Adventures in breakcore

Hello again. I've decided to re-relaunch this blog after deciding that I like talking about things, but can't get anyone to listen to me. Nor can I get them to listen to any music I like, which means that you, lucky reader, can discover new music with me.

So, having listened to a range of different genres of dance music over the years I have settled (as the title may suggest) on something dubbed breakcore. If you've never heard of it, you are in the company of many. Imagine your run of the mill drum and bass, speed it up a little, chop the beat up into tiny pieces and then liberally sprinkle it, well, everywhere.

Key artists in the early breakcore era included aphex twin and Venetian snares, and the genre was gaining a toehold in the clubbing world (this despite the fact that the time signatures vary so much it takes practice to dance to). Until dubstep came along and all the ravers got too mashed on ketamine to deal with the intensity.

So I was left alone with my headphones, bopping to tunes no-one liked, and that DJs had lost the will to spin. So it has remained until very recently, and in the majority of that time my knowledge of the genre has been rooted in free online mixes, with limited tracklistings.

Recently though I decided to try and learn a little more about breakcore, not quite with the fervour of a teenager that's just been told rock music would piss off his parents, but an effort nonetheless. I have since been prowling youtube, soundcloud, bandcamp* and a number of forums to try and get myself up to date.

All this effort though, and still those I know look at me like a bewildered child any time I try and share this knowledge with them. So I return to my blog with this 'adventures in breakcore' series knowing I can at least inform one small dark corner of the net.

I was planning to review Gizm0de's 'snack on this' as part of this article, but frankly I've wittered on so long already you wouldn't know there was a review here! I'll post it separately soon.

*I really cannot recommend bandcamp highly enough. I'm on the consumer side so cannot comment on selling, but the full length previews and ability to buy direct from the artist make it a must IMO.