BreakBeatBuddha
It's another dark and rainy night in the badlands of UK (circa 1989). An unsuspecting adolescent runs at breakneck speed across a rural field, drawn by subsonic bass frequencies towards his first warehouse party experience.
“It was exactly what I was looking for, but I just didn’t know (it) until I found it” says 3B, musing over his beginnings in the UK underground rave scene. “10 Thousand people at a renegade party and no one could stop us. We were free...it was a revolution.”
It's this revolutionary fervor that fires his desire to make music. But even amongst this tumultuous revelry he felt that something was missing. Some other dimension. Shortly thereafter, 3B turned his attention to Eastern philosophies and practices. It was here that he found that missing dimension which gave him a context with which to frame the love of freedom discovered in that warehouse. It was at this point that BreakBeatBuddha was born.
“BreakBeatBuddha is not about a person, its an approach, a bigger way to live look at things ...”
3B set to work on creating his own sound which could unite and synthesize genres, whilst reflecting the shifts and expansions in awareness that he saw in the world around him. “These are exciting times and its not just about 9-5 or just having a wicked weekend anymore. People want more than just a party. They want empowerment. They are asking questions about there own power and the power we have as a collective. It’s the next level, a conscious, empowered dance culture movement.”
He took his cues from artists Derrick May (Godfather of Detroit Techno), Erik B & Rakim, KRS 1, and later, D & B producers Dillinja and Goldie. 3B's first gigs saw him playing parties in London, Manchester, Birmingham, cutting his teeth on live sets with the likes of “Death in Vegas”, the “Capoeira Twins” and holding down a residency at Brighton’s infamous Zen Bar. It was a period of paying dues, as he reflects.
“I would travel hundreds of miles for a gig, without payment. Sleeping rough was a regular thing. But I just had to get out there and play." Its now the mid-90's and the initial explosion of energy that characterized early rave culture gave way to bad attitude, bad drugs and Draconian governmental legislation. In search of a more liberated environment, 3B blazed a trail Stateside and immediately set to work making a name for himself on the world-renowned “Burning Man” scene, famous for its own unique brand of revolutionary hedonism.
By then, his signature sound had begun to take shape. The release of 3B's first track “Buddha Bounce” (True Movement) placed 3B firmly on the map of the West Coast Breaks scene. The track's stupendously fat hook and swanky mid-tempo step proved a hit in the States and abroad, even reaching prime time air play on BBC1's breakbeat show with Annie Nightingale. There was no turning back and 3B continued to concoct more winners in the studio, including “Dat Feelin’” (a playful hip-hop breaks collision), “Bounty Killa” (darker venture into dancehall glitch-nastiness) and “Endurance”, undoubtedly one of the biggest tunes to emerge off the West Coast scene in 2006.
“A landmark moment for me was droppin' Endurance for the first time at Emerg-n-see in Ashland, Oregon ... to see the crowd just go OFF was amazing ... the sub-low on that track made the earth shake and set off car alarms half a mile away.”
3B embarked on a notorious body of remix and collaborative work, featuring artists KRS 1, Bassnectar, Busta Rhymes, Mala Rodriguez and Beenie Man. 2006 saw the release of his debut album “Mind Bombin” (True Movement Recordings), to truly cast his presence out onto the international stage. “Mind Bombin” was 3B's musical manifesto, combining extensive DJ experience with scathing social critique to successfully inject a bit of awareness into a scene traditionally apathetic to the bigger issues of the day. His music has evolved to the point of communicating beyond the narrow confines of genre, yet maintains a finger on the dance floor pulse. Its allegiance is with the street, unquestionably rugged and raw, but also engaged and sensitive to the deeper concerns of the modern world as they unfold.
2007 sees 3B touring through Europe, releasing tracks alongside DJ Spooky, Talvin Singh, Transglobal Underground, Kraddy and SOTEG as well a number of solo projects. Expect big things. 3B is now a regular feature on the North American gig circuit, playing to thousands across the US regularly. His signature sound is recognized internationally as an anthem to Cultural Resisters everywhere.
THE FUTURE?
“...to keep pushing the envelope on the sound, the vibe, the purpose and the movement. World events are reaching a climax. Our modern dance culture is fundamental in providing places to express ourselves, to gather in freedom and resistance to the more-prevailing formations of power. That freedom is currently under attack ... if we don’t realize the dangers lurking in the shadows and mobilize the power we collectively maintain, slowly but surely, that core rebellious energy will be marketed to banality or legislated to death. The time to act is NOW." Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
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