Nu Breed have earnt international acclaim for production carried out for various labels and artists across the UK and USA while impressing eager audiences all over Australia with their live fusion of drum’n’bass, progressive breaks, hip hop rhymes and vocals. It has been a challenging yet rewardng road to success for Jase (Jason Catherine), Mykel (Michael Walburgh) and Db (Danny Bonnici), the three Melbourne boys that make up Nu Breed. ITM’s Lotus talks to Jase about their steady climb, starting from their infamous debut live show at the National DMC DJ Championship Finals at Melbourne’s QBH in late 2000.
“It was memorable for all the wrong reasons” reflects Jase, “the foldbacks started feeding back two versions of our whole mix and we were trying to play over two tracks playing over each other. So we prevailed, started again and gave a straight up hiphop crowd a dose of drum’n’bass, breakbeat and house which went over the pure hiphop hedz but cemented a lot of new fans who have followed our music ever since then”. Db, Mykel and Jase were well known at that point as straight up hiphop producers but this performance turned that perception right on it’s head that day. “Personally I was happy that we gave the crowd that know me as a producer of local hip hop something different. There is more to Nu Breed than just breakbeat … we produce under various names such as Dirty Fours (house), Responsible Hooliganz (dnB) and occasionally for NuffSaid Crew (hiphop)”.
Nu Breed’s versatility is obvious in their choice of remix projects and various singles produced thus far. Some completed remixes include those of Tiesto & Junkie XL, Skunk Anansie, Free Radicals and Groove Terminator, Jase’s favourite thus far, “personally, our Way Out West mix -Stealth”. A number of their singles have received masses of positive feedback including, ‘Welcome’ (Zelo Tolerance) and ‘Food for thought’ (Zero) and Nu Breed have since signed with Tayo’s Mob Records (UK) with their debut album due out in June. “He (Tayo) saw us play live a few times when he was touring and we managed to give him some of our tunes. He made the first serious offer after Hyper and Adam Freeland showed some interest” suggests Jase. And the new album … “expect all kinds of broken beats with the ocassional vocal tune for the dancefloor and home”.
Even with this current success it has been a challenging road for this Melbourne trio, “We have been producing since 93 and are now only finishing our first album for a UK label. Being in Australia you can only take underground dance music so far. We have been full time recording foir four years and still struggling”, admits Jase. ‘Times are a changing’ for dance music producers in Australia with the door to the international scene opening a little more each day, “this year I think will be a big year for collabs with local and international artists – look out for collaborations like EK and DJ Hyper, Phil K and Habershum, Luke Chable and Dirty Fours, Kenobi and Pocket-Poxy Music, Nu Breed and Andy Page .. all big international tunes”, says Jase.
One of the most exciting and innovative collaborations in Australia last year was the Phil K V Nu Breed show that devastated audiences across the country and had the walls shaking in the Minke Basement last year. Are there are plans for further joint ventures, “Yeah … we have been collaborating in the studio on new tunes and plan to tour an all new show before the year ends .. also stay tuned for a titanium breaks album with Phil K”, Jase suggests.
Nu Breed enjoy the Adelaide scene, parties and people, “the big festivals are great – everyone is up to party. Last year when we played Adelaide on the drum’n’bass stage with Shimon and EZ Rollers was one of our favourite gugs of all time”, says Jase. With their next show set to rock Black Cat White Cat (which is in actual fact a purpose built live music venue) any sneak peaks of what we can expect? “A mash up of all dance floor genres done in Nu Breed style and some unheard material from our forthcoming album” hints Jase, “we hope to get you all dancing or nodding that head till ya heads fall off”.
