Any breaks DJ will tell you that something new needs to happen on the scene and judging by the final outcome of Breakspoll, Amanda Gegg takes a look at why they might be on to something...
Nights like this don't come along very often. Breakspoll at Fabric is the breakbeat equivalent to the Oscars, with over twenty DJs playing in amongst the International Breaks awards being distributed.
Despite the fact that it is not chocker inside, the atmosphere remains as electric as ever when a group of people share a mutual appreciation. It becomes quickly apparent that this night is about the party beats enticing the crowd rather than showcasing the hardcore version of the genre. Room Three is the first port of call where Vent are tearing out the beats. These guys wouldn't originally strike me as the ideal openers, but standing watching them, I couldn't have picked a better act to start with.
Next stop is Room One, naturally, where Beat Assassins are going back to back with NAPT. This, surprisingly, is not everything we have been hoping for because it seems to lack the vibrancy that the other DJs are displaying. But there is no denying that these guys have talent which is affirmed by NAPT picking up the Best Producer and Best Track for 2009 awards.
Next up in Room One, are the legendary duo A. Skillz and Krafty Kuts playing a 4-deck set. These guys are bang on the money, as per usual, with their funky turntablism. This is proper party beats as straight up as they come and Room One is now packed to the rafters with appreciative fans busting a groove. It is no surprise to anyone that Krafty dominates with the Best DJ and Best Album Award for Re-Rubs.
Cut La Roc and Peo De Pitte are up next, and even though they don't stand out as much as the other acts, it is no easy task keeping an atmosphere like that going until the breaks fathers, The Freestylers, take to the stage spinning against CTRL-Z. This set is heavy and The Freestylers impress us once again with some dark new releases such as Cracks, which breaks DJs the world over are picking up on.
Five hours have passed already and the masked crusaders BSD are taking over with their haunting stage presence. Prior to their set, these guys have picked up the Best Breakthrough Producer award and it's easy to see why. They are big news on the scene and their remixes - which even include a breaks version of Black Eyed Peas 'I Gotta Feeling' - are exactly what breaks needs to get more people interested.
A dreadful feeling ensues at 5am; the end of the night is upon us. But a real highlight presents itself as Elite Force then rip out an hour's worth of evil tech-funk. Looking around it is obvious that the dedicated breaks fans are all feeling the same, taking in every second, not wanting the night to end. But even as it does and the lights go up, it's obvious that it's been an incredibly successful night.
Outside, speaking to some of the party-goers, I discover that many of them are not specifically breaks fans but have had their opinions changed thanks to the evening's events. What a wonderful thing for a breaks fan to hear at seven in the morning. Will we be seeing them tomorrow for the after party at Matter? Who knows. But I would hazard a guess that they will be back to road test some more breaks at Fabric.
Image by Breakspoll
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