It’s always something of an interesting situation when someone hands you a disc in the darkened confines of a club and you desperately try to get a visual sense of the contents of what you’ve just been given. In this case the disc proffered was this Japanese breakcore compilation, by Ove Naxx, a notable Osakan practitioner of the genre, who was headlining live that night alongside Dual Plover’ Toxic Lipstick and Suicidal rap Orgy. While I had the sense that I’d been given something of a sweet treat, the words “dubstep” being amongst the few words between Japanese and English I’d been able to make out amidst Toxic Lipstick’ barrage, it took me until the next day to properly investigate the contents of the tracklisting.
Taking in a bone-rattling 20 tracks over its 69 minutes, this unmixed compilation “Midi_sai Hit Parade’ represents Osaka label Midiskee’ debut release and manages to pack in a virtual who’-who of breakcore from around the globe, including Bong-Ra, Soundmurderer, Knifehandchop, Sickboy and Ove Naxx himself. The Australian contingent represented here is particularly notable, with Brisbane’ Monster Zoku Onsomb rubbing shoulders with local break-terrorist Toecutter and Dual Plover’ Toxic Lipstick and Rank Sinatra. Apparent also upon even an initial listen is the extremely broad approach the different producers bring to the equation. While there’ certainly the odd blast of fearsome noise (see DJ Rainbow Ejaculation’ insane-carnival gabber opener “Midi Chin Chin2′), much of this compilation takes in comparatively more accessible explorations that veer towards grime, bhangra and dubstep.
While Osaka native Doddodo unleashes a dense volley of rolling bhangra rhythms, vinyl scratches and monophonic synths to create a lurching hybrid that’s part Cut Chemist, part Boredoms, Duran Duran Duran offer one of the comparatively “straightforward’ moments here with “Visitor D’, a lithe wandering through junglist rhythms that’s packed with buzzing drill and bass processing and thick dubby bass grooves, calling to mind the more ragga-tinged end of Luke Vibert’s Amen Andrews outings. Ove Naxx’ “U Like Monkey Karkalush’ gets into distorted grimy dancehall rhythms, with squelching bass synths and clattering breaks cutting a path beneath the distorted screamo vocals of MC Rabies & Outbreak (who sound suspiciously like Toxic Lipstick), before Parasite’ “Haters Want Bhangra’ threads all of the ubiquitous samples of the Indian genre through a blender cocktail of gabber-rave hardcore breaks filled with growling sub-bass.
KA4U’ “Weedows XP’ meanwhile manages to construct an entire 3 minute track using just samples of Windows start-up sounds and some strategically-placed dub elements, resulting in one of this disc’ more unexpectedly calming moments (shortly before the shearing breakbeats kick back in!), while aaaa’ “Anyway Walking Drowning’ comes across as similar to early Michael Jackson or Prince being dragged down a particularly grimy breakcore alleyway, with simultaneously hilarious and groovy results. An excellent compilation that manages to pack in plenty of variety, with all the tracks included here previously unreleased exclusives.
Chris Downton
