Two time winner of the International Breakspoll award for Most Valuable Person, Rennie Pilgrem is on a pilgremage to the land of breakbeat. 2000 saw the release of his acclaimed debut Selected Werks which brought to light tunes like Black Widow (with US producer Uberzone), Some Place Funky - a tune which recently got a re-release on Mob Records with a funky remix done by the Plump DJ's and also A Place Called Acid from 1995 which was hailed as one of the biggest breakbeat tunes at the time.

Four years after the release of his debut album, Rennie Pilgrem has just completed the follow up, Pilgremage - a more accomplished album featuring collaborations with some of breakbeat's finest artists such as Uberzone, fellow Breakspoll award winner MC Chickaboo and Mara vocalist Sara Whittaker-Gilbey. The album also features a new updated version of A Place Called Acid which was used as the theme song to the motion picture "The Football Factory".

RA caught up with Rennie on an early day at work to get the low down on winning the Breakspoll awards, his label TCR, the new album and of course spreading the word of breakbeat to new lands.

Congratulations on winning the 2004 Breakspoll Most Valueable Person Award, how does it feel to win the award twice?
Yeah it feels good! Most Valuable Person - it's hard to know what that means, obviously people have recognised that I've been doing breaks since the label's started and I've been doing it for a long time. I was also awarded the Best Remix for Emit/Collect and the Best Single for 2 Freaks with BLIM and MC Chickaboo. It's good that they've done the awards, it's not only done by people in London, there are many affiliations with record labels who sponsor the event. The first Breakspoll awards was relatively unknown only 12 people turned up to that one, the second was done in a larger venue and the last one had a 1000 people turning up to the event.

What effect has Breakspoll had the breaks community in general?
It hasn't had a massive effect, people just get on and do their thing, it hasn't changed anyone's lives. People are pleased that it's becoming a more recognised thing. Breaks is starting to be taken more seriously, rather than just a backroom afterthought. Australia has had a serious thing going on for a while. In the 90's when rave was massive, breaks was massive, so when that crashed for 4 years breaks became a dirty word. Australia didn't have that so UK breaks had to start over again because people weren't playing it or making it. It became a labour of love to get it back to where it is now.

Why did it take 4 years to come up with a new album after Selected Werks in 2000?
I started doing various collaborations with people like Uberzone, BLIM, Arthur Baker and Meat Katie and I put out a lot of remixes. About a year and a half ago I thought to myself that I need to do an album now. I've been travelling more and I wrote tunes in places like Byron Bay, Australia doing it all on my laptop. I managed to complete one track a month and finished it 6 months before it came out. Rather than making it a collection of 12's I wanted it to be a reflection of what I'm doing in 2004. I plan to have the next album out in 2006.

How can you describe the new album?
For me it's kind of a journey around breakbeat. Every track has breakbeat in it, showing breakbeat in all it's flavours. By basing it on breaks, you can go anywhere with it. It's a dancefloor album, it makes sense outside of the club as well!

Why do you suppose breakbeat producers are making albums in full force nowadays?
I suppose it's like if you're a freelance writer, why would you want to do a book rather than just small articles. 12" singles are fanstantic but an album is a full body of work. With albums you don't have to stick with one formula while 12"s are made with relevance to the dancefloor.

In regards to Zer0's Emit/Collect, what did you do to make it the tune that win the best remix award?
When I first heard that tune, I thought the riff was fantastic, the beat didn't let it down but I thought it could've been a lot better. I found a loop with percussion and a rocky bassline - it's amazing how simple a tune can be if you have the right elements. Definitely one of the best beats I've managed to conjure! It connects with a lot of people. It's going to be signed by Universal and I'll be doing a rework of it for them - it took them a year, but it would have been a hit record if they signed it 9 months ago. It's now a summer hit in Ibiza which is strange because it's not something I classify as an Ibiza record.

What new artists/releases have you got signed to TCR?
There's JDS, and even though they've been around before, the two singles they put out have made serious waves. They're doing an album for the label which will be coming out next summer. They've kind of just burst onto the scene. Another new one comes from one of the JDS boys teamed up with the girl vocalist from Fluke and the vocalist/rapper from EMF (yes, that unbelievable tune! - ed). It's called Beatbox Baby and it's going to be very full on. I'm not anti new people, I'm trying to get strong tracks signed to the label. There new people on the scene trying to make new waves

What qualities must a release have to be signed to TCR?
I look for something different and original that even if people don't get it, it'll be around for ages to come. Something that won't date. If it's a dancefloor tune, I want something that I'd like to play out and is a must have in my box. If I don't feel like that then other DJs might not get into it. I'm into hooks - something people can get their teeth into.

Are you planning to tour in support of the album?
I currently am, I've started touring around England, I'll be doing Europe soon and I'll be going to America afterwards. I probably won't be in Australia until April or May hopefully coinciding with the new HUM CD I'll be doing with Meat Katie.

Top 5
1 - JDS - Disco Rockers - TCR
2 - Beauty School - Beatbox Baby - CDR
3 - Friendly - Bump n Grind - Fat
4 - BLIM - The Sound In My Head - Track
5 - Atomic Hooligan - Just One More - Botchit.