Boba takes another journey into the progressive and melodic depths of worldwide breakbeatAt this rate Big Square Records will be applying for a bus pass. In breakbeat label years they are getting on a bit, but there's no sign of a zimmer frame appearing any time soon.
Eight years ago in 2003, Big Square Records was born, started and run by the legend Big Nick D. A label that knows its music, is not scared to put something out there that is a bit different from the norm and which never jumps on band wagons, this is an imprint that's all about the music, not the egos.
I first got introduced to Nick D back in the day when you had to send CDs out to get a record signed. A telephone call later and Big Square signed Curl & Dean's first release, Kabul, and got us to remix the legends that are Ben & Lex.
Since then we have become great friends and have had many a session together on some monster breakbeat nights out.
The label is always putting out new fresh artists as Nick has a great ear for music and has had some huge names in the breakbeat world pass on through, including Future Funk Squad, Ben and Lex, Kultur and Colombo and Merka, to name a few. I am sure most of us out there all own some Big Square vinyl (or an mp3).
Big Square is always on the look out for new material to release, so if you have something brewing that you think will fit nicely into a square then send your demos over to Nick. He will be happy to give it a blast no matter what style of breaks it is.
I managed to lock Big Nick in my gimp cave and interview him about the past, present and future of Big Square Records. With the latest release from Lunar Shift, Eximo (with remixes by Precision Cuts and Koro Inu) coming soon (check the preview below) and a Big Square vs Dirty Spirit night in Cambridge with Lunar Shift, Big Nick D, Danny Reject and Kimpossible, A:B:S and Boba on Saturday 4th June at Nusha, Cambridge, it's a positive time for Big Square Records.
For the people who don’t know who Big Square Records are, tell us about yourself and how and why you started the label?
Wow, eight years seems so long ago! My name is Nick and I have always been into music for as long as I can remember. I decided to start a label back in '02 after working for an electronic folk label in the States called People tree. I had so much fun talking about and listening to music all day long that when I got back to London I wanted to run my own label based around the kind of music I wanted to hear. I knew a load of producers, so getting content was not a problem. I've always had an open minded approach to music and I wanted that to be part of the Big Square Records philosophy. But I knew that some kinda direction was needed. Some kind of path. I've always been into breakbeat, so that became Big Square's lighthouse on the choppy sea of dance music. Leftfield breaks I used to call it, pretty vague, but spot on. Over the years I've just released what sounds good to me, never really followed trends or chased the money, just released quality over quantity and it seems to work for Big Square. I've been very lucky that so many fantastic artists have wanted to work with Big Square and I think that's what's kept the label fresh. We've had Future Funk Squad, Kultur & Colombo, LBJ, High Eight, MI Loki, Kickflip, Curl & Dean, Merka, Ben & Lex ... & loads of others, all of them extremely talented, open minded and lovely!
You started back in the day when people used to spin that lovely round stuff we call vinyl. How do you feel with the change up going from pressing the black stuff to the digital age?
Ahhhh vinyl! Oh how I miss you! I grew up with two turntables and a mixer, with the record shop culture. I'd spend
all day hitch hiking to Soundcheck in Taunton in the rain to spend my few quid on one 12” that I'd rinse for days
on end, over and over. It was more than just a piece of music, it was a black disc of pure joy! So when I started
Big Square I was so excited to get my first TPs. So fucking excited that I was scared to listen to them. From a
label perspective, the rise of digital is different. No more artwork fuck ups, no more sending TPs back five times,
no more heavy boxes, no more coming up with loads of money to pay for the damn things to get mastered and pressed.
No more selling out and spunking money on represses that don't sell. Today you can be more frivolous in what you sign as the outlay for digital is a hell of a lot less than vinyl. This can be dangerous though, as sometimes I feel labels
can release too much. Too many remixes for one release. Their mentality seems to be that if you put out a lot then
some will sell. I'd have quality over quantity any day. I've approached all of Big Square's digital releases as records,
I can't help it. I still see a release as an A side and a B side. Personally I feel sad about the demise of vinyl,
but things move on. There would be no dance music if nothing ever moved on - we'd still be politely clapping a string quartet instead of raving our pants off if it didn't, so I can't really complain.
The output is always refreshing on the label. What can we expect in the future?
Got some good bits brewing for sure. Just good breakbeat based music coming from Lunar Shift, Precision Cuts,
Curl and Dean, Merka, Koro Inu and a few others. Find Big Square on Facebook to keep up to date or follow us on Soundcloud. Big Square is also involved with a new night starting up in London very soon with Danny of Reject Beats and Hubie from Hubie Sounds, so that's pretty exciting ... gonna be lots of fun to be had.
As you run a label, how do you feel about artists releasing tunes on multiple labels? Do you think this is a good thing?
I think it's not a good thing. It would be better for artist and label to work together to create something bigger and stronger, a real brand kinda. Like a Portuguese Man o' War, not just one thing, but separate organisms
working together to make something badass. Easier said than done in these quick-fire-digital release times we're
living in, but it's something that more artists and labels should think about.
Big Square has never had to pigeonhole its releases. You have always just released it as breaks/breakbeat?
Well, first of all I'd like to say that musical purism can fuck right off. We all have our own musical tastes
and preferences and we're all free to air our views and discuss music like grownups, but breaks is breaks. There
are only two types of breaks in my mind; good breaks and bad breaks, but it's all breakbeat. Getting upset about
BPMs and snare placement etc should have no place in a loving, positive music environment. It might not make sense to everyone, but I've always said that breaks is more of a vibe than a sound. I've been listening to loads of
tech-house lately anyway.
Tell us about your life outside of the music world?
I run a pub with my mate on Essex Road in London called The George Orwell (thegeorgeorwell.com). We have some
wicked beer and well tasty single malts. I have a dog, I like cricket, I like reading books, I like looking at paintings
(abstract expressionism is my fave, it's like minimal techno for your eyes). I enjoy enjoying myself and I like to laugh.
I can drive a fork lift truck. Once I came first at the triple jump on sports day at school because nobody else could do it! Hahaha!
Ask yourself a question you would like to see other artists/labels answer?
Erm ... dunno. Who does your artwork? Do you like cricket? Can I borrow a tenner?
Three breakbeat tunes that are blowing your mind right now?
Hard question that. Lots of good bits floating around as always. Dylan Rhymes & Meat Katie's Roll Player (Hedflux remix), Bassbin Twins's Floorwerk and Home Alone's Acid Feast.
Three breakbeat classics you can not live without?
Three!? Blimey, there are loads of the fuckers I couldn't live without. So ... erm ... off the top of my head how about:
Sam Hell's Bone Snow (Dopamine remix), Trouble Soup's Hypnotic Funk (Rightism rave re-edit) and Elite Force's Pure & Free.
If you could be a muppet from the Muppet show, which one would you be and why?
Either Swedish Chef or Ralph because I'd like to be a better cook or be able to play the piano, it's all about skills acquisition.
I'm a massive Star Wars geek. Which Star Wars character is most like you and why?
Jar Jar Binks, because he's an annoying twat.
Final words?
I think I've said enough probably. So I'll just do a few big ups if that's ok. First up, big ups to whoever has read this far, thanks very much. Big ups to anyone and everyone who has ever been involved in a Big Square Record: producers, remixers, artwork people, distributors, mastering engineers etc etc ... too many to mention individually, but you know who you are. Big ups to any DJ who has played a Big Square Record, to anybody who has danced to a Big Square Record and anybody who has ever bought a Big Square Record. Big ups Boba for asking me such lovely questions. Big ups Ducky for being absolutely wicked. Big ups Andrew Strauss and his team for their hard work over the winter. Big ups everybody.
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