JUICE! interviewt UNBALANCED JACK(in English)

   

JUICE!:
Hi Chris, first of all we welcome you to Juice! and if you're up for it,
we'd like to do a little interview so people know a bit more what to expect on 06-06-2008 in Brussels.
The first thing people might want to know is ...

Who exactly is Unbalanced Jack & where/when did it all start?

UNBALANCED JACK :
Unbalanced Jack is Chris Pope & Rob Groves, Manchester UK who met in Manchester in 2002.
Chris' long standing Sourpuss parties have been pushing breaks & jungle & dubstep for over 8 years now.
We are a production & DJ team aiming to make progress with the breaks & dubstep genres
and the bits inbetween that I have fun DJing with.


 
JUICE! :
Can you describe us the musical style of Unbalanced Jack in productions & dj-wise ?

UNBALANCED JACK :
We have chosen to steer clear of samples, ensuring that our beats are all totally fresh.
Anyone can lift a sample or a drum kit from a track and make their own,
through use of real modern samples and hot vocal talent we are pushing bounderies in breakbeats and hip hop.
Breaks-step would be the closest way to describe the sound we are pushing!
Expect a journey through basslines with ragga as standard.



JUICE! :
How does the combination of Breaks & Dubstep work on the dancefloor?
Do you experience differences  in, for example,  your area (Manchester) and London or other places ?

UNBALANCED JACK :
I like to work with halftime edits to make people drop it down a notch.
Makes the room groove a bit till the full breakbeats come in again.
Haver always been confident with my sets of both genres mashed up.
Didnt know what to expect in places like Helsinki and Romania
but people rewinding tracks from the other side of the decks is always
a good sign that you are playing the killer tracks.
Good music is good music, you aim to please the crowd at the end of the day.



JUICE! :
Are you (Chris) always the one behind the decks or do you sometimes mix together
with Rob, the other half of Unbalanced Jack ?

UNBALANCED JACK :
Just me that DJs although Rob is my Leroy Thornhill (Prodigy Dancer) in a dark mask.



JUICE! :
When reading the bio, we see a couple of different monikers/projects you use for dj'ing.
When performing, are there any differences with Unbalanced Jack or does it all melt together in a way ?

UNBALANCED JACK :
It all blends together really. Cheeky Munky was/is my nickname & DJ name for years now.
Unbalanced Jack is what we release music as...
Im just Cheeky Munky from Unbalanced Jack.
I'm also starting a jungle project with DJ Fibre (www.drummusic.org) who I run Crash clubnight in Manchester with.



JUICE! :
As Juice! is mainly focussed on breaks, we'd like to know your opinion on how breakbeat tracks sound today,
influences and the way it progresses since you've discovered this style. Also, how do you see the future in breaks ?


UNBALANCED JACK :
I think nu skool breaks lost its edge for a bit but some of the tracks coming out in 2008 are smacking it!
Labels like Broke, Hardcore Beats, Passenger & Supercharged are properly stepping up the game.
Lots of different influences from different genres have been creeping in for years now
I think the production values are at a much higher standard now although the market seems to be
 flooded with lots of tracks, some of which don't stand up,
just as the Drum & Bass market exploded with releases 4 years ago.
 
The new Broke 'Ends Of The Earth' album is set to drop in June this year.
It will be a triple CD with Autobots mix of all the album tracks with some edits and older Broke releases on;
a singles CD with the album tracks on and a remix of Broke classics on the third disk.
This will all be available with full artwork (check out the singles if you haven't seen them)
for the price of a normal album, around £8. I have to encourage people to buy the vinyl still...

There are loads of strickly breaks artists & DJs that are hugely talented and
will keep breakbeat tracks in the charts and people's record boxes.
For me 'new' sounding breakbeat music is crossing over into dubstep and hip hop.
Fear not though....Ill rock some of the freshest breaks you have ever heard in Brussels.



JUICE! :
Talking about future, what is it bringing for Unbalanced Jack & Broke ?

UNBALANCED JACK :
Broke album release for June 2008, with current sampler no. 1 from
Unbalanced Jack & The Autobots on the flip - Flaming Tongues / Attitude out now.
So many amazing tracks on the album! Watch out...
We are currently working on an Ep for Tayo's Cool & Deadly label and
have some remix work in the pipeline for Deekline and Wizard.
Remixes of Fresh Air & Flaming Tongues to be unveiled soon too....& MORE BASS for the future!!!!



JUICE! :
Something else now... when someone speaks to you about Belgium, does it make you think of anything and/or ...
have you ever been here before  ?

UNBALANCED JACK :
Never been there before. Am really looking forward to it...
Love meeting new party people and seeing what clubbing experiences are about elsewhere!
Belgium makes me think of Jean Claude Van Dam (my hero :op), Beer, a border to Hollands legal treats
and my birthday that lands a few days before I arrive.
I hope the free party vibe at Juice! makes for a rinse-out summer night/morning!
Let's have it big time guys...



JUICE! :
The last one ... what can we expect from your set and why should people come to Juice! on the 6th of june ?  

UNBALANCED JACK :
Energy, smiles, basslines, scratching, good vibes, ganja smoke, baggy pants,
lots of unreleased tracks to annoy the DJs amongst us & some carnage after the gig! Unbalanced Jack inna de area!!!!!
Come introduce yourselves at the DJ booth & the dancefloor.
Big up to all the party people in Brussels, come down to this one.
It's a special free event.
Make it worth my travel over - make it a roadblock event for me & our friends @ Juice!, you will get 100% musical love in return.
 


JUICE! :
Thanks for taking the time to do this interview and may we all meet on 06-06-2008 in Brussels @ Juice!

UNBALANCED JACK :
Yamman, no worries. Will be seeing you for some Gemini Steppa business on the 6th June. Bless up


Check out the Juice! event here >>> ////www.djresource.eu/Forum/topic/10337/6-6-08-Juice!-with-UNBALANCED-JACK-(UK)-at-Bxl/