Having one of the more unique (and confusing when considering their history and number of group members) names in dance music today, Aquasky vs. Masterblaster are the UK trio spoken about in hallowed tones by fans of breakbeat the world over. Originally rising to prominence as drum & bass producers, Dave Wallace, Brent Newitt and Keiron Bailey made the wise decision to drop their BPM down a touch following the release of their third album, ‘Aftershock’, in 2000. About to release ‘Stayfresh’, their sixth long player, Aquasky vs. Masterblaster will kick off a hotly anticipated Australian tour over Easter. i_have_ADD spoke with Keiron to find out what the shadow-breakers have been up to.
One thing Dave, Brent and Keiron could never be accused of is resting on their laurels. With six albums now under their belt, as well as countless individual tracks and remixes released on vinyl, Aquasky vs. Masterblaster’s output of music is best described as prolific. Upon forming in 1995 the trio initially produced and released music under the name Aquasky, the group attaining success with their tracks released on respected drum & bass labels such as Moving Shadow and Reinforced. In 1997, with drum & bass hotly tipped as the ‘next big thing’ and the major labels sniffing around for underground producers to sign, the boys were picked up by Polydor. Releasing only one album on the label, Keiron is able to look back on the period with no misgivings, “They wanted the next Roni Size, which we weren’t going to be.”
Following their brush with major label interest the trio moved back underground, and upon meeting with nu-skool breaks pioneer Adam Freeland made the decision to slow their beats down to the 130 BPM mark and focus on making breakbeat, “We didn’t even know what nu-skool breaks were, but once we’d heard it we knew it was the style for us.” Over the years the trio have worked with all manner of high profile guests, their earlier work including collaborations and remixes from the Scratch Perverts, Big Shug of Gangstarr, London Elektricity, Mr Scruff, and Adam Freeland, “If you work with a lot of different people it makes it quite interesting.” On ‘Stayfresh’ they enlist the help of longtime collaborators The Ragga Twins, as well as Guinness Book of Records title holder of ‘world’s fastest lyricist’, Daddy Fresh.
Initially adding the ‘vs Masterblaster’ part of their name as a way to distinguish their breakbeat and drum & bass tracks, the moniker has stuck thanks in part to the sheer quality and quantity of breakbeat they’ve produced, remixed, and released. At first recognised for their distinctly ‘nu skool sound’, on their ‘Stayfresh’ the trio have broadened their horizons and presented a diverse album sure to please their existing fans, while winning over some new ones in the process, “I guess our sound is a bit rowdier compared to what we hear most other people play. It’s a little funkier now, the stuff we’ve been writing is quite fun, but it’s also in your face as well. The ‘Stayfresh’ album is a good representation of what we play.”
Interestingly, ‘Stayfresh’ will be released in Australia on the Fuzzy Breaks record label, while in the UK it’s released through Moving Shadow’s breakbeat imprint Shadow Cryptic, “Fuzzy have picked it up to release it in Australia. We’re happy for them to do that, it will be cheaper for you guys as you won’t have to buy it on import so it’s a bit more friendly!” Obviously holding the priorities of their Australian fans in close regard, the upcoming Aquasky vs. Masterblaster tour will be the first time down under for Keiron and Dave, Brent having flown the flag solo on their previous tour, “Dave and I are coming out this time, last time it was Brent, so we don’t know what to expect!” Ending with a laugh, “We’ve just heard that it’s good out there basically, no one will give us specifics!”
‘Stayfresh’ is out soon through Fuzzy Breaks/Shadow Cryptic. Be sure to catch Aquasky vs. Masterblaster on their Australian tour:
Friday April 9 – 33 1/3 Easter Breaks, Melbourne (BUY TICKETS)
Saturday April 10 – Fuzzy 360, Sydney (BUY TICKETS)
Sunday April 11 – Ambar, Perth (BUY TICKETS)
