I’m currently sat scratching my head and wondering how on earth I’ve only just discovered the skills of Dutch producer, Deejay Irie. As well as having several DMC accolades to his name, this dude knows how to get down in the studio to and likes to cover different styles with his work that includes House, Trap and Hip Hop. He’s also a fine purveyor of Funk and it’ll possibly come as no surprise, that it’s one of his funky jams that caught my attention so much that I just had to share it with you. His edit of The Bar-Kays ‘Humpin’ is triple fresh and super fine and fully deserves it’s place in your music collection. Find more from Deejay Irie on the links below where there’s more treasure to be found.

Download Deejay Irie’s edit here via Hypeddit.

Links for Deejay Irie :

Soundcloud / Facebook / Website / Mixcloud / YouTube / Twitter / Instagram

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Melodic Techno is a sound on the rise and MOHN is an artist right at the top of the game in this new emerging style. Their Disclosure EP is the perfect sampler for this progressive take on one of dance music’s building blocks. Both the title track and ‘No Saints’ shimmer with electronic brightness and clarity. Picture yourself at sea with the sun beating down on you and water from the ocean spraying your face. If you could capture that feeling of warmth it would most certainly sound like this.

Oliver Schories remixes ‘Tukdam’ offering a deeper strand to this trio of tranquil treats.  Techno with a big beating heart.

MOHN (NL) – Disclosure EP

We caught up with DJ Flashback a.k.a The Flash Cats about his new LP ‘Groovin’ and other bits. The LP is out now. Buy it here

Thanks for sharing some time with the blog! So, you’ve just released a full LP ‘Groovin’. Tell us abit about the creative process, time and labour that went into this LP

The new album ‘Groovin’ took about a year to complete, and was a project that my studio partner Sparky and I had been talking about doing for a few years. We have both always been heavily influenced by the house and rave sounds that came out of the North of the UK in the late ’80s, early ’90s so it seemed like a good idea to produce an album showcasing this sound. After selecting lots of our favourite tracks from that era, we got together what vocal samples we could and Sparky got everything down in the studio including re-writing all the drums and music. After much listening, tweaking, replacing tracks etc we settled on the 15 tracks that are on the album.

Previously, you produced other different aliases like The Flashback Project, you played a huge role in the NuRave/Rave Breaks/Future Jungle scene of the mid 00’s up to now. How did you get into this sound and start making tracks?

I mainly release as ‘The Flashback Project, also I’ve used ‘Scientists’ (for DNB), ‘Dub Heroes’ with Sparky (for Fidget House) and more recently ‘Flash Cats’. I got into the sound initially through DJ’ing hardcore since around 1990, but didn’t get into a studio with any serious intentions until I hooked up with the extremely talented production duo Stu and Nee, resulting in my first vinyl release ‘Hands In The Air, on Mertwax (big up Mert!). I also been lucky enough to work with other amazing producers like King Yoof (Sunz Of Mecha), Hattrixx, D’Silva and Sparky who have all helped me to develop my sound, and I released on Junki Munki Records, Firewall Records, Uplifting Rhythm, Tornado Records, Uppacutz Records, Can You Feel It Media and Downbeat Productions. DJs Slipmatt and Billy Daniel Bunter helped me a great deal in the early years signing my first 2 tracks Love Commandments and Ease The Pressure, the latter being then licensed to their with platinum selling ‘Rave Nation’ album, released on Ministry Of Sound Recordings. Also, I was very lucky to have the support and encouragement of the legendary DJ Kutski (BBC Radio 1), as well as a whole host of other DJs and radio stations who helped me immeasurably with support and airplay. I set up my own label Propaganda Music in 2013 and along with releasing my own music I try to discover and push emerging talent as much as I can. To date we’ve had 12 releases on the label, the latest being the brand new FLASH CATS album – GROOVIN

In general, the breaks sound is very popular over in Spain, what do you think is the appeal of that particular sound over there?

There is definitely a growing demand for breaks, and the Spanish have been at the forefront for at least 15 years. The appeal is undoubtedly the razor sharp production combined with huge basslines and catchy riffs optimised over the years by the likes of DJ Quest, The Freestylers, The Breakfastaz, Plump DJs, Ed 209, Deekline, Wizard…to name just a few!

The sound that you and others make has its roots in the 90s rave sound. Do you think the new wave of rave-inspired music has suffered a bit from excessive labelling?

No, I don’t think so. There will always be labelling in music – genres, sub genres etc. The crucial thing is the music gets out to the market – how people want to categorise it is up to them

What are the perfect ingredients for a tune in your opinion? What elements of a track get the hairs standing on end?

Crisp beats, heavy basslines, catchy riffs. Easy you’d think…

Where have been your favourite places to DJ over the years?

I’ve been very lucky over the years and have played at some amazing parties all over the UK and Europe, but the one place that was the most special was playing at The Sanctuary in Milton Keynes in the UK – now sadly gone The Sanctuary held so many special memories for me over the last 25 years so having the opportunity to play there before it was closed was very special and something that I won’t forget!

If you could assemble a line up of 5 DJs for an event, any DJ of your choice, who would you pick?

Ha ha, great question….Well for me it would be a mixture of Drum N Bass, Electro House and Old Skool – what a night that would be…

DJ Randall
Camo & Krooked
Etherwood
Far Too Loud
DJ Tango B2B DJ Ratty

What’s coming up in 2017 for Flash Cats and your label, Propaganda Music?

Lots of things are happening at the moment! As I mentioned earlier we’ve just released PROPS012: FLASH CATS – GROOVIN. I’ve also been busy in the studio and have a brand new bass and breaks mix to put out including lots of new Propaganda Music exclusives! Also, I’m in the process of having most of my back catalogue re-mastered and I plan to release a 100+ track album of all my work over the years. All proceeds from sales of that album will be donated to charity as a mark of gratitude and respect to family and dear friends that always supported me and my music. Friends that I have tragically lost over recent years, so please watch this space for news on that.

Shouts to Jackski, Mark, Allan and everyone worldwide supporting the sounds! x

Flash Cats Interview + New ‘Groovin’ LP

One of our favourite funky brothers, Basement Freaks, got invited by the German label, Ching Zeng, to put together a mix for their podcast series. Ching Zeng is a label that aim’s to build bridges between different cultures and music styles and if there was ever someone you’d want to choose to help encapsulate all of that and then help spread it around the globe, Basement Freaks is your man. His one hour mix of midtempo magic is as you might expect, well worth a listen.

Download Basement Freaks mix here via Hypeddit.

Links for Basement Freaks :

Soundcloud / Facebook / Website / Bandcamp / Mixcloud / YouTube / Twitter / Instagram

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Lupe Fuentes, Dantiez & CASSIM are three huge names in their own right and represent a massive release for Amplified Records. ‘Go For It’ is Lupe at the top of her production game. A tight blend of interesting synths, clicks and bumps. Dantiez remixes ‘Go For It’ in a very Saunderson like fashion, we’re talking BIG bassline and classic House sensibilities here.   CASSIM takes the minimal path with a subtle rerub with dashes of the 303. A HUGE release for a label that is going to smash 2017

Lupe Fuentes- Go For It EP

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Spexion & Sikka release some Neuro madness with ‘Spawn’ & ‘Crisis’ out now on Inna Rhythm Recordings.

‘Spawn’ is full on batten down the hatches machine gun Neuro in the Neosignal imprint style. ‘Crisis’ flips the Euro-inspired beats for more of a UK flava bringing in funky elements that throwback to the golden era of DnB. To quote DJ Zinc, Spexion & Sikka are on fire tonight!!!

Spexion Ft Sikka- Spawn & Crisis

If there’s ever a producer/DJ that you’d want to throw their full support behind one of your tracks, surely the legend that is, Carl Cox, is one you’d love to have in your corner. He really felt the thunderous and deep tribal vibes that Irish Techno producer, Mark Green, put into his track ‘Rattle’ so much so, that he took it with him on his tour of South America and smashed it out in his final season at Space. Mark realised that because his tune has done so much dance floor damage for those that have it, it’s now time to let everyone get a hold of it and is giving it away for free. Make it yours and watch those Techno heads go to battle with the ‘Rattle’.

Links for Mark Greene :

Soundcloud / Facebook / Beatport / YouTube / Twitter

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Kindred Soul bring their brand of polished vocal house to Unique2Rhythm with ‘Don’t Wanna Be’

Kindred Soul have chalked up an impressive resume of tracks on labels like Bad Habit Muzik & Major Leauge Hustlaz.  Now they feature on one of the finest UK based House imprints. Here at Free Breaks Blog we don’t hide the fact we review music we genuinely love. We certainly don’t hide how fond we are of Unique2Rhythm Records and we’re not going to hide how much we love ‘Don’t Wanna Be’

The original version of ‘Don’t Wanna Be’ glides along in Kindred Soul’s signature pure 90’s piano house music style. For these ears, there definitely seems to a subtle nod to Derrick May’s seminal ‘Strings Of Life’ tucked away with the stirring pianos and soul-drenched vocals.

Adam Hyjek graces our blog with another sterling production offering a US-tinged house/garage remix of  ‘Don’t Wanna Be’

K-Soul’s groove mix transports back to the early 90’s Soulful House sound of the late Frankie Knuckles. This remix is rich with 80’s soul style instrumentation and perfectly compliments the vocals.

The truth is you hear releases of this calibre, admire them and feel a bit sad that they don’t get the exposure they deserve. The least we can do is show some support through buying or even just making others aware that music like this is available. Massive kudos to JC Unique and all the artists at Unique2Rhythm who continue to deliver high-quality house music against all odds.

Kindred Soul – Don’t Wanna Be

Out On Traxsource from 06/02/17

We are extremely stoked to host the premiere of Jay Funk & Matt Budd ‘M-Thing’ due out on Hush Digital 06/02/17. In a similar vein to last years Rawkus Noise AKA Jay Funks ‘Bleepin EP’ this new track wears it’s oldskool acid house creds loud and proud over an infectious dreamlike Tech-House groove. In these troubled times, what better than a sunny slice of House music to ease the pressure.

Jay Funk & Matt Budd- M – Thing [Premiere]

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Synergy‘s ‘Helion EP’ sees the EATBRAIN launch a solar flare into 2017. In the label’s (and it’s respected artist roster) style we get 5 tracks of  Neurofunk straight from a deep space wormhole. Tracks like the title track suck you in with an unbreakable grip and smash at the walls of your space vessel with heavy atomic artillery like ‘Scarecrow’ and ‘Arkana’.

The EATBRAIN philosophy lives on vicariously through the rabid symphony sound of Synergy. You will need considerable intestinal fortitude for this EP but with great bravery comes great reward!!!

Synergy – Helion EP