Amanda Gegg talks breaks with Aston Harvey from The Freestylers.
Whatever people's opinions are on breakbeat at the moment, there is no denying that The Freestylers have held fast on the scene for well over a decade now. They have seen it through its best and worst times. Now in 2010, with a new album on the horizon and a recent EP release, Aston Harvey (one half of the dynamic duo) speaks to us about upcoming gigs, new releases and his opinion on the current state of the breaks scene.
So Aston, with Breakspoll coming up in February it would be interesting to know what you think is going on in the breaks scene at the moment?
To be honest I don't really know, it’s hard to keep up with these days. I mean there's the same guys there but it seems to be relying on bootlegs rather than new stuff.
And who would you say are the biggest names on the scene at this point?
Well there's Krafty Kuts, Plump DJs, Stanton Warriors, and then there are the newer guys like Ctrl-Z.
A lot of these DJs have been around for a good few years now, not all of them quite as long as you, but why do you think they've been ruling the roost for so long?
It's because they're 'cutting edge'. They're always doing their own thing, like keeping themselves in the media, magazines and everything. We haven't really been doing that. We've been taking a break...well sort of, whilst we're working on our new album, which should be finished by next month.
So how does breaks now compare to when you first started DJing?
Well, in '98 it was big beats, and it was more organic. Nowadays it’s becoming more and more electronic. Now, the whole genre is influenced by so many others like house and hip hop.
And would you say breaks is at a high point now in 2010?
No, not at all, it has taken a serious dive. There just aren't enough original tracks being released and as I said earlier it is all relying on bootlegs. I suppose you could say that it's bigger in other countries, like Australia for instance, but even there something needs to be done, like a revolution.
It was probably at its best about five years ago, with more ground-breaking tracks being released. Breaks isn't like drum ‘n’ bass, or even house, where there is always something new coming through. Without that growth it completely drops.
That makes a good point because there are many sceptics who aren't as enthusiastic about Breakspoll now that the outcomes are so consistently similar every year. But do you think there is room for new artists to dominate?
There needs to be and there should be otherwise the scene won't grow. That is the problem now because it's not growing at the moment. But there needs to be better music, not necessarily just better DJs.
So what can we expect from your appearance at the Breakspoll afterparty at Matter?
Matter is a good venue to play at now because of the amazing sound system, it is definitely one of the best. So there will be a lot of plugging of the new album.
Very exciting. So what can we expect from the new album then?
It's a bit of a mix really, but rooted in breaks. We've added a bit of everything in, like drum ‘n’ bass, hip hop, reggae and even tried a bit of dubstep.
We've also got a track that we did with the Loose Cannons and it’s like 'Gary Glitter meets Pendulum', you know, very glam-rock.
You guys have never been shy of straying into other genres and you are associated with so many. The new album sounds like a prime example of that as does the EP. Do you have any particular songs that you're most proud of?
Well we aim to be inventive, not formulaic. I like good music and that means it could be any genre really. There's a track called 'Cracks' on the EP and it's a techno, electro, house mix. It still has a breaks feel even though it has a house beat with a rolling tribal snare. That was a pretty interesting one to make.
And finally, you guys are playing at The Old Queens Head on Friday 22nd January, which is apparently one of your favourite venues. What is it about the place that makes it so enjoyable to DJ there?
We just always have a laugh there. We normally take it in turns doing the set and it gives us a chance to play some old and new tracks. It isn't a full on soundsystem but it always gets a really good turnout.
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