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24 Aug 2010

 

 

Beat Assassins

Beat Assassins have just dropped the fourth and final part of their Urban Electro Project series so we spoke to group member Jimmy Mofo about what to expect and how the project has gone in general...

Please introduce yourself...

I'm Jimmy Mofo and Beat Assassins are myself and Joe Lenzie from London.

How would you describe the music you make to someone who knew nothing about you?

Electro productions on breakbeat drum patterns, enhanced by urban vocals: This is the unique sound of Beat Assassins.

Tell us more about the overall concept of the Urban Electro Project...

Urban Electro Project
(UEP) is a four-part series of Beat Assassins tracks plus remixes from our favourite producers within the genres of breakbeat, bassline house and fidget house. It is a cross-pollination of new talent unified by one concept; Beat Assassins' urban electro style.

To complement the fresh music productions, an innovative artwork concept has been created by James Hacker for the record sleeves. Neon light trails were photographed with a slow shutter speed to create geometric patterns and futuristic illusions that are reworked into striking ethereal images.

How did you go about choosing the remixers for each project?

On the bassline house tip, a remix was drafted in by New York's rising star AC Slater while UK fidget house producer Calvertron delivered the quirky fidget vibes. Award-winning breakbeat act NAPT added their n-funk twist to part three while fresh electro house producer Peo De Pitte threw down a big room interpretation for part four.

At the time of putting the UEP series together Beat Assassins were a relatively new and up-and-coming act. So we wanted our remixes to reflect other artists who were on the same journey as us within their music careers i.e. all up-and-coming names. All the remixes on our label Mofo Recordings have been hugely successful and we believe getting the right remix is an art in itself. You need to identify which artist will compliment the musical parts you have produced within your track. So many labels go for whoever is the hyped artist and not consider musical compatibility. We have never done this, music comes first then we hope for sales.     

Please tell us more about volume four which has just come out...

Straight To The World is the most epic of the UEP series and delivers a big room sound by building immense riffs and dynamic synth patches over phat breaks that compliments the female dancehall vocal. Peo De Pitte's remix is an electro house monster and the DJ reactions to this release have been the biggest we've ever had on Mofo Recordings. Groove Armada, Stanton Warriors, Zinc, Plump DJs and numerous others have all supported. Plus the release made the top eight tunes of the month in DJ Mag. You can buy it on Beatport now.

 

Beat Assassins - Straight To The World - Radio Edit by Beat Assassins

 

Any other volumes in the pipeline you can tell us about?

Yes, we also have an in-house label remix package coming out in October of Straight To The World remixed by Mofo artists Sam Hell & Baymont Bross. The reaction to the series has been incredible. We knew we had a great concept and it's boosted our profile no end. People love the name and the artwork and love collecting the series, especially vinyl collectors. As each part rolls out we see an immediate increase in back catalogue sales of the previous parts. So for this reason we have considered maybe extending the project to part five or six but have no immediate plans to do this.  

What else do you have coming out soon?


As for the label Mofo Recordings our next release is a track by Spanish producers Baymont Bross who are currently smashing it on the booty breaks scene. The track is called Gangsta - phat squelchy acid breaks - with a summer time flava called Real Time on the flip, perfect for BBQs.  

What are you currently working on in the studio?

We have taken a break for the summer because Joe Lenzie has been busy with his drum & bass project Sigma, who I know all your readers will be fully clued up with. I've been building a studio in my house which I have just completely and have recently been working on some garage influenced breaks and bassline house. I'm really feeling the garage flavas right now and would love to bring some of that vibe into the Beat Assassins sound. Who knows, Urban Garage Project Vols 1 – 4 coming next year!

Done any interesting remixes recently?

Yes, check out our remix of DJ Assault's Night Moves on Deekline's Rat Records; phat booty breaks. I recently played in southern Spain and as I was walking down Barbate high street and I kept hearing this blasting out of peoples' cars.  

Any plans for a Beat Assassins artist album?

Maybe one day but for now we're about smashing it in the clubs and dropping the 12"s to keep our profile alive.


Beat Assassins have given us two free downloads to give away. The first is a track called Gun Clip you can get here and you can download a DJ mix here.

Tracklist

  1. Disco Villains – We Just Came To Get The Party Started – D.D.T
  2. N.E.R.D – Lapdance (Bingo Players Bootleg) - CDR
  3. DJ Assault – Night Moods (Beat Assassins Remix) – Rat Records
  4. Mindflow – Switched (Cutline Remix) – Never Say Die
  5. Plump DJs - Mad Cow / Jack Beats Mash Up - CDR
  6. Sergio Gomes – Lets Blow into a Mash Up – Breaks Ida  
  7. Afrika Bambata – Planet Rock (Westbam Remix) – NAPT Narcotics]
  8. Fort Knox Five ft. Afrika Bambata & Amp – Mustafa Akbar (Baymont Bross    Remix).        
  9. Beat Assassins – BoomStyle VIP [DJ Assault – Get Wild Accapella]
  10. Beat Monkeys ft. Foreign Beggars, Frilla & Six Toys – Rollin - Rocstar
  11. Beat Assassins - Bump [ Busta Rhymes – Dangerous Accapella] - CDR
  12. Stripper ft SirReal – Stuka – Surfer Rosa
  13. The Count & Sinden – Mega – Cheap Thrills
  14. Beat Assassins – Straight To The World - Mofo
  15. DJ Mehdi - Signatune (Stanton Warriors Remix) - CDR
  16. Beat Assassins – Straight To The World (Peo De Pitte Remix) – Mofo
  17. DJ Neuro Prime – What Watt is This (Killawatt Remix)
  18. Beat Assassins – Ace Of Spades – Mofo [Deekline & Wizard - Bounce n Rebound Fallacy Accapella]
  19. Adam F ft Redman – Shut The Light Off (Sigma Remix) - Breakbeat Kaos
  20. Sigma – 3nergize – Life
  21. Original Sin –Therapy – True Playaz
  22. Shimon – Crossbow – Ram
  23. Zinc ft Warrior Queen – Snipers – Bingo Beats
  24. Xample – Rushin Dragon – Ram
  25. Chase & Status – Is It Really Worth It VIP. [Culture Shock – Vice Chase – Ram]

Beat Assassins Urban Electro Project Mix 2 192kbps by Beat Assassins



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