Nuskool breaks group Nubreed (Jase/Mykel/Db) are ready to take Australia and the World by storm. I spoke with Jase about their new single and where they are headed
Q) So how did you guys get together?
(Jase) Myke and I originally met around 1990 through mutual friends that would always tell us we had to meet because we were very alike and into the same lifestyle of Hip Hop, Graff and Clubbing. Over the years our collective of friends formed into a funk /hip-hop live band called Sureel which consisted of myself, Mykel, Darren, Jude and Danny (Danielle Bonninci). The group disbanded after a few years so everybody went their separate ways (producing, programming, songwriting) Danny and Mykel produced a Funk/Rock Ep for themselves as well as delving into the multimedia world producing music for CD-ROMs and dabbling in animation. I began songwriting/programming for local Funk/Hip Hop artists completing several records.
We were always discovering new music and in contact socially so it was inevitable if we put our heads together we could create something different.
Q) What got you into breaks?
Discovering the cutting edge DJ sets of Phil K / Ozzie LA / Gab Olivier at ‘Sunny Side Up’. Back then at 5am (2 years ago) was the only place you got to hear the latest overseas breaks and the Hifi Bugs
(Andy Page, Phil K) would test run their new tunes. Those guys were a big early influence on our sound, us coming from our own Hip Hop/Rock/Funk background. The heavy electro style beats got us hooked cause they were far more interesting than just 4/4 Doof and the basslines were very Drum n Bass influenced which we were big on also. Breaks (Not Big Beat) to us combines all the musical elements we like Fat Beats/ Monster Basslines/ Lush Chords/ Psy Efx and plenty of room for experiment action to create new sounds and arrangement ideas because the genre (NuSkool Breaks) is so new in this country and around the world it is still fairly underground.
Q) Who are your major influences both in breaks and the dance scene in general?
At the moment it would have to be the DJ’s/Producers pushing the sonic boundaries and what’s playable on the dancefloor People like Tipper/Si Begg/Slim and Aussie mates Andy Page, Phil K/ Aphex Twin/ Timbaland/ Premier and Alchemist.
Q) Welcome is your first release and an awesome one at that, tell us a bit about it.
Welcome was our first track using Danny’s vocal abilities. It gave us the direction of vocal songs on breaks that are the sound of our new material (featured in our live set). We didn’t just want to be another instrumental dance act releasing throwaway club tunes that lasted 2 weeks in a DJ’s crate. We wanted to be different and write full sounds with melodies, choruses and verses etc like any other band would. But the difference is in our musical bed and the way we play live cause we don’t just tweak knobs for an hour.
Q) The single features another great track in Mutst, is an album on the way?
We have two more singles (Food for thought/ Rock da City) being licensed and released through Melbourne’s own Zero Tolerance label and we are featured on their forth-coming “No Nonsense” compilation. Ten new tracks have been completed though we are still looking for the right label deal for an album as we are still unsigned and have a lot more songwriting to do in order to pick the best tracks for a strong album. Tracks can sometimes take a month to complete because we write, perform, program, mix and record all our tracks in our home studio while trying to finish remixes.
Q) Some big name jocks such as Adam Freeland and Hybrid are reportedly caning the track, it must be nice to have such success early on.
Through the support of Zero Tolerance and local DJ’s like Phil K/ Ozzie LA/ Ransom/ Brewster B etc our music got great test runs before it was released overseas and on compilations. Freeland and Hybrid we met through them touring and they took our music back to London and exposed it over there which was great. We recently completed a remix for Adam Freeland’s Marine Parade label for the group Apex titled Symmetry due out on a Double Pack next month. Hybrids Mike Truman repeatedly offered to remix Welcome but unfortunately this fell through.
Q) The breaks scene in both Sydney and Melbourne really seems to be taking off, thoughts?
There is a growing community of Beat Headz in both towns, though the support from the bigger promoters is pretty poor when it comes to booking Breaks Internationals or Locals. Small independent parties are developing which is the best way to build a permanent scene or night, like the D’n’B parties that are quite regular in Melbourne.
Q) So where can we catch you? Any major parties or tours on the Horizon?
We are playing a special Live set alongside fellow inbreed Phil K with Adam Freeland at revolver March 9th and a set at Paladin Feb 17th with Phil K/ Gab Olivier and Ozzie La. This will be an unofficial single launch.
Q) What does the future hold for Nubreed?
Our focus is to release an Ep overseas and to develop our live sets. We intend to also complete our Drum N Bass set that is on its way as well as a few multimedia films for our live backdrops. We are constantly working producing other R’n’B and Hip Hop artists with local records recently completed for Bias B’s/ Rob Nat and Prowla’s forth coming Ep. Another compilation is in the works featuring local acts similar to our Rock Da City project released last year. Mike also heads of to Miami in March for the Winter Music conference and hopefully America will dig our Aussie breaks sound.
Welcome is available now on CD Single and 12” through DMC Distribution
