BATTLE OF THE BREAKS

Matt Cantor (Freestylers)
vs
Krafty Kuts (Fingerlickin' Records).

8pm - 2am Saturday 30 October 2004
Morecambe Dome. £10.

Reviewed by Perksy Jobsworth
Photos by Ruth Quaglieri

What a night! Billed by the promoters as the party of the year, Perksy was intrigued and delighted to represent the Virtual-Lancaster website at Battle of the Breaks on Saturday 30th October at the Dome in Morecambe, and even managed to squeeze in an interview with the main contenders, Krafty Kuts of Fingerlickin' and Matt Cantor from the Freestylers.

Congratulations to the promoters, ProperDJ & Acme Bass, not only for putting on a stonking night but for the excellent sound system. Champion Sounds ruled in the back room with reggae, ragga and dub, featuring Mikey Don, Big G, Teflon Chris and Big Joe - whilst the two main contenders slugged it out in the Dome itself after Whip and Matt Proper, local stars in their own right, laid down some serious preparation for them. By the time Matt and Krafty arrived for their 3½ hour set, the big crowd was going truly wild – everyone on their feet, dancing, clapping, cheering – it was a proper party vibe.

Perksy Jobsworth met Krafty Kuts and Matt Cantor just after they arrived in Morecambe. No arsiness or entourage for these two; a jet lagged Krafty drove them both from London despite having played in Germany the night before.
When they got to the hotel, there were not one but two very loud family parties going on at the same time… kids dashing about crashing into things, fans' mums getting autographs, time running out – it was hilarious.

Krafty Kuts
Self taught, skilled, and influenced by the ghetto sheikhs of the 80s, Krafty Kuts is a man of many travels and many stories. Krafty started playing across the south coast in legendary clubs such as Sterns, The Zap, and The Concorde, home to Norman Cook's Big Beat Boutique. Soon after he bought his first set of turntables, Martin opened his record shop. The big break for Kuts came in 1993 when Richie Rich featured one of his remixes on his Kiss FM show…

Matt Cantor
More old-school hip-hop, electro and ragga than big-beat techno (though they're often pigeon-holed that way), the Freestylers were formed by the trio of Matt Cantor, Aston Harvey and Andrew Galea. All three were British b-boys back in the day, and were heavily involved in Britain's dance scene by the late '80s, both as DJs and producers -- Cantor recording as Cut'n'Paste, 2 Fat Buddhas and Freska All Stars among others.

Perksy: Welcome to Morecambe and Lancaster! Had a good trip?

Krafty Kuts: Yeah, took about 5 hours, but we listened to some tunes – DJ Mutiny, some bootlegs, some stuff of mine…

Matt Cantor: He always listens to himself! Ha ha!
(lots of banter about each others insecurities)

Perksy: So you're already going head to head! You've been billed as ‘Krafty Kuts v. Matt Cantor – its gonna be a battle of the breaks – but if you guys had a real fight, who would win!

MC: I reckon Krafty would ‘ave me! Depends how pissed I was!

Perksy: Have you two got any plans to work together in the future?

MC: Yeah we're writing a track together for Krafty's new album.

Next instalment of this interview will be continued next week…

5/11/04

Matt & Krafty continued.

MC: Yeah we're looking forward to writing together for Against the Grain.

Perksy: What got you into deejaying Matt?

MC: Electro and street sounds in the late eighties. DST and Streets Ahead. My Dad bought me some decks in 1989 cos I did ok in my GCSEs – Thanks Dad!

Perksy: Do yr parents come to gigs?

MC: Don't know where to invite him. Maybe Fabric?

KK: Lee and Andy (Plumps) took their folks there! Mum was shocked that people don't dance together any more!

Perksy: But they do. Its just that there's hundreds doing it together…
Krafty, what were your early music influences?

KK: I was really into 2Tone – I liked em all. Selecter, Madness…First record I ever bought was the Specials, Long Shot Kick the Bucket.

MC: I bought the Off the Wall album. Although the first record I actually owned was Jungle Book.

Perksy: Is there a tune that never leaves yr box?

MC: (laughs) Yeah there's this mash up of Jump Around (House of Pain tune). It always works, no matter how desperate you are! When they hear those first few bars…dancefloor goes mental.

KK: Its in my box too! Maybe we'll both get it out tonight! Another which I always have with me is Bob Marley Could you be Love. I'm gonna do a little trick…

Perksy: How much vinyl do you own?

KK: 6-7 thousand. But I sold some when I was a bit broke – how I regret that now.

MC: About 5000.

Perksy: And that's just the vinyl! So many other media now. Do you guys go in for downloading music, fileswapping?

MC: I've not even got broadband! I'm just backward!

KK: Its really handy to be able to make music and send it straight away. But downloading music – something needs to be done cos its really affecting sales.

Perksy: The technology is there, so people will carry on using it.

KK: Its like a bank. There's always gonna be a safecracker.
(long conversation about downloads…)

Perksy: If you were doing a ‘Back to Mine' compilation, name a couple of tracks you'd put on

KK: I love that series! Although a bit housey for me. I'd have Minnie Riperton, Inside My Love; and A Message to You, Rudi

MC: I'd have some old soul! And of course Marvin Gaye What's Goin On, and Summer Madness by Kool & the Gang

Perksy: Ever go and see live bands?

MC: I'd go and see Keane or Snow Patrol, but not the Libertines or Razorlight. Not mad on jangly stuff!

KK: Old stuff! I'd go and see re-formed Selecter, and the Jam! I quite like Franz Ferdinand (pause for violent disagreement between Krafty and Matt). But mainly I go for hip hop acts.

Perksy: John Peel was massively influential, for live acts as well as Djs…

KK: He was like everyone's dad – part of the family.

MC: He's played tunes by both Krafty Kuts and the Freestylers. We got more buzz off that than our stuff being played by any other radio 1 DJ.

KK: Such diverse taste! He's played tracks of mine that I wasn't sure about – til he played them – then I thought, must be ok!

Perksy: Michael Eavis (Glastonbury) has renamed the ‘New Bands' stage after him.

MC: John Peel – the last person you'd expect to die young

Perksy: Ok technical question – what equipment do you prefer to use?

KK: For deejaying technics decks, and a vestax straight arm mixer. Allen Heath Zone 92. And Pioneer CDJ 1000's

MC: Not arsed! Technics and a mixer that works.

Perksy: What about making music?

MC: G4, Logic, a lot of outboard synths; me and Aston (Freestylers) use an analogue desk.

KK: Mackie desk, cubase audio, as a programme, Reason; mostly plug-ins

MC: You can have too much technology!

Perksy: We're a nation divided: is it soapbar or weed for you?

Both: Weed!! Although everyone grows up with soapbar…

Perksy: What's on your riders?

MC: Krafty reckons I should update this, ( and you hardly ever get your rider) – a bottle of Martell, 12 cans of decent beer, crisps nuts etc.

KK: (lyrically) Switzerland's good! You don't have to have a rider – there's loadsa cheeses, all the soft drinks you'd ever want, good red and white wines, world beers, lovely fresh bread – Felt like a king!

MC & Perksy: We wanna be DJs in Switzerland.

Perksy: Fancy some Morecambe Bay potted shrimps?

KK: Just working equipment would be good!

Perksy: Thanks for speaking to virtual-lancaster.net! Come up north again soon!