Back catalogue: Breakbeat

Review: Reel People Music breaks new ground, in more ways than one, with the launch of fresh compilation series Broken, Deep & Dope. A spin-off from acclaimed compilation brand Soulful, Deep & Dope - introduced back in 2015 - this new series sees the much-loved independent imprint pushing further at the boundaries of soulful music. All with that customary Reel People feeling. Broken, Deep & Dope 2024, the series' first instalment, unleashes 20 superlative examples of the soulful 'bruk' (broken beat), nu beat and nu jazz sound that has so innovatively informed contemporary dancefloors around the world since its inception back in late '90s West London.

Review: Jaisiel distills the magic of his previous releases on this colour and kaleidoscopic new outing It's A Pleasure which really has something for everyone. 'Nada Que Ver' is refracted new school electro-disco-tech with warm synth smears and vocoder vocals bring future vibes. The Lipelis ADHdance mix then reworks it into a pumping house cut with sensuous vocals and 'El Amanecer' (Tenerife '89 mix) is a blissed out and sun down Balearic sound. Last of all is 'Sobre Cien,' an old school broken beat jam that will get you partying like it was 1989.

Review: Leo James is back on his own Body Language label with a sixth tasteful take on breakbeat-driven sounds. He shows his range here with different grooves all exploring different moments. 'Better Days' is one that has you gazing off to the middle distance, lost in the rueful pads. 'Olive Grove' is a slowed-down and dubbed-out sound with lots of lovely reverb and 'Burst The Gates' is a deep digi-dub style cut with angelic vocals. 'A Thousand White Kites Flying High Above The Sea' is the ambient laced downtempo closer for late-night dreaming.

Review: Jamie 3:26, the Chicago house luminary, returns with the second instalment of his Danacefloor Damage series, a collection of re-rubbed disco cuts crafted with the dancefloor in mind, but possessing a depth that transcends the club. This time around, he's unearthed three gems, each an ode to his impeccable taste and his uncanny ability to breathe new life into forgotten classics. 'Flyin'' takes flight with a dizzying array of soaring strings and a groove that's as infectious as it is propulsive. 'Funkin' (Hardy Tribute Version)' pays homage to late disco/early house legend Ron Hardy, its driving bassline and soulful vocals a fitting tribute to his enduring influence. 'Jungle DJ Tool' injects a tribal energy into the mix, its percussive rhythms and hypnotic chants guaranteed to induce a state of dancefloor abandon. Jamie 3:26's edits are a masterclass in dancefloor manipulation, expertly balancing euphoric highs with moments of introspective restraint. A potent reminder that the classics never truly die when preserved in the right hands.

Review: Londoner Jeigo has always had a knack for intricate and melancholic production. His emotive sounds span breaks, garage and dub and gave rise to a superb album Cerulean back in 2022. This new outing on Air Miles is another sophisticated one that shows some different sides. 'Fig' is a dusty and lo-fi mix of knocking, woody broken beat patterns and pitched-up vocal snippets that bring a sense of pain. 'Act Like You're Strong' is heads down, lip-curling UKG with shuffling and weighty drums and naughty bass. '3-5 Working Days' is somewhere in between - both club-ready but also with post-Burial vocals that tug at the heartstrings. There is a blissed-out feel to the optimistic melodic bubbles and angelic vocals of 'Found Me' that means the EP closes in lush fashion.

Review: Kito Jempere delivers a fiery four-track package that will electrify dance floors with his first outing of 2025. A bold departure from today's mainstream dance sounds, his New Life EP blends adventurous beats with a rebellious spirit and the lead track channels New Order's Technique era but is infused with early hip-hop breaks and a mix of acid, happy hardcore and ghetto tech. 'LoveFilter' takes a dreamy, chilled trip across electronic landscapes while 'Killer Line De-Part' combines trance, grunge and '80s analogue vibes for a thrilling climax. Closing with 'Put Love Into Your Heart (Club Mix),' Jempere leaves us with uplifting, feel-good energy.

Review: At least before the current conflict, Ukraine had an ever more essential underground scene, most of it based around the revered Closer club in Kiev, although there are plenty of vital labels popping up with increasing frequency. Oldivibes is not the newest but on this evidence is one of the ones you really need to know about. Jentzen's new EP Transactions kicks off with 'Two Filter', a bumping and spaced out tech cut with nice solid bass. 'Octavia' then slips down a gear into a more deep and roomy groove with plenty of deft synth craft and leggy drums and 'Transactions' then picks up again with and percussion and ditty hits.

Review: Almost 40 years after the acid sound was first accidentally stumbled across it is still providing artists with endless amounts of inspiration. This Dynamics of Acid label is another one dedicated to the cause and here Jonathan Hipgrave under his Jonny3snares alias explores six different and equally sublime sounds that will make your brain dance as much as your body. There is an inward sense of reflection to the opener 'Signal Drive', a deep melancholy to 'Recovery' then squelchy hyperactive rhythms define 'Scramble.' Three flipside cuts again pair meaningful synths with lithe drum programming to make for a fantastically futuristic EP.

Review: Based in Reykjavik, Iceland, since 2012 and established by by Jonbjorn Finnbogason & Viktor Birgisson, Lagaffe Tales celebrates a decade in the game with this terrific various artists compilation. Label staple Felix Leifur serves up the slo-mo balearic bliss of 'Cohen Social Club', Moff & Tarkin get some emotive sunset breaks in effect on the mood music of 'Pure Fury' while Jonbjorn - on point as always - contributes the glassy-eyed electro cut 'We're Not Alone' and finally Viktor Birgiss delivers the deep and dubby afterhours cut 'Ad Handan'.

Review: Bitterfeld continues to blaze its own electro trail with a seventh outing that again its top draw. This one is a various artistic collection under the title For A Bitter Tomorrow: Band 2 and opens up with Salomo's 'Bodytalk', a crisp and ice cold electro rhythm before Interviews bathe you in gloriously deft sci-fi melodies on 'Let Go' and Qwerty's 'Kisela Neman' then brings some madness with crashing hits and molten acid lines. Jonbjorn's 'Chica' closes with similarly high impact electro sounds and raw textures.

Review: Marking over 16 years as an artist, Robert James unveils his debut album Battle of The Planets. A milestone in any musician's career, the LP illustrates the breadth of Rob's tastes and influences, exploring the rugged terrain of planet electronica. Ranging from breaks and electro to house and techno, Battle of The Planets was made during lockdown, a period of creativity and isolation for many artists around the world. Across 10 skillfully produced cuts Rob takes us on an intrepid adventure into the cosmos, where mysterious atmospheres and uplifting melodies sit side by side with captivating dance floor rhythms. Many shades of his personality come through on this album, all tied together by his unique sonic identity; informed by his years spent on the dance floor, behind the decks and in the studio. On Battle of The Planets Robert James presents a distillation of his extensive knowledge and experience into one succinct, highly engaging body of work.

Review: Still sounding eons ahead of its time - or this present time - Jigen's 1998 album Blood's Finality enjoys a long-awaited repress having only been available on limited import CD for all these years. Taking jazz, experimental contemporary and the most leftfield jungle and breakbeat you can imagine and bringing it all together in an uncompromising, freeform body of work that skates, skitters, jumps and twists with no respect for formula or arrangement, Jigen created a one of kind document that joins dots frantically while sounding like nothing else on the planet. Catch us again for another repress in another 24 years and we'll feel the same way then, too.