- Let’s face it: breakbeat can be monotonous. While house and techno producers are pushing 4/4 rhythms in new directions, their breaks counterparts are still self-imposing limits on the aggressive posturing they do between the down- and the up-beat, between the “boom” and the “kat”. The best artists know this, and temper their distinctive sound with a diverse approach—see Evil Nine, whose Breakspoll-winning You Can Be Special Too tackled everything from downtempo hip-hop to party bangers, all with the attitude and aesthetic of a punk rock band. Baobinga & I.D. know it too, and use their debut album to pursue eclecticism at the expense of a clear identity.
The generic, catch-all title says it all. After all, isn’t every breakbeat tune a “big monster”? The only thing that unites these tracks is their ability to test soundsystems, and the sole ambition of their creators is to cover as much ground as possible. Geographically, Fat Records’ Manc hopefuls travel from Baltimore to Holland; generically, they touch on everything from broken beat to emotional techno, drawing from influences as disparate as Carl Craig and Kyuss. All the different styles are successfully executed, but don’t sit well together. ‘Jump Up Get Hype’ is rinsin' booty bass the Stanton Warriors would be proud of, and ‘Jersey Street’ is a neat twist on the Hardfloor template of loopy acid house—but back to back they make no sense at all.
Despite this lack of focus, moments of Big Monster hint at a fresh, utterly unique sound. The tracks from 2006, 'Rite of Passage' and 'The Machine' (a highlight from the Stanton's Fabriclive 30), are dark, brooding progressive epics with dreamy atmospherics underpinned by growling synths and driving industrial rhythms. They, along with the equally moody intro, outro and 'Blue Green' interlude, suggest that the producers had in mind the kind of breaks record Nine Inch Nail's Trent Reznor would have made, but suffered attacks of ADHD along the way. Shame, because if Baobinga & I.D. had kept their dark-ringed eyes on the emo prize, they would have a debut to rival You Can Be Special Too or the Plump DJs' Eargasm.
While any attempt to expand the horizons of breakbeat should be applauded, listening to Big Monster gives no clues as to who the producers are—possibly because they don't yet know themselves. Once Baobinga and I.D. have developed their own identity, they will be a force to reckon with. Watch this space.
Tracklist01. Carve Your Name
02. Recognise
03. Like An Arrow
04. South Manchester Weather
05. Jump Up Get Hype ft. Virus Syndicate
06. Jersey Street
07. No Bright Lights
08. NY3.5
09. Rite Of Passage
10. The Waterpark
11. Jewelz
12. Blue Green
13. The Machine
14. Into The Air