- The Hip Hop Phenomenon himself, Adam Freeland, rises up from the breaks scene and delivers his debut album - the social conscious Now & Them. Enthusiastic breaks fan have been waiting a long time to hear a proper album from Freeland considering that his first mix CD, Coastal Breaks was released back in '96. In those 7 years, he's gained notoriety as being breakbeat's number 1 DJ - thanks to his tripledecknological sets, which saw him mash up hip hop beats alongside house, techno - all major influences to the "nu-skool breaks" sound which he pioneered.
Already destroying dancefloors around the globe is the opening track We Want Your Soul - the Bill Hicks sampling, sci-fi trip to the future (thanks in part to those computerised female vocals) - on a hard rock, electronica and breakbeat tip. Give into this tune and it's all over!
Start handing in credit card numbers, drivers licences and your lives to the Freeland regime.
On a slower hip hop vibe, Mind Killer introduces the element of an MC delivering some fiery vocals and still keeping true to the rock theme - distorted guitars and turning the bass up to 11 and adding in some filthy acid squelches. The hip hop theme is revisited later on the electro-bounce of Heel n'Toe which sounds like a cross between the production styles of Timbaland mixed with the ghetto tech sounds of DJ Assault. Heel n'Toe is probably the most light-hearted tune on the album in terms of lyrical content - all about the beats, music and good times.
Burn The Clock lies low on a deep, moody Massive Attack-doing-breaks kind of vibe complete with atmospheric synths. Freeland continues this theme on Big Wednesday slightly upping the tempo while adding in a few vocal samples.
Ahhh the updated 21st century cover tune - it's become the "in" thing for producers nowadays and Ben E. King's Supernatural Thing is the latest victim, this time turned into a hybrid of rock, electronica and soul. Still maintaining the tempo is Reality 3-D which covers the realms of funky disco house and dub laced with deep male vocal samples and the transition to dub is completed on L.I.F.E - a fully-fleged digi-dub tune with a little 2-step/broken beat flavour.
Nowism brings everything to a chill and makes for a nice ending to the album with it's mellow dubby beats and vocals.
There is definitely a reason as to why he dropped his first name "Adam" for this project, the Freeland project is more than just straight up nu-skool breakbeats on that 130 bpm trainride - Freeland is about exploring different sounds and genres that Adam would not necessarily play behind three turntables (and a microphone!). To those who were expecting nu-skool breaks should pull out the On Tour, Coastal Breaks and Tectonics CD's from their libraries - Now & Them offers listeners music with a conscious and sometimes politcal statement.