We’re back! (About time too) and what better way to kick things off than with an exclusive interview and mixtape from the infamous, Broke Dj’s. Those in need of their usual fix of sub, dub, rub, bass, and woiii need look no further… Going in haaaaard and heavy, Jim Mcinerny and Adam Logan hail from London, have been producing for the past 6 years, and aim to promote dancefloor chaos, livvid party flow and full. Fat. Bassface. Rebigulators, the kitchen sink and those precious drops of pepsi are in full effect, creating records and edits to shift any party up a bpm helter skelter. We caught up with the chaps for a monster chat to find out they’re thoughts on the scene, what they’ve broken, and what they plan to smash in the coming months. Gander below for added beef, hit the jump for tracklisting, jump on soundcloud for extra heft, and follow on facebook and twitter. Biiig.
Introduce yourselves, what did you break?
Hi we are Jim McInerny and Adam Logan, two bass loving chaps from London, UK and we form Broke DJs, a multi genre production, crime fighting and DJing duo! I wish we could remember exactly what we have broken in our time, back in the day when we first started and were learning the ropes we broke quite a lot.
We were quite fortunate that we started mixing together and within a month of forming we had our first set at a 800 capacity venue which was full to the brim. So it was always a trial by fire with us. Mixers, vinyl, speakers, needles, headphones and hearts ha-ha! We toyed with the idea of starting a blog back in the day it was such a regular occurrence, thankfully we learnt quickly! The name weirdly changed its meaning, it was initially thought up because we both met at uni and had very little money!
You’ve been producing records for a while now, early Break beat releases through to Dubstep, with hints of Hip Hop and Drum & Bass. How do you think your style has progressed?
Yeah we have been chipping away at this now for gone 6 years, both of us drawn together by a love for breaks and drum & bass. Our style has moved along with our technical ability, as we learn more we get one step closer to realising our sound. We have always been about that ‘Tear Out’ sound.
We loved labels like Hardcore Beats, True Playaz & Cyberfunk when we first started so they were a big part of how we chose to direct our production methods.
With genres like Dubstep & Hip Hop we naturally adapted. That’s the joy of being a multi genre act, the more the merrier! As long as it works with our style we will make it. With the environment which we started DJing in we wanted to offer more than an hour + of one genre, it allowed us to deliver a varied set from 100bpm to 180bpm and it worked well for us. While one genre is enough for some people we think that working with just one would confine us as an act.
Who, what and which influences you?
A lot of the artists we first started listening to have a lot to answer for in terms of our inspirations now, even though we may not play their tracks anymore they’re still sat in the back of our minds. There is such a wealth of talent out at the moment its hard not to draw from them. Acts like Ctrl Z, Prodigy, Elite Force, Phaeleh, Noisia, Reso, Skism, Plastician, DZ, Foreign Beggars, Enei, Koan Sound, Ils, Krafty Kuts, Skream, Skrewface, Freq Nasty to name a few. Outside of the scene, everything from films to sounds you hear out and about. We once created a dubstep track from recording Jim doing the washing up. Our friends also play a huge part in it, we are fortunate that they are all heavily into their music across all genres, live to electronic so we get to hear a good mix. Inspiration also always seems to be found at the bottom of a litre bottle of Pepsi too, something to do with the sugar!
More Fiya (Original Mix) ***FREE DOWNLOAD*** by Broke DJs
Do you find working together often sparks creativity?
Undoubtedly! We are at our best when working together, currently there is a bit of a distance gap between us so we are not in the studio quite as often as we would like. When we are its great to have ideas to bounce off each other. 4 ears are always better than 2 especially when you have been at a track for hours upon hours. We work in two ways,either both sit down and work on one track or we are fortunate to have two studio computers so we can both work invidividually and we will swap seats. Both work well for us depending on the tracks.
Dubstep in particular is often talked about these days. What do you feel is becoming of the genre, and where do you think it’s future lies?
We try and avoid a lot of the ‘online’ conversation as it always ends up becoming arguments about genres and what’s better. Everyone misses the point that it is of course down to personal taste.
Dubstep is something which we have grown up with, when it was slowing seeping into sets – Digital Mystikz, Skream, Benga, Mala, Coki. We have seen it change rapidly over the past few years as it has grown in popularity and has taken the route that most popular urban underground music has taken. Just look at how DNB changed, with popularity comes tracks that are more accessible and in turn more fans are created.
As long as you find dubstep which you enjoy, then great, mission accomplished. Don’t get bogged down by silly sub genre gunning and being scared of the scene ‘dying’.As long as you are finding, playing or making music that you enjoy you are winning, no matter what anyone else thinks. We don’t listen to music for other people, we listen/make what WE enjoy personally, thats what its about and there is enough room for everyone and their repective sounds. The more it’s discussed the more that becomes the focus and the music is an auxillary element.
Broke DJs – Dub On The Motor Way ***FREE DOWNLOAD*** by Broke DJs
How do you go about producing a track and have you any sneaky production tips?
For years Jim had led me to believe that a headphone adaptor was actually called a Rebigulator, which is all well and good until you go into a music shop and ask for one… With production these days we can start in any manner of ways, perhaps sometimes it will start from just a single patch we have created in a synth and we will build a track around that, sometimes we will make a drum loop, sometimes it can even be down to a single sample we want to use. There isn’t a text book way to sit down and create as everyone’s process is different. Make sure you focus on where your strengths lie, its no good having an amazing drum track but following it up with some weak synth work. It will completly detract from what you are trying to do. Also try not to get caught up emulating a sound, chances are you won’t get it right and you will sound like an imitation (A big problem in dubstep these days).
The biggest bit of advice we could give is just practice, spend as much time as possible in your DAW (Digital audio workstation) and focus on learning a select few synths. The more time you spend on something the more you will learn.
It’s not just about djing these days, musicians today often find themselves doing everything from production to promo. ‘Adapt or die’ describes the need to search for new musical avenues. Have you any ideas, thoughts or big Broke business to look forward to?
I think it varies from act to act, some benefit from having their finger in as many pies as possible though it could be argued that perhaps you should take the ‘do one thing well’ approach. Whatever works for you would be our advice, we have been promoters in the past and while it is great fun and good for building contacts, perhaps it takes away from the time you could be spending in the studio. If you do have multiple outputs finding a balance is key.
We are currently working on a new EP and are locking ourselves in the studio at the end of Jan. When we have these sessions they are pretty intense, we are talking about 18 hour days infront of the computers, so we are looking forward to getting some new ideas down. We have just started working with a new vocalist called Alice Grace who we can’t wait to get writing with, she has a very soulful voice and good knowledge of the scene having worked with True Playaz, Potential Bad boy, MC Det and dubstep act Refix, so keep an eye out for her. As always we will continue our monthly mix series in 2012, bringing you a new mix tape every month.
On the side I (Adam) have just started a solo project called Massaman focusing on the more ambient side of electronica. Drawing influence heavily from acts such as Phaeleh, Synkro, Om Unit and Massive Attack. This is a great chance for me to dip into a new scene and develop as a producer. The techinques used to produce this type of music are quite different so its refreshing and its an area I don’t often get to explore under the Broke DJs moniker.With this I will also be launching a digital record label called ‘MassApeal’, the first release scheduled for March this year and the podcast series was launched before Xmas.
What’s in the Exclusive Eisandnose Mixtape that you’ve been so kind to put together for us?
So this mixtape follows the formula we have created for our monthly mix series. It is around 45 minutes, multi genre, and packed with edits. This is something we have taken great pride in, both for mixes and live sets. It allows us to deliver the tracks people know and love but with a bit of a twist. Its good to keep it fresh and by creating our own versions of the tracks it gives us better scope for a more memorable mix.
Nero – Crush On You (Knife Party Remix) (Broke DJs DNB Edit) **FREE DOWNLOAD** by Broke DJs
Expect lots of glitchy bass driven tracks, some unexpected vocal mash ups and some exclusive dubs from some great artists we are supporting at the moment. It also has our latest release Boogie which came out towards the end of 2011 on Quantum Records. Go buy it!
What’s a typical day in the life of Broke?
A typical day for us is spent, headphones in ears listening to music, new and old. Wheverever we are you gotta have tunes on! When not listening to music we can be found doing the washing up with mics set up around the sink trying to get that perfect rub a dub sound, either that or trying to be funny on Twitter.
If you could break one thing, and only one thing, what would it be and why?
The Rules!……..Sorry that just made us sick in our own mouths. The System?…..again, terrible. The Bank!
Eisandnose Exclusive Mixtape – Broke DJs
Thanks to Broke DJ’s, all the best for 2012. Keep them locked on Facebook, Soundcloud & Twitter
Tracklisting
D12 – Fight Music (Broke DJs Edit)
The Unik – Where I Came From (Habstrakt Remix)
Freq Nasty – Warm Dark Place
Koan Sound – Talk Box
Habstrakt – Future Swag (The Unik Remix)
Sabastian – Embody
Foreign Beggars & Noisia – Contact
Bassnectar – Heads Up (Californian Style)
DCarls – Flavorhythm
Skibadee – Tik A Tok (Instrumental)
Chris Brown & Busta Rhymes – Look At Me Now Acapella (Broke DJs Edit)
Beastie Boys – Intergalactic (Broke DJs Edit)
M.I.A. – Galang 05
Chase & Status – Hitz (Instrumental)
50 Cent – Just A Little Bit (Acapella)
M.O.P. – Stand Clear (Broke DJs Edit)
Sway – Still Speedin’ (Kill The Noize Remix)
ReQuake – Fatality
Flux Pavilion & Skism – Jump Back
Knife Party – Fire Hive
Sub Focus – Falling Down
Broke DJs – Boogie
Skream – Snarled
Reso – Vanquish
Mindflow – Crunch
LX One – You
Foreign Beggars feat. Alix Perez – LDN
BadKlaat – Freq Skank (Requake VIP)
Lana Del Rey – Video Games (Jamie Woon Remix)
The XX – Night Time (Synkro Remix)
