CHANGE CITY :
I’ve been in London for 10 months now, and tonight was my first time at Fabric. It’s strange really, as when I first arrived in the UK I thought I’d be at the rather legendary club all the time. But, after hearing continued reports of how much of a nightmare it is to get in, and then with it being even worse to navigate around the club due to overcrowding… well suffice to say it had put me off somewhat.
But here I finally was, and for an event I had been waiting many years to experience; Breakspoll, the annual awards night for all things breakbeat. After a surprisingly painless entry to the club we were quickly on our way into the belly of the beast. Having the event on a Thursday night was actually perfect, as the club was full, but not to the point of being uncomfortable.
Passing through room two, Quest and Odissi were showcasing tracks from their new LP, with quirky sci-fi sounds and heavy basslines de rigueur. Taking a quick trip to the bar, I also caught the final few songs of Kraak & Smaak, and their more down tempo beats and melodies proved a great way to start the night.
With so many top quality artists spread across the club, the best angle of attack seemed to be a slow circuit to take in as much as possible. Room 3, the smallest of the bunch, was my pick for the night, with Break The Box vs Blatta & Inesha belting out some tasty tear out. At the same time Rektchordz vs D-Ranged were giving room 2 a workout, and the lasers were put to good use. By now it was time to make a quick dash back to the main room for the main event; the awards ceremony!
It was a struggle to get within earshot of breakbeat royalty Annie Nightingale and Danny Mcmillan as they made their announcements, but I did decipher that the Plump DJs scored Best Producer and Best Single for their tune ‘System Addict’, and the Stanton Warriors grabbed Best DJ. Ils’ ‘Paranoid Prophets’ also took out Best Album.
With the formalities now wrapped up it was time to get down to business. There were a lot of live acts billed tonight, and it was great to see them actually performing in a “live” capacity. The Dub Pistols kicked things of with a full horn section and a heavy ska influence, which seemed to work well.
Krafty Kuts followed on and did what he does best, turning out an entertaining party set. Hexadecimal vs GrooveDiggerz ripped apart room 2 with their heavy breaks, a highlight of which included a mix of Dizzee Rascall’s ‘Flex’. Deekline & Wizard also played a live set, incorporating a VJ and two MCs to good effect.
Back in room 1, Atomic Hooligan unleashed their new band, their singer demanding attention with an entertaining set. Lee Coombs and Meat Katie followed, and they delivered the tech funk stompers, with Soulwax’s remix of Robbie Williams’ ‘Lovelight’ a high point. Then it was up to Baobinga and I.D. to destroy the main room, dishing out the heavier nu-skool offerings.
By now it was 3.30am and I was staring down the barrel of a day at work so I left my mates and headed for home. One of the best aspects of the night was the attitude of the punters; everyone was there for the love of breakbeat and were bang up for a great night out. Indeed, it’s what we were given. If there is one event breaks lovers must pencil into their calendar, Breakspoll is it. Bring on next year!
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS AT BREAKSPOLL 2008.
liseyt says...
Nice review Min