Artist: Halobeatz feat. Curly Loops
Title: Infected Ballerium
Label: VIM [VIMBREAKS057]
Release Date: Mid-June 2010
Tracklisting:
01. Original Mix
02. Will White Remix
03. Sifter & Adan Remix
04. The Scientifics Remix

The unique lineup of artists on this release prompted me to give a listen and share my thoughts right away. And the verdict? Another quality VIM release, no doubt.

Original Mix
Cologne’s boy wonder takes on his third release for VIM, this time in cahoots with France’s Curly Loops. I had to listen to this one about five times before being able to pin down its sound. Thick, phat breaks, distorted bass stabs, and a trancey synth melody make for quite a treat. Lightly sprinkled female vocal samples, a flurry of otherworldly effects, and the faintest of pads round out the aural candy that is Infected Bellerium.

Will White
Formerly one-half of late-90s big beat legends Propellerheads, Will White went on to produce some killer breaks tunes in the noughties (Wait A Minute, for one) under his own name, as well as under the Pimpwax guise. For a while it seemed as though he’d fallen off the face of the earth. But with his recent release on Dead Famous and now this beast set to be unleashed, are we witnessing a comeback? Let’s hope so. White’s old-school-inspired remix of Infected Ballerium, while having little to do with the original save for the female vocal sample, is sure to be a crowd pleaser. This party animal of a tune adds a funky male vocal sample, along with a few signature old-school sounds, to give it an overall electro-breaks feel. My only complaint is that it should just be released as its own tune!

Sifter & Adan Remix
Another outfit we haven’t seen much from in recent years is Sifter & Adan, but they, too, seem to be back in the game. The duo were known previously for their deep bass and this reworking is no exception. It’s a short, laid back breakbeat affair that maintains the original’s main synth hook with a little added distortion. Though funky all the way and heavy on the bass, this remix somehow maintains air of chill-ness.

The Scientifics Remix
Greek trio The Scientifics–the men behind the VIM imprint–round out the package with a warm tech-house ditty. A live bassline, and proggy synths accompany the original’s melody and vocal sample (“music is my medication”). This 4/4 reworking is out just in time for the summer festival season and is sure to get you grooving.

Artist: Lady Packa
Title: Funk Soul Now/Pretty Bop feat. Elise 5000
Label: V.I.M. [V.I.M.BREAKS051]
Release Date: Early April 2010
Tracklisting:
01. Funk Soul Now (Original Mix)
02. Funk Soul Now (Rektchordz Remix)
03. Pretty Bop feat. Elise 5000 (Original Mix)
04. Pretty Bop feat. Elise 5000 (RuN RiOT Remix)

It’s been a while since my last review, but I’m back with a vengeance. Although the two original tunes on this release are just so-so, the RuN RiOT and Rektchordz remixes are absolute stormers. See details below…

Funk Soul Now (Original Mix)
This is Packa’s signature techy breaks through and through. Dark, deep, and rolling with some proggy synth stabs coming in midway through, “Funk Soul Now’ in fact belies its title. A short but eerie breakdown that builds quickly into the track’s dénouement–probably the neatest-sounding part of the track.

Funk Soul Now (Rektchordz Remix)
In keeping with the original’s theme, the Rektchordz remix is tech-breaks all the way. The buzzing bass stabs and thick breakbeat stand in artful contrast with the eerie synths and atmospherics of the original. This is less in-your-face compared to other Rektchordz tracks I’ve heard, but the bass alone should do wonders on the dancefloor in the wee hours of the night.

Pretty Bop feat. Elise 5000 (Original Mix)
The flip of Packa’s single maintains the dark mood established in “Funk Soul Now,” but this time it’s more straightforward 4/4. The Elise 5000 vocals are—shall we say?—provocative, as is the synth pad that sweeps in and out. Though we could do without the sparse and somewhat random vocals, the aforementioned pads are probably the best part of the track.

Pretty Bop feat. Elise 5000 (RuN RiOT Remix)
Tom RuN RiOT’s take on “Pretty Bop” is more aggressive, as you might have guessed. Is it 4/4? Is it breaks? It’s kinda hard to pin down—like most RuN RiOT tunes. Regardless, distorted bass accompanies the original track’s rolling percussion, and the vocals are used sparingly (thank you!). Between the reworked drums and squeaky synths added over the original pads, we feel a dash of funkiness here. DJs: the intro and outro are super-short, as per RuN RiOT’s modus operandi, so be prepared to mix quickly, setup a loop, or make your own edit!

Artist: Lady Packa
Title: Sara’s Night/Solar Attack
Label: V.I.M. [VI.M.BREAKS040]
Release Date: Mid-December 2009
Tracklisting:
01. Sara’s Night (Original Mix)
02. Sara’s Night (Maelstrom Old Skool Breaks Remix)
03. Sara’s Night (Maelstrom Dubstep Remix)
04. Solar Attack (Original Mix)
05. Solar Attack (Digital Breaks Foundation Remix)

The V.I.M. crew is up to their fortieth release, this time featuring Spain’s best female breakster, Lady Packa, along with solid remixes by Maelstrom and Digital Breaks Foundation.

Sara’s Night (Original Mix)
Tech-breaks is the name of the game on the original, layering Packa’s signature tight drum break, a swirling bass loop and synth lines that flare into a barrage of bleeps. Short vocal snippets are sprinkled throughout the track, culminating in a heavily processed sample during the breakdown (“please take me higher”). Think Beaucoup Fish-era Underworld meets Flack.su–a tasty combination if there ever was one–and you’ll get where this track is headed.

Sara’s Night (Maelstrom Old Skool Breaks Remix)
When they said “Old Skool Breaks,” they weren’t kidding. France’s Maelstrom brings us his own contribution to what I call the old skool breaks revitalization movement, recently championed by the likes of Future Funk Squad, Elite Force, Meat Katie and Peo De Pitte. Retaining little from the original save for the vocal samples, Maelstrom’s interpretation instead features a percussion-driven breakbeat and snarling bass reminiscent of turn-of-the-century Bushwacka! and Ils tunes. Old skool is coming back in a big way, and not just for nostalgia’s sake. This remix put a big, stupid grin on my face.

Sara’s Night (Maelstrom Dubstep Remix)
I’m slowly but surely getting into dubstep as a genre, though I’d still consider myself a newbie. The same qualities that make our Frenchman’s “Old Skool Breaks” reworking outstanding are present in this version. Added to the mix, however, is an eerie synth pad that adds another dimension of darkness. Though a bit on the sleepier side of the genre, this remix is still likable and could fit well into a range of settings.

Solar Attack (Original Mix)
While equally dancefloor-friendly as the flip side, this next outing by Lady Packa takes a slightly different approach. Rapid bass stabs and a beat that switches back and forth between four-to-the-floor and breaks give “Solar Attack” a definitive proggy, techy feel. A pressure-valve hi hat followed by a flurry of drum rolls and twisted, robotic synth pads drive a rather futuristic breakdown–probably my favorite part of the track.

Solar Attack (Digital Breaks Foundation Mix)
The Digital Breaks Foundation’s interpretation of “Solar Attack” switches gears a bit, dropping the tempo to around 120 BPM. The bass stabs and vocal samples are left as-is, supported by a beefier breakbeat–complete with organic snares and a serious kick–and some original synth patches. It’s got a dubbier feel compared to the original mix, but at the same time maintaining the same mechanical vibe. This one’s perfect for the backroom, or any mid-tempo prog-breaks set, for that matter.

Artist: Macho
Title: So Let’s Begin
Label: V.I.M. [VI.M.BREAKS036]
Release Date: 2009-11-25
Tracklisting:
01. Original Mix
02. I:lyke Remix
03. The Scientifics Remix
04. Toy Quantize Remix

Slovakian breaks remixed by Germans and Kazakhs, and Greeks? It’s a small world after all….

Original Mix
A didgeridoo-like synth loop reminiscent of the Prodigy or Aphex Twin kicks off this tune by Slovakia’s Macho, which is joined shortly by a fat, no-nonsense break-beat and a barrage of industrial guitar licks. The sinister, trancey pads slowly layered onto this tune, along with the 136 BPM tempo, give it a signature psy-breaks feel. All in all, this is a great original work, with the fusion of hardcore/rave and psychedelic synths making it a keeper in my book.

The Scientifics Remix
Tech-funk by design, this remix from the Greek trio is a slow roller at 128 BPM. Prevalent hi-hats amid an intricate percussion arrangement complement the groovy bassline well. Only past the mid-way point of the remix do we briefly hear a toned-down synth line from the original, but it seems to be more or less an afterthought.

I:lyke Remix
This rework by Germany’s I:lyke takes a rather leftfield approach, retaining virtually none of the original track’s elements. I:lyke slow things down tempo-wise, add a completely new samba rhythm, then layer on meaty bass stabs and a wealth of beeps and bleeps. Though not my style, or my favorite of the remixes, for that matter, this tune would be right at home beside tunes from the likes of Flore, Mephisto Odyssey, et al.

Toy Quantize Remix
Kazakh newcomer Toy Quantize put out quite a doozy with this remix. Acid synths from the original, staccatoed cymbal crashes, and new melodies layered on top of thick drums make this my favorite remix. It has one foot in psychedelia and the other planted firmly in the tech realm, but the track will be most appealing to the tear-out types.