Breakbeats have been around since the late 1970s, when Bronx scientists discovered that the drum solos or 'breaks' of James Brown and Winstons LPs were the perfect backing for the rhymes that became hiphop and rap music. Cue up the current musical fashion and it's hiphop's old partner that's blazing musical trails in the clubs of London and Miami. Startlingly enough, Arizona has long maintained a formidible scene of DJs and producers who put their own local spin on the genre. 944 caught up with DJ Louder, a pioneer, survivor and evangalist of the scene to talk about Arizona's best kept musical secret. 944: So what is breakbeat to you? Louder: In the words of old school DJ Skwert: 'Breakbeat is not a genre, it's a beat definition' -- the hiphop beat is a breakbeat 944:What makes it better than any other form of electronic dance music? Louder: Breakbeat is everywhere. It can be mashed up with house music (progressive or funky) and yet it can be produced as hard as Drum and Bass. It can appeal to the club scene and also can appeal to the rave scene. which ever way you like it, breaks is there and that's why it's so much easier for the top 40 ear to get used to.. 944: How did you get into playing breaks? Louder: I lived in Flagstaff, grew up listening to funk and rap, DJ Magic Mike, Quad Force, Techmaster PEB and bass tapes. Then when I was 18, I moved to the west side -- 43rd Ave and Thomas, first couple of weeks that I was there, I got my car stolen. Welcome to Phoenix! I had a pair of 15" Orions in a speaker box in my house and would jam those tapes as loud as I could until I blew my stereo. I was first introduced to electro breaks, and got in the DJing game about 1998. By that time, I think the Arizona DJs were pretty serious. 944: Like who? Louder: The main man was DJ L3GO, whose now touring the world and goes by the name Illektrolab. 944: What is unique to the Arizona music scene? Louder: The underground desert parties had the funk, but now consist of a lot of Hardcore and super heavy drum n Bass. It's always been a rough market and closed minded promoters around these parts make hard to show everyone that breaks can do just what electro house is doing in the clubs. But there's a lot of talent out there, a few new cats coming up as well. I'm happy about that. 944: So who else is spreading the gospel? Louder: In the club scene, Yello, Metatron and Brook B are still rockin the breaks. In the rave scene, Rex and Bacteria are still holding it down as well as the Breaks Inc. guys and the Salacious Beat Slingers...in production I'm diggin Macrodot's stuff. 944: Any suggestions for up and coming DJs in Arizona? Louder: Just go for it! If it's what you really want to do, why not give it a try? It's fun, exciting and the best thing is that you get to spread the best new sounds to a lot of ears. I don't know about you, but I love hearing a great tune that I've never heard before. It makes me happy. Hear some of DJ Louder's classic Arizona breaks mixes: www.djlouder.com/mixes.html --944--
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