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Anne: Phonomental has now released
several "Pacific Breaks Connection " EPs.
How would you describe the Pacific breaks sound?
Jeff: I think people that I hang out with (and I can't
really speak for the whole Pacific coast, but all my
friends that happen to like and produce breaks who live
on the West Coast) generally use a combined mixture
of the English sound with the US sound. We like to work
it somewhere in between, by not having to be totally
funky, bassy, party-sounding, and then we also have
a European approach as far as sound and programming.
We like to combine these two ideas together a lot more
than what I see other people doing. What people like
doing here on the West Coast is combining the best of
two worlds. We do have musical elements in our tracks
and at the same time it's a very urban sound, a very
U.S. feel. Then we like going towards the ragga sound
too, we like the reggae, and we like R&B. Actually
we have a lot of R&B elements. Of course we like
the European sound too. I don't know, that's just the
crew of people I hang out with. It has a little to do
with the way we grew up. No one on the label is a transplant,
they were all born and raised here, and that's just
how it came together. From listening to different radio
stations growing up, influences from different DJ crews
that were around here before, a lot of things contribute.
That's what makes the whole sound all over the world
unique - depending on how each artist grows up, that's
how their sound finally comes out, because of the exposure
that they've had throughout their life. We sound a little
different from the English, the English sound a little
bit different than us, people from the Southeast (U.S.A.)
sound different too, but we share a common niche together
because the world's a small place.
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(bass)bin diving
at Remix Records
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Anne: How does a track earn
the Simply Jeff deluxe remix treatment? Tell us
about the courtship that goes into remixing for
an artist?
Jeff: I have to like the song. If I hear a song,
and then instantly think that I can put a track
together with it, those are the easier ones. Other
people that I do remixes for, I like to ask what
style are you leaning towards, because I like
doing all kinds of breaks—housey melodic,
west coast, electro, progressive, trancey. I say,
tell me what sound are you aiming towards and
I'll make a track geared towards that. Because
you want to make the client happy-that's what
they hired you for. I don't think I've had a track
that's been offered to me that I didn't enjoy
doing. Remixing is just so fun, especially with
electronic music, laying it all out, playing different
beats. Remixing for a DJ is automatic, because
you're already doing it on decks. So remixing
on a production level for a DJ is second nature.
Anne: What's the favorite
remix that you've done so far?
Jeff: Alabama 3 - "Aint Goin' to Goa"
on Geffen. That was a fun one to do because it's
the first time I got to work with original vocals
and it was a totally different style. Alabama
3 is alternative country rock, so that was a challenge
too. To me, that was the best, because it was
a completely new challenge.
Anne: What kind of programs
are you working with right now and how have your
production and DJing techniques changed based
on what's available?
Jeff: I mainly just use plug-ins. I have a really
incredible engineer who is always on top of getting
new plug-ins - he's a complete pro. The more stuff
he's showing me, the more I'm growing towards
that way. Before, the computer couldn't handle
having so many sounds, compressors, and effects
that you have now within plug-ins and programs.
That didn't even exist when we were producing
before. It was all about tracking and getting
the best analog keyboards. I find myself using
less outboard gear and more computer gear. I can
produce a whole track on my iBook now.
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Anne: What is the difference between
fans of different styles of breaks (electro, nu skool,
progressive) and what kind of reception does an artist
like you receive from people who are very into one style
at the moment?
Jeff: Usually the reception is very good because most
anyone doesn't limit themselves to only one style of
music. If a set comes close to that, they will adapt
to it and groove to it. That's what makes electronica
so rad, because I find there are a lot more open-minded
people. There is so much diversity within breakbeat,
so if it's easy for you to understand this style and
you've gotten that far, and you like them, then you
will totally like these other artists, because the progression
will be natural and easier for you to get into. The
reception is all good, because if you're close to that
shaded area, then you're safe. That's why the tour went
off so great. We all share a common style but within
this commonality, we're all unique, because we all grew
up differently. Crystal Method growing up in Las Vegas,
Uberzone in Anaheim and me in Sacramento, Northern California,
since I didn't move to Los Angeles until 1987. We all
reflect these differences in our performance, and people
seemed really into it.
Anne: What is it about breakbeat
that allows it to be a departure point for other styles,
while still remaining a foundation for tons of new breakbeat
tracks? Where does breaks get its stamina?
Jeff: I don't think people really realize that breaks
is the most accessible sound that remains a little bit
on the edge. Especially living in the U.S., breaks is
so accessible because of hip-hop and other music that
came up before that. Bambaataa came out with "Planet
Rock", that was breaks, Kraftwerk even before that,
when he got together with Kraftwerk that was breaks!
[laughs] We were talking about this whole dance music
video thing, where all these people came from, so it's
funny you asked that question. You hear most music,
even pop music, and most of those tracks are built on
breaks. Most people won't even call it breaks. They
wouldn't say Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, Afrika
Bambaataa did breakbeats, or another prime example is
Paul Hardcastle. [Laughs] That was breakbeat but no
one really realized it. It was just pop music. It's
just funky, when you hear something funky, you can't
help it. You just nod your head. Especially out here,
it's all about breaks.
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Anne: Since you've been a
mainstay in the scene for more than 15 years,
what changes have affected the scene in that time?
What changes have you made or tried to make?
Jeff: I've always tried to bring these sounds
together, just trying to get something new to
the public. I want to bring more forms of music
together rather than being so segregated. It's
just like life, you know, you want to work with
the best people, regardless of race, as long as
they are all efficient people, good people, you
want to have the best team. That's the way I feel
about music as well - you bring the best of hip-hop,
nuskool, house, trance, bring all those elements
together, continually. They still have the same
similarity with breakbeats, because that's what
I like. But still bringing house elements, pop
and vocals, etc. into the style I like. We hook
more people into it and then more people can enjoy
it. The more elements that you have, the more
people will be interested in it. Instead of just
thinking one way and that's the way you do it—that's
the way I do it!
Anne: At the Analog party
last night, 1200 people were there, you were headlining
and the main room was dedicated to breakbeat -
is this something you were aiming for years ago?
Jeff: At one point, that was it. In 1996, the
breaks scene was the top thing: Bassbin Twins
were getting big for the first time, Uberzone
was coming up, Chemical Brothers were big for
the first time.
Anne: You think the scene
went more underground between now and then?
Jeff: It went more underground because there
was a larger style of music gaining popularity.
Progressive trance was coming up strong at the
same time and it took over the whole market for
awhile. Many people focused on trance and then
house got big and with those two styles of music
getting big, a lot of producers started to change
their style of music. When you have so many people
pushing one style, lots of people are going to
forget about the other style regardless of how
good it is. Press, media, magazines, the hype
for breaks shifted elsewhere, and the scene receded
a little bit. But now there are a lot more people
interested in breaks, producers, DJs. It's on
the upswing now - we see some really great drum
'n' bass producers doing breaks, great house producers
producing breaks. With that much support, there
is no denying it. It is gaining momentum and will
be big again in the near future.
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Jeff mugging with
the X-calibur album (X-calibur was a teamup with Brian
Ginsberg)
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Anne: What do you throw on if the
crowd isn't getting it, to bring the party back to center?
Jeff: Suddenly I'm getting a lot of new tracks that
do that. Before I would get very few producers that
had a progressive house feel with funk elements in it.
I'm on a totally different stage now. There are so many
styles of breaks music that cover it. Like the Whole
9 Yards label, they combine techno and breaks and that
always works for going on after a techno DJ or even
a progressive DJ. Finger Lickin' is another great example.
They put the party atmosphere into house and are guaranteed
to get the crowd going as well. TCR of course- they
combine more of a darky, techier feeling into breaks.
There are a lot of other people on that same tip. Now
more than ever, case stand in point that shows you that
breaks are where it's at. There are enough labels now
where I don't have to go back and use the same thing
every time. I find myself cleaning my sets more than
ever now! I go through so many different records every
week; even back in '96 I didn't find myself doing this
as much as I'm able to do it now. There are so many
good records coming out, so many, I can't even keep
track of them!
This Moonshine CD for me was so hard to do... a lot
of the people that were on the CD I felt that I owed,
and then a lot of friends that I wanted to be on there,
plus there are tons of other people that are making
good tracks as well. So I only had 18 spots to fill
and I had 45 slots approved. Out of those 45 records
I had to pick 18! [Laughs] I could have had more than
that, I could have chosen 100 to start, there is so
much good stuff coming out right now.
Jaemi: Breaks coming back? You only have to look at
the volume and innovation of the recent releases. In
both categories, breaks is a genre that is improving
at an accelerated speed. In respect to new sounds which
are coming out, breaks is innovative - especially the
fusion of breaks, 2-step, and drum 'n' bass. I think
the growth of the breaks scene will steadily increase
in the next two years.
Jeff: It's going to happen for sure, it already is.
So many elements are pointing to the success of the
breaks right now. Last night is a great example, where
we got to be part of a really successful event that
seemed to be effortless.
Jaemi: Many people were there solely to hear the music
and dance. To witness people having such a good time
without the other peripherals of partying was refreshing.
Jeff: Yeah, that's what really attracts me to that
too. With the parties and events that I do lately, there
are a lot less fucked up people. I'm not saying that
the other styles of music attract drugs, but there are
a lot of people that listen to breaks, I mean a lot
of people that I talk to that are intelligent: they
know artists, they know the songs, they always ask,
"When does this come out, how did you get this?"
And when I do other parties where I'm the only breaks
DJ there, all I see is kids on drugs who don't really
care about the music. All they want is that pounding
infectious beat that helps them along with their trip.
With breaks, it doesn't work with a lot of drugged people.
There are too many things going on, and for the mind
to concentrate on it totally messes them up [laughs]
They need something easy, the hard booms, the drum rolls,
they need that. It just seems to me it's so easy, predictable.
I admit, I love that stuff too for that reason sometimes.
That's why I don't do a lot of raves anymore, because
the clientele is very different.
The expectation of breaks fan seems really high right
now. The crowd have studied up and are aware of the
labels and tracks, and their demand is at least founded
on a love and knowledge of the music.
Jaemi: For breaks and drum 'n' bass, I find many people who
come to listen to the music are educated, more than any other
generation so far. Technology has increased accessibility
of the music to those who are truly interested.
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