BPMs (rather than just 160) was truly liberating, as you can imagine.
You’ve recently moved to Bristol. After London and Leeds, has being in another city with such a strong electronic music culture started influencing what you’re making or listening to?
For Bristol, it’s more of an attitude thing that inspires me here. I respect the community for looking out for each other, respecting their history, and striving for originality in general over capitalistic tendencies. From my perspective, there isn’t really one sound dominating this city apart from this strange thread woven between post-punk, IDM, and dancehall that I can’t really get my head around.
UK funky, footwork and percussion-led club music seem to be reaching increasingly wider audiences again. You’ve been working around those sounds for years. What do you make of where they sit within club culture now, and where do you see them heading?
Everything’s getting joined and merged these days! It’s becoming harder to clearly demarcate genres and, I personally love that, as long as we keep track of where everything came from. I think genres have a different meaning for everyone individually based on where your reference points are with other sounds. It becomes a bit arbitrary to even give sounds names and groupings, although they are good for your own reference of remembering what you were inspired by.
Soundsystem culture has been part of your journey since those early days in Leeds. How important is the physical experience of sound to you? And when you know you’re playing through a serious system, does that influence the records you want to play?
The only good system! It makes a massive difference. There are some records that just won’t work unless you have a full-range system. Tracks with just a few elements especially, because the 3D-ness of the soundsystem essentially adds more timbres and even extra layers of groove to the sounds in the track. Those same tracks just sound like a single shaker loop on a crap system.
You and Bakey have such an obvious chemistry when you play together. What is it actually like performing alongside your brother, and does that relationship allow you to take more risks with each other than you might in another B2B?
We haven’t been playing together much in the last couple of years, both figuring out our own directions really. But when we do, it’s always a hoot! Being comfortable with your b2b partner is very helpful. We’ll have heated debates about track selection as we go, or literally pull the fader down if the other person’s clanging. On a more constructive note, it does give you the freedom to just jump on the mixer to make edits while the other person is cueing, etc.
Since you came to Ireland with Bakey for The Illicit at Bow Lane, in Dublin, and you’ve been back a number of times since. What have you made of Irish crowds and Ireland’s underground club scene from the different experiences you’ve had here?
My favourite nights out in Ireland lately have been at Tengu this year for ‘Assets’ and in Galway for Ar Ais Arís. I mean, you’ve just gotta love Irish people having a good time, there’s not much more to say! There’s a very committed and engaged community of ravers pushing positivity and solidarity.
Ireland still has much earlier closing times than a lot of the places you tour, with Cork club nights generally wrapping up around 2:30am. As a visiting artist, do you notice that difference? Does it affect the energy or pacing of a night from your perspective?
Yes, it definitely makes a massive difference. In general, my feeling is that having an earlier closing time across the board makes us treat the club less like a third place and more like a consumable experience. We’re trying to get the absolute most out of every hour in there, which generally means it’s harder for artists to weave a more complex narrative musically. With a bit less time pressure, it’s easier for the night to feel a bit more primal and escapist. We didn’t use clocks when we used to dance around a campfire in a cave, you know.
When producers have access to the same samples, presets and software, how do you encourage people to use those tools as a starting point rather than ending up sounding like everybody else? What helped you develop a sound that felt distinctly yours?
Hold your inspirations close! Remember what it is you set out to do. For me, that was jazz, jungle, footwork, techno, hip-hop and dub mostly. When you find a new sonic element you want to use in your track, sure, throw it in there, but try to work out which of your inspirations you’re itching with it. Knowing why you personally connect to certain sounds will give you a clearer picture of how to refine that sound further and make it more “you”.
When you’re producing now, what normally starts a Breaka track? Is it rhythm first, a particular sound, something you’ve heard while DJing, or does it completely change from track to track?
Different every time! But I generally start by experimenting, some new technique or something.
You’ve already moved through a lot of different sounds without losing that recognisable Breaka identity. What is exciting you creatively at the moment? Are there any new directions creeping into what you’re making?
Restraint in general, I’d say. My aim at the moment is to slow down, to be more intentional about what’s going into my tracks and sets, and more selective about what I put out into the world. I think that’s gonna result in more percussive music.
Finally, we’re bringing you to The Pav in Cork with Outlaw’d and RiseUp. For someone seeing Breaka for the first time, what kind of journey are you hoping to take us on?
You’ll have to wait and see! I also will have to wait and see, as I have no idea yet.
You can purchase tickets to Breaka in Dublin on the 26th of September with Daylight here.
