Juno Recommends Breakbeat October 2021

Review: Earlier in the year, we heaped tons of praise on the booming, breakbeat-driven first EP from Pilot, which showcased a quartet of killer cuts from Johannes Kolter. He returns to action on this EP, taking control of the B-side to offer-up the funky, sample-heavy electro/breaks fusion of 'B2R' (think Layo & Bushwacka's classic material and you're close) and the more spacey, electro-focused bubbliness of 'Systematic'. While they're both very good, we'd argue that North Phase's A-side tracks are even better. Choose between the dubby and hypnotic breakbeat-house roll of 'Feel It', and 'Escape From Planet X', a deeper, more bass-heavy chunk of breakbeat pleasure that comes complete with fizzing electronic noises, deep bass and some suitably trippy synth sounds.

Review: Croydon party starter Skream has pretty much done it all in his time. From being there at dubstep's ground zero, veering off into techno and then tech house, he is now proving himself adept at making blistering breakbeats. That is the order of the day on this new one from Steel City Dance Discs, which kicks off with the bleary-eyed rave sounds of 'Doolally.' 'Space Ghetto' is a piano banger with tons of old school signifiers and off-balance drums that cannot fail to make you stomp while 'Drago The Destroyer' might just be the best of the lot. It sounds like a dubstep tune gone wrong, with spraying bass, dusty breaks and ragged synths running wild.

Review: SFVacid & Hiele next up on Los Angeles based Lemak Records founded in 2018 by Jay Lemak.