Breakbeat Era
Encyclopedia
Breakbeat Era was a short-lived British
project, that combined the breakbeat
talent of drum and bass
producers
, Roni Size
and DJ Die
, with the vocals
of singer
Leonie Laws. Spearheaded by the single
"Ultra-Obscene", they then released as an album
under the same title in 1999.
In conjunction with the album's release, the group was also seen as a live act in the U.S.
and UK
in a similar vein as Reprazent
, with focus on Leonie Laws.
The original mix of the track "Breakbeat Era" first appeared under the name of Scorpio (aka Roni Size
and DJ Die
) featuring Leonie Laws, when it was included on the compilation Music Box: A New Era In Drum & Bass in 1996. That mix was released on the 12" release under the Breakbeat Era
name in 1998.
As the album was a one-off project, other releases seem unlikely. As of 2006, Laws was working with a drum and bass band called Blackout dnb. She did provide vocals for DJ Die's "Little Punk" track on the Skate Or Die E.P. released on Die's own Clear Skyz label in 2008.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
project, that combined the breakbeat
Breakbeat
In 1992, a new style called "jungalistic hardcore" emerged, and for many ravers it was too funky to dance to. Josh Lawford of Ravescene prophesied that the breakbeat was "the death-knell of rave" because the ever changing drumbeat patterns of breakbeat music didn't allow for the same zoned out,...
talent of drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
producers
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, Roni Size
Roni Size
Roni Size is a British record producer and DJ, who came to prominence in 1997 as the founder and leader of Reprazent, a drum and bass collective...
and DJ Die
DJ Die
DJ Die , is a British music producer and DJ. He was a founder of drum and bass label Full Cycle Recordings and a member of acts Reprazent and Breakbeat Era....
, with the vocals
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
of singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
Leonie Laws. Spearheaded by the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Ultra-Obscene", they then released as an album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
under the same title in 1999.
In conjunction with the album's release, the group was also seen as a live act in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in a similar vein as Reprazent
Reprazent
Reprazent is a British drum and bass act formed by Roni Size. Their debut album New Forms won the Mercury Music Prize in 1997. Their follow-up album In The Mode featured artists including Rahzel, Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine and Method Man.Roni Size resurrected Reprazent in 2008...
, with focus on Leonie Laws.
The original mix of the track "Breakbeat Era" first appeared under the name of Scorpio (aka Roni Size
Roni Size
Roni Size is a British record producer and DJ, who came to prominence in 1997 as the founder and leader of Reprazent, a drum and bass collective...
and DJ Die
DJ Die
DJ Die , is a British music producer and DJ. He was a founder of drum and bass label Full Cycle Recordings and a member of acts Reprazent and Breakbeat Era....
) featuring Leonie Laws, when it was included on the compilation Music Box: A New Era In Drum & Bass in 1996. That mix was released on the 12" release under the Breakbeat Era
Breakbeat Era
Breakbeat Era was a short-lived British project, that combined the breakbeat talent of drum and bass producers, Roni Size and DJ Die, with the vocals of singer Leonie Laws. Spearheaded by the single "Ultra-Obscene", they then released as an album under the same title in 1999.In conjunction with...
name in 1998.
As the album was a one-off project, other releases seem unlikely. As of 2006, Laws was working with a drum and bass band called Blackout dnb. She did provide vocals for DJ Die's "Little Punk" track on the Skate Or Die E.P. released on Die's own Clear Skyz label in 2008.
Singles
- "Breakbeat Era" (1998) - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#38 - "Ultra-Obscene" (1999) - UK #48
- "Bullitproof" (2000) - UK #65