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Nu Skool Breakz

Back in 1998 we thought that the brand new first Nu Skool Breaks was meant to change the musical landscape. Not surprisingly it did. Drum 'n' bass had evolved into bloodless techstep with a troubling lack of tension. Garage and the just emerging Speed Garage sounded as sexy as the singer of Korn. And House? Yes, what about House? How different is the situation right now. But even in a world with lots of interesting styles, Nu Skool Breaks still sounds innovative. Why? Simply because Nu Skool Breaks are the perfect musical frame for the rapid changing society we live in.

Tekst: Theo Ploeg

IT IS NO HOUSEMUSIC BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT
"It's Big Beat without the hooks, the groove, and the fun. It's neurofunk/Optical-style drum'n'bass slowed down about 40 b.p.m., so that it sounds simultaneously deja entendu and sluggish. It's Nu Skool Breakz, 1998's least convincing new genre, and it's crap." Well, it sounds like England's leading music journalist Simon Reynolds had a very clear opinion about the Nu Skool Breakz movement. According to him producers of this new style failed to make their mark in other scenes. Even worse: Reynolds describes Nu Skool Breakz as a 'zero-funkula zone' (originally a quote by Ian Baxter). In a sense Reynolds was right. Nu Skool is music that lacks the existence of pure funk elements. It lacks the unbounded energy that comes with the combination of deep bass and fast hectic breaks which is so striking for drum'n'bass. It also lacks the simple but addictive structure of big beat. But Nu Skool Breakz isn't Big Beat. It isn't drum'n'bass. It isn't funk. It is just Nu Skool. Maybe Reynolds was too obsessed with fitting this new genre into the existing hierarchy of styles. Maybe Reynolds, for once, didn't understand what was going on. But then again. The first time I experienced a set by Adam Freeland I didn't either. The immense deep bass, the massive slow breaks (which sounded like they were played backwards) accompanied by aggressive dark synths left me behind in a state of intense (unknown) pleasure. I danced like I hadn't danced in ages. Nu Skool Breakz sounded like the best of breakbeat (musically) combined with the best of techno/house (drive and energy). This was the future of dance. Definitely. Now, two years later, Nu Skool Breakz isn't that obscure and spectacular anymore. But the genre did not became the leading force in dance music like the British music-press prophesised. But without a doubt it remains the most innovative new style of dance music that emerged over the last few years. And it is here to stay.

THE EARLY YEARS: ONE DAY I WOKE UP IN MIAMI
It is not that easy to date the emergence of Nu Skool Breakz. In fact, Nu Skool Breakz aren't that new. At the same time Hardcore Breakbeat (or 'Ardkore if you prefer) generated the perfect musical setting for the drug deception of the British 'peace, love and house generation', America created their own kind of breakbeat. Around 1990 house and breakbeat were separate cultures. At least in Europe. Although techno and house originally started in cities like Detroit, Chicago and New York, this kind of dance music never had a vast cultural impact on the American musical landscape. Differences between breakbeat and house simply didn't exist. Especially producers in California and Florida used elements of rave, trance and house with mid-tempo breakbeats. As contrast with the aggressive European hardcore breakbeat the American style was characterised by the build-up of tension. Spherical tension that is typical for ravehouse. But what has American breakbeat got to do with Nu Skool Breakz? Well, almost everything. At the beginning of 1994 Rennie Pilgrem bought a one-way ticket to Miami. He was, and still is, one of the key producers in England. He saw the birth and evolution of genres like house, acid, rave, jungle, hardcore and techno, but had to state that all those different genres were very narrow minded and not willing to look at each other. Miami gave him back his believe in the future of music. Producers in Florida and California didn't pigeonhole. They combined house, acid, rock and breakbeat like it was a normal thing to do. The result was brilliant. 'It sounded like epic house with the refinement and tension of breakbeat', Rennie once told me. As Thursday Club Rennie became one of the key figures in the Florida Funky Breakz scene. Back in England he was flabbergasted. Big Beat seems to have become even more opportunistic, drum'n'bass even more dark and minimal. They only new thing, speed garage, attracted hip nouveau riche who cared more about which type of champagne to nip then about the quality and richness of the music itself.

FRICTION
But Rennie wasn't alone anymore. During his stay in the United States a small group of fresh talented producers stood up. Doing things their own way. Not referring to existing genres. Not surprisingly they all met at the most innovative spot in the centre of London: club Friction. Within a few months Adam Freeland, Tayo Popoola and Rennie Pilgrem lifted Friction to the highest level of musical innovation. The three were living in unease with the flat music that ruled the British clubscene. They wanted to be the counterpart of the retro based Big Beat or the hedonistic house. Moving ahead instead of looking back and designing instead of imitating. But not only musically. They wanted their new night to be a free port for different styles and subcultures. To bring together the dance scene that has been fragmented for years. In short: creating a blend. Musically and culturally. The name of the monthly clubnight: Nu Skool Breakz. It became a massive success. Friction united all those who were looking for more musical adventure. Drum'n'bass heads looking for more freshness, garage-chicks seeking depth, techno people wanting more tension. So Nu Skool Breakz wasn't solely about music really. It was, and is, about attitude. An attitude that reflects the music itself. Rennie, Tayo and especially Freeland spun a fresh mixture of elektro breaks, drum'n'bass basslines, groovy funky synths and lots of interesting hooks to keep up the tension. Sometimes it sounded like controlled slow drum'n'bass: aggressive and deep. At other times it sounded extremely funky and open: light breaks, lots of melody and spherical synths. Not only the crowed enjoyed this new definition of dance music. The British press embraced Nu Skool Breakz as being the new innovative style that the whole dance music scene was desperate for.

NU SKOOL BREAKZ: EVOLUTION
So 1998 became the year of Nu Skool Breakz. Adam Freeland was crowned as best new British deejay and Friction couldn't handle the massive crowded that wanted to be part of this new hip thing. Although the media coverage was massive during the whole of 1998 and the bigger part of 1999, Nu Skool Breakz never became mainstream. We have to thank small but active labels like Plank, TCR, Botchit&Scarper, Mechanoise, Distinctive Breaks, Fuel and Marine Parade (to name just a few) for that. They stayed loyal to their own goal: changing the musical landscape by putting out innovative, new music. The musical output of these labels is rather difficult to compare. Even more difficult is comparing the output of the different key figures. Be honest: there is a world of difference between the sophisticated dark but extremely funky elektro-style breaks made by Bushwacka! and the hectic, doomy slow drum'n'bass-like breakz produced by Tsunami One (Adam Freeland and Beber) or T-Power. Not to mention the work of producers like Blim or Freq Nasty who are even within their own sound musical nomads that try to use anything that is danceable and freaky at the same time. But then again: Nu Skool Breakz isn't solely about music. Rennie Pilgrem's musical exercises may differ from those of Adam Freeland, Dave Tipper or Danny McMillan, their attitude, their way of thinking about music is the same. They see music as a progressive, innovative force that is able to tear down the walls between subcultures, between styles. According to the numerous releases and the high quality their tactic has been quite a success. Fine releases by Waveform, Beber, Proper Filthy Naughty, 3 Mile Island, Hybrid, Ils, General Midi, Apex, Audiowerk, Evil Nine, Uberzone, T-power and a brilliant album by Dave Tipper show that Nu Skool, despite the lack of media attention, is more alive then ever. And there is some more interesting material to come. Drum'n'bass producer Decoder even experiments with Nu Skool Breakz on his debut album.

NU FUTURE?
But is Nu Skool really about innovation? About tearing down walls? About going forward? Well yes it is. But what is at least as important is the fact that Nu Skool Breakz is a genre with some damned fine music. And the fact that it contributed to the hybridisation of styles. When Nu Skool started in 1998 the musical landscape was littered with musical islands. Now at the end of the year 2000 dance music is more vivid then ever. The local music scenes in England, France, The Netherlands, America, Switzerland and Germany are very healthy. UK Speed Garage has evolved into a very fresh and exciting 2-step that mixes different elements to one bubbling sound. Electro is back with some very fine releases that sound very modern and innovative. Drum'n'bass is more and more blending with other styles like Nu Skool Breakz and 2-step. House and techno have become more danceable and smooth by using elements of filter-disco and progressive breakbeats. Sometimes it even seems that the opposition between different styles has changed to a form of peacefully living together, grazing from the same ground, even working together with a smile. But what about Nu Skool Breakz? Will the genre survive next to the new Electro revival, the 2-step hype, the WestCoast hiphop boom or new fresh sounding techno? It will definitely. In fact the Nu Skool only just started. After a period of exploration it has reached a more stable state. Not to mention collaborations between house producers BT and trance breakers Hybrid that lead to excellent new music. The very good releases of the past year shows that Nu Skool Breakz is a style that will become more and more important in the musical landscape. Nu Skool Breakz are the perfect musical frame for the rapid changing society we currently live in. And is perfectly capable to blend together with new and older styles like 2Step, Electro and drum'n'bass. Check out the links below for further information about Nu Skool.

MUSIC & LINKS
A taste of nu skool breaks:
Coastal Breaks I en II Mixed by Adam Freeland (Marine Parade)
Rennie Pilgrem Presents: Explicit Beats (TCR)
Rennie Pilgrem Presents: Nu Skool Breakz I en II (TCR)
Skullduggery (compiled by Mathew E. Bushwacka!) (Plank)
Serial drillers, compiled by DJ Thimbles (DJ therapy)
Electric Kingdom, Nu Skool Breaks & Elektro (Language)
Botchit Break's I en II (Botchit & Scarper)
Freq Nasty - FreQ's, GeeKs & MutilaTions (Botchit & Scarper)
Rennie Pilgrem - Selected Werks (TCR)
Y2K, Progressive Breaks mixed by dj Hyper (Distinctive)
Y3K, Soundtrack to the future mixed by dj Hyper (Distinctive)

» 03 april 2001 » artikel doorsturen » artikel afdrukken

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