Sunday, 2 February 2025

Aerbreak - Not Your Average Station – Militant Music

This release is very much “on brand”  with the mission of Strictly Nu-Skool bringing you the latest breakbeat hardcore  and on time, as this release has just hit the airwaves  physically as it has conceptually (more on that later ) released January 31st –  Available now via  the Militant  Music Bandcamp  - HERE!

 

Aerbreak brings us what I believe, via my online research, is his  first fully fledged album! What an Album it is too. Not Your Average Station follows in the footsteps  of the long traditions of albums belonging to the concept/pretend radio station tip. if that sounds a bit naff at first read do  check out via this link just one list of those artists that have trodden this path before. 


As described  by the label. The year is 2125, Earth is a barren wasteland, rave music is banned and everyone is forced to listen to Yung Blud by a tyrannical regime.. Suspended in space within his fortress of hardcore, Aerbreak stands as the last hope for delivering quality rave music—broadcasting the Militants’ final cosmic frequencies to the remaining underground crews....


I can faithfully tell you now Dear Breakbeat’rz that Aerbreak has really nailed it. Not Your Average Station  supplies a lovely sci-fi-esque anarcho   radio station vibe coming through the imagined broadcast airwaves throughout the album, replete with intro’s, interludes and outro sections.


Aerbreak is a producer and DJ that very much focuses on the breakbeat raving sound, with releases on Duckland, Fun Sponge Records and of course  the flipping amazing Militant Music. I had the very good fortune to meet  Aerbreak and the Militant Music crew at South London’s very own destination music Shop Planet Wax – Link  -on a night they were running last summer with the  rest of the crew of height calibres selectors  like Deselecta (who rolled out a stormer of a mix for  us back in in this show here), Serotonin, Krash Dubs ( props for the promo action comrade), Arfboy , Glinks and more. 

 

This is undoubtedly his boldest project to date , 12 tracks including one tune that’s a collaboration with Tom Oakley on the tune Gravity Trap.  All proper concept albums don’t just roll out the tunes and Aerbreak has definitely read the “how to make your first conceptual musical masterpiece” manual.

And so to the tunes …

 

After the enticing  intro sections things really get down to  business with  Interference Pattern , as featured in my latest John Bass Scoops masterclass  of half-arsed  mixing demonstration , utilising the classic Prodigy , a little bit of bass a little bit of drums sample . Oh that intro brings the goosebumps , breaks kick in, rolling subs - yep this is the bizness. Aerbreak you have forever won a place deep in my heart. 

 

Segueing into Mindstate with a change up in tempo delivered with the subtly of a 93 top class dj set , think Tango n Ratty on their game at a repurposed ice rink somewhere of the M6 .

 

And it just keeps getting better , hardcore break beat anthem’s you never heard before again, again and again.  If you wanted to be a spoilsport you’d say this is just another rave revivalist pastiche of plagiarism , but if you truly love this music ( which I know you do Dear Breakbeat’rz) then you’ve just found your soundtrack for 2025. 

 

By the time you get to Chromium Dreams you’re  making shapes in a pair of white gloves holding glow sticks stinking of Vicks to the complete horror/amusements of the colleagues in tour workplace - this album needs a health warning to be only listened too in rave friendly environments , it’s that flippin good! 

 

Aerbreak knows that by this point he needs to chill us out so we get another nod to the concept album box of tricks with a funky hip hop interlude Adrenaline High , that comes in like a trip to the bar for a quick drink then back to the floor for System Overload . Onwards it's that’s colab with Tom Oakley I mentioned , arguably the most modern sounding track on the album , a little bit trancey but good trancey, if you know what I mean … Harry! (Editors note - naff joke / pop culture reference alert for oldies ).

 

Orbit - banger. then into Autopilot for bit of lovely 303 bizness with your breaks bit of a tuffer n ruffer flavour that’s more 5am darkness than pre club drinks for sure . 

 

Wrapping it up his a chill out outro Pulse of the Machine , that would have had Dr Alex Paterson swaying in the back room amongst the bean bags and joss sticks , replete with pan pipes , yes Pan pipes ! It’s an inspired end to imho is one of the standout releases of 2025 and it’s not even February ! 

 

To next time Dear Breakbeatr'z 

No comments:

Post a Comment