I Hate Breakcore

by **djtheblade** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 2:01 pm

The one posting about how John Merrick ate his girlfriend's miscarriage or something? I seem to vaguely remember that, it's probably the reason half of this forum (including Merrick and Thallium) stopped posting here. I'm quite concerned actually cus if Merrick set up this website, eventually his webspace is gonna expire and he might forget to renew it, I may set up a contingency plan in case this goes to shit cus nobody has taken any responsibility around here for some time.

by **PEPCORE** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 2:26 pm

djtheblade wrote:The one posting about how John Merrick ate his girlfriend's miscarriage or something? I seem to vaguely remember that, it's probably the reason half of this forum (including Merrick and Thallium) stopped posting here. I'm quite concerned actually cus if Merrick set up this website, eventually his webspace is gonna expire and he might forget to renew it, I may set up a contingency plan in case this goes to shit cus nobody has taken any responsibility around here for some time.

I've send jm a message 2 days ago, and he messaged me back, he changed the current contest, and added a lot more for in the future, so i don't think he has given up on this website , lol.

Also i doubt the matt bleak shit has anything to do with it, it's mostly because he has no good internet and some personal problems. :roll:

by **djtheblade** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 4:26 pm

Fair enough, was gonna say I aint heard from in ages.

by fap* » Sat Dec 12, 2009 6:48 pm

.

heh@this thread

.

by **Alec** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 11:12 pm

the term "breakcore" was used in early 1992 to inform record stores and DJs that this was a different music style.

There was a lot of confusion because UK breakbeat and hardcore rave (this was just before Jungle and Drum'n'Bass) was much slower and less aggressive sounding than what we did. (back then they were at 140 BPM, we were at 170+ BPM)

A big factor were also the drugs. At breakcore raves people consumed speed a lot and LSD. At breakbeat raves Ecstasy was the main drug.

Sorry guys but the distortion is what makes breakcore different from everything else. This is exactly where to draw the line. Back then it was the same leap that was happening in guitar music when the electric guitar was invented. The harmonic overtones which were added because digital files in 16bit or 8bit were fed through analogue pre-amps or distortion pedals made this music so violent and physical sounding.

If you underestimate this, the chance is very high that you never even experienced real breakcore yet.

Digital Hardcore was the next step for us, because it was musically more open. (we used the 4/4 bassdrums, guitars and vocals...which were all not part of breakcore digital hardcore included elements of breakcore though.)

Genre names are just names...that is true, but in this case it defines an era of music that had a special energy and sound.

Of course you can play Blues on a TR-909 drum machine, or Breakcore on a flute....but you would surely cross the line and a new definition should be found for that. (If you want to communicate it to other people)

Breakcore (merging breakbeat and hardcore) means
- no 4/4 bass drums
- sped up breakbeats which are DISTORTED through an analogue desk/pre-amp/pedal
- synths (which would in isolation remind us of techno...sequencer lines, acid, etc)

The cut up technique came from DJing with Vinyl and was very inspired by early Hip Hop DJs.

Read the "Capitol Noise" manifest...it's all in there...tempo changes during DJ sets are vital...

hope this explains more...

Alec Empire

by **djtheblade** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 1:41 am

Alec wrote:the term "breakcore" was used in early 1992 to inform record stores and DJs that this was a different music style.

There was a lot of confusion because UK breakbeat and hardcore rave (this was just before Jungle and Drum'n'Bass) was much slower and less aggressive sounding than what we did. (back then they were at 140 BPM, we were at 170+ BPM)

A big factor were also the drugs. At breakcore raves people consumed speed a lot and LSD. At breakbeat raves Ecstasy was the main drug.

Sorry guys but the distortion is what makes breakcore different from everything else. This is exactly where to draw the line. Back then it was the same leap that was happening in guitar music when the electric guitar was invented. The harmonic overtones which were added because digital files in 16bit or 8bit were fed through analogue pre-amps or distortion pedals made this music so violent and physical sounding.

If you underestimate this, the chance is very high that you never even experienced real breakcore yet.

Digital Hardcore was the next step for us, because it was musically more open. (we used the 4/4 bassdrums, guitars and vocals...which were all not part of breakcore digital hardcore included elements of breakcore though.)

Genre names are just names...that is true, but in this case it defines an era of music that had a special energy and sound.

Of course you can play Blues on a TR-909 drum machine, or Breakcore on a flute....but you would surely cross the line and a new definition should be found for that. (If you want to communicate it to other people)

Breakcore (merging breakbeat and hardcore) means
- no 4/4 bass drums
- sped up breakbeats which are DISTORTED through an analogue desk/pre-amp/pedal
- synths (which would in isolation remind us of techno...sequencer lines, acid, etc)

The cut up technique came from DJing with Vinyl and was very inspired by early Hip Hop DJs.

Read the "Capitol Noise" manifest...it's all in there...tempo changes during DJ sets are vital...

hope this explains more...

Alec Empire

"the term "breakcore" was used in early 1992 to inform record stores and DJs that this was a different music style. "

Is there any sources for this? I'm not being bolshy like but is this grounded in fact or is this just from your personal experience?

"Breakcore (merging breakbeat and hardcore) means
- no 4/4 bass drums
- sped up breakbeats which are DISTORTED through an analogue desk/pre-amp/pedal
- synths (which would in isolation remind us of techno...sequencer lines, acid, etc)"

That's certainly an interesting definition, but again is that your personal interpreation of the style or do you firmly believe it should be a universal definition? I've heard people define Breakcore as a genre that is routed in re-assembling Breakbeats, especially using irregular time signatures. I've heard other people say it's anything sample based that deviates from conventional electronic music. Does it have to be an analogue desk or distortion pedal that modifies the sound? Why not a software plugin instead? I've heard literally dozens of definitions of Breakcore, but if you're saying that 4/4 bassdrums cannot be included, then this instantly dismisses artists such as Aphasic, Doormouse, Hellfish, I:gor, The Producer, Sickboy and many more. Don't get me wrong, Breakcore is surely much more than just 4 on the floor kick drums, but I don't understand why it can't be an element. I understand Breakcore to be such a losely associated genre that the term itself is only of moderate relevance when explaining the techniques to newcomers, but I get the feeling that you're trying to force a very personalised and individual experience of Breakcore on to people who obviously live and understand it in very different ways, and who have just as much legitimacy in interpreting it as something quite different.

by **Alec** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 3:37 am

"Is there any sources for this? I'm not being bolshy like but is this grounded in fact or is this just from your personal experience?"

You can ask anybody who actually sold breakcore records. Ask Achim from Force Inc for example. Ask anyone who worked at Vital Distribution or EFA or Discomania in the years 1992-1995. Or ask DJ Bleed who reviewed most of these records for music magazines. Ask Simon Reynolds, he wrote a great chapter in his book "Energy Flesh".
Check old John Peel radio shows from back then. He used to play this stuff on the radio.

This is just what you did back then. Tell the record stores, journalists, DJs what you are selling to them. If you did a Reggae label you probably would have entered "Reggae" in the sales sheets.

"That's certainly an interesting definition, but again is that your personal interpreation of the style or do you firmly believe it should be a universal definition?"

This is the definition we, the scene, came up with. You have to understand the context. We needed to seperate us from the normal techno scene. And by NOT using 4/4 bassdrums for example, it was clear to anyone that this was a different style of music.
You see, I don't really care about these lines, where one genre starts and where another stops.
But if I get asked about original breakcore, its history, where its coming from , why we did it, then I'll answer it.
Fact is if one hasn't been involved in releasing breakcore records in 1992 when the scene came up, one does not really know. If you want to know about early Jazz, try to ask those who were there...or Punk or any other 'genre'.

I am not forcing anything onto anyone. I am not even active in that genre anymore. I sometimes get asked to spin this stuff, and I love it but the 'newcomers' you mention should understand the context of this music...I am glad if they would further develop it, push it forward...but I left the scene in 1998 because there was a certain fundamentalism which started to depress me.

You can actually do anything you want in music... that's the great thing about it.

Alec Empire

by **MarkyPoo** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 4:36 pm

Alec wrote:there was a certain fundamentalism which started to depress me.

Like working only from analogue desks with distortion on everything?
That would be depressing.

by **PEPCORE** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 5:57 pm

MarkyPoo wrote:
Alec wrote:there was a certain fundamentalism which started to depress me.

Like working only from analogue desks with distortion on everything?
That would be depressing.

by **djtheblade** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 6:02 pm

Alec has three posts now so he can download some sample packs!!!

by **PEPCORE** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 7:13 pm

djtheblade wrote:Alec has three posts now so he can download some sample packs!!!

by **Feutus Lapdance** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 7:36 pm

I hope he wil takke part in upcoming contests....

by **hatchgo** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 8:50 pm

okay, alec wants to be regarded as the elvis of electronic music, that's fine, that's not unfair, but thinking of breakcore as a localized underground scene is nonsense nowadays, that is not the reality anymore, actually, what is underground with the advent of internet in our lives?

and mp3 might not be the aim of creating music (i think that's about to change, but live music is still the aim of music producers) but it is the biggest menace to the entertainment industry... wasn't that playing a big part in that manifesto? actually, is this the manifesto: http://atlas.damonzucconi.com/wp-conten ... -72dpi.jpg ?

don't get us wrong alec, if you're not "part of the scene" anymore, people that are will just take your notes with reservations... I do agree that most producers lack a clear political foundation, but nobody needs to be forced into acting like that, there are no list of rules anymore...

by **hatchgo** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 8:52 pm

Feutus Lapdance wrote:I hope he wil takke part in upcoming contests....

hopefully oldschooling

by **ErotiCore SteNch** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 9:37 pm

wtf people making breakcore on laptops are faking it???the sound should come from hardware?

wtf is happening?its almost 2010 fuck hardware.

i like some of the stuff atr did,but come on,they were groundbreaking back in the 90s.and thats nice

some nice tracks made,i liked

ec8or better,and fuck the hardware VS software shit

I Hate Breakcore

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Alec Empire Talks To NTR About Origins Of Breakcore!

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