(Botchit & Scarper/Inertia)

UK-based electro / breaks duo Atomic Hooligan have building up to the release of this, their debut artist album with considerable momentum over the last few years, their profile rising significantly through their storming bootleg breaks reworking of Underworld’s ‘Cowgirl’, which resulted in Underworld asking them to remix ‘Born Slippy’ officially, and their well-received remix of The Egg. In reality they’ve been one of the Botchit & Scarper roster staples from virtually since the label’s inception, contributing a number of tracks over the years to the highly-respected ‘Botchit Breaks’, ‘Urban Funk Breaks’ and ‘Trigger’ compilations. A quick glance through the sleevenotes for ‘You Are Here’ also swiftly reveals that as with recent 12” ‘Shine A Light’ (which offered the first taster of this full album), Atomic Hooligan have opted for a predominantly vocal direction on many of the tracks included here, with vocal collaborations listed alongside ten of the total fourteen.

However, while packing a debut album with vocal guest appearances has often been the downfall of many a breaks outfit (just look at ‘Oakenfold’), the ever-astute Atomic Hooligan have taken the opposite position of working with a close-knit group of lesser-known collaborators from their own musical community, rather than soliciting any number of ‘big names’ for vocal spots. It’s a strategy that works extremely strongly in favour of ‘You Are Here’s overall success, in that it’s responsible for creating a record that flows and feels like a genuine ‘album’ experience, rather than detracting from the continuity in a showcase of single-oriented peaks. For ‘You Are Here’, Atomic Hooligan have drafted in the skills of ‘Shine A Light’ vocalist Sweet Hustler, M.A.S.S.’ Justine Berry (who has supported the likes of Peaches and The Libertines), the bizarrely-named rock vocalist Carpet Face and RNB / traditional Indian singer Pav, in order to create an album that ‘brings together all of their musical influences, from old school hiphop, through to house and electro.’

Opening track ‘Seven 10 Split’ begins this album on a rock-laced tip, with Justine Berry’s powerful Grace Slick-esque vocal tearing out across a backdrop of pounding live rock drums, icy electro chords and roaring synths; there’s even a fantastic Jimi Hendrix ‘Purple Haze’-style fretboard flameout that slides things directly into ‘Head’, which peels the guitar elements back in favour of cold distorted synths and gliding electro-informed breakbeats, Pav’s soul-tinged “heads nodding / feet bouncing” vocal refrain sliding over a backdrop of relentless robotic beats, sinister bass buzzes and curvy analogue synths. Previously released 12” ‘Shine A Light’ makes an appearance here, with Sweet Hustler’s clear-throated male rock vocal bringing Bono-esque shivers up the spine while it traces its way over a whirring background of twinking electro synths and whirring house-informed breakbeats, thick distorted bass synths flanging below and adding a welcome funk edge. ‘Who Stole Monkey’s Clothes?’ meanwhile opts for an instrumental direction, with the beats from the previous track slowing down via old-school hiphop scratching into a seamless transition that slams straight down into serrated Chemical Brothers-style synth squeals and distorted riffing, cut and scattered samples flying back and forth over slamming big-beat style rhythms, before everything breaks down into a curiously haunting beatless section, eerie sampled operatic vocals gliding over a brooding synth line.

‘Wait ‘Til You’re Sleeping’ screams ‘obvious single’ from the moment it comes on, and offers this album’s most rock-crossover moment, combining Lionrock-esque beats with stinging electric blues-rock guitar licks, Carpet Face’s full-throated vocal calling to mind the Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson, and adding a distinctly Southern-tinged flavour to the rock-infused big beats, which sit somewhere between Norman Cook and Steppenwolf, while ‘Spitball’ ventures into bouncy electro-tinged house, crisp handclaps and buzzing synths locking in tight around Justine Berry’s hard-edged vampy vocal and all manner of spinning cut-up hiphop samples, bleeping electronics and verbal stutters. ‘Pump Friction’ ventures far closer to a fusion of buzzing electro-y breaks and grime’s asymmetical two-step shuffle, Sweet Hustler’s honey-smooth falsetto soul vocal flowing between the garage-flavoured rhythms and buzzing analogue synth bleeps, before ‘Twelve Hundred Miles’ takes things out on a spacious downtempo tip, Pav’s clear vocals ringing out over a backdrop of soul-tinged organ keys, crisp programmed beats that carry a hint of Bristol in their step and vast, epic synth chords. ‘Just One More’ meanwhile offers perhaps this album’s most roaring electro-breaks moment, with a tumbling acidic synth line that actually calls to mind Underworld’s ‘Rez / Cowgirl’ scything its way over slamming breakbeats and a spectral wash of Chemical Brothers-esque electronic noise, before title track ‘You Are Here’ brings this album to a close, Sweet Hustler’s Jim Reid-esque shoegazer vocal trailing its way over constantly building breakbeats, stray electronic whines that almost sound like a malfunctioning modem and relentlessly buzzing electro synths, the gorgeous vocal breakdown halfway through alongside bluesy harmonica and shimmering synths calling to mind the ghost of The Joshua Tree.

‘You Are Here’ is an excellent debut artist album from Atomic Hooligan that also manages the neat trick of being one of the most cohesive listens all the way through amongst the recent crop of highly-anticipated debut albums to be released in breakbeat circles; chiefly because of the duo’s decision to work with their immediate circle, rather than enlist the input of more famous names. While many recent albums of this type have come across more as a collection of previously released 12”s alongside a smattering of new tracks, ‘You Are Here’ comes across more as a complete ‘album’ experience, with the Hooligan duo exploring a wide range of terrain that takes in electro, house, cross-over breakbeat pop and downtempo beats. To a certain extent, the fact that there’s something for everyone on offer here may mean that breaks ‘purists’ will balk at some of the more rock-tinged moments – but no matter. Rather than worrying about whether it’s ‘breaks’ or not, Atomic Hooligan have succeeded in crafting a album that neatly melds their diverse musical tastes and influences, that will see them hopefully crossing over into a much wider audience in manner similar to The Freestylers – which on the basis of the quality of tunes on offer here, should be a doddle. Recommended.

Check out http://www.atomichooligan.com and http://www.botchit.com.