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Jay Cunning

Please introduce yourself...
Jay Cunning from London. Currently Running Menu Music and Sub Slayers record labels, weekly radio show on UK's Kiss FM and worldwide DJ jock.

Why have you set up your new label Sub Slayers?
To put the music that I love out in the public domain and to fill a void that needs filling!

What's the concept behind the label?
It's about pushing breakbeat forward and landing it firmly back on the map with innovation and forward thinking. It's about being at the forefront of this movement by cross pollinating our music with dubstep, electronica and anything else I find to be fresh and alluring.

Tell us more about the tracks on your debut release...
High Rankin steps up for the first release with Sitting In The Wet, a skippy breakbeat / garage / dubsteppy number that drops, no holds barred, into a twisted switch-up bassline set to devastate any sound system. On the flip we get down dirty with the upbeat dubstepper that is Corner Of Ya Block, a feisty in-your-face affair that sees Will Rankin get on the mic and represent!

What do you have lined up after this?
More killa tunes! The second release will be Gella with a tune called Twinkle feat $pyda, I've been caning this for months and girls and boys alike have all been going mad on the dancefloor to it. I've also got tunes from the likes of illAudio, ID & Schema

Can we expect a release from you on it anytime soon?
Not anytime soon, time's never been my friend, so unless by some fucked up miracle days suddenly become 50 hours long and sleep becomes irrelevant it'll have to be just DJing, radio & label running for me.

Dubstep seems to be influencing a lot of genres that have been around a long time like breakbeat, drum & bass, hip hop and more, what's your take on this?
It's all good. It's another great British born music that's taken the world by storm just like jungle / DnB did back in the 90s. Bottom line is music has drawn from different style since music began, it's the nature of musical progression.

What's your opinion on the state of breakbeat in 2009?
Musically it's still as good as it ever was, granted there are not as many tunes out there and DJs need to search a little harder than before but I still see it as a healthy scene. 2010 will be a good year for breaks, take my word for it.

What's happening with Menu Music?
It's packed its rucksack and has gone on a well deserved holiday! Musically Terry Ryan [Atomic Hooligan] and I were heading in different directions with him going down the electro house / bassline route and me towards the more dubstep influenced breakbeat. We both decided to give Menu a rest for a while so we could both pursue our new projects that catered for our musical changes. Menu Music certainly isn't dead, it's just not gonna be around for a bit!

Anything else you want to tell us about?
Radio show wise my Kiss weekly show keeps going from strength to strength with quality guests like Krafty Kuts, the Stantons, The Prodigy among the more nu-breed stylings of VENT, Schema & Pyramid to name but a few. Catch is every Tuesday 1am on Kiss FM (UK). DJ wise I'm still traveling the world spreading the breakbeat gospel. I had a very successful day at Glade when I hosted a Jay Cunning Presents The Nu Breed which showcases the newer additions to the breakbeat family. I'll be looking to take this to festivals next year – keep your eyes out!

To celebrate their debut release Sub Slayers are giving away a free High Rankin mix, download it here.

Track listing

1. High Rankin – Soundboy
2. High Rankin – No Money For Guns
3. Krywolf – Mucky (High Rankin Remix)
4. Trevor Lovey & Sinden – Organ Grinder (High Rankin VIP)
5. High Rankin – Occupation: Pimp and Gambler
6. Phonat – Set Me Free (High Rankin Remix)
7. Black Daniel – Here Comes Caeser (High Rankin Remix)
8. High Rankin – The Airloom 2009
9. High Rankin – Requiem For A Dream
10. Hérve ft. Marina Gasolina – Baseball Bat (High Rankin RMX)
11. Alex Roots – Don't Stop (High Rankin Remix)
12. High Rankin – Beak Street
13. Barbarix – Bass Rocker
14. Temper D – Wonky Glasses VIP
15. Diplo & Switch – Get Off (Jack Beats Remix)
16. Rusko – Cockney Thug (Scratch Perverts Remix)
17. High Rankin & Gyto – How Many Records
18. Skunk Anansie – Charity (High Rankin Remix)
19. Kevin Rudolf ft. Kid Cuddi- Welcome To The World (High Rankin Remix)
20. High Rankin – VERY METAL
21. Steve Angello & Laidback Luke ft. Robin S – Show Me Love (AC Slater Remix)