I bought this record in December 1985 at an obscure, shoddy used books-and-records store in Toronto. All the used records were inside dusty banker-file boxes. All the genre-labels were written in magic-marker ink on torn pieces of cardboard which were taped onto the front sides of the boxes. Going through the “12 Inch Singles” boxes, I found this gem. Of course I had no idea on who the artist was, but judging from the record’s graphic design, typography and contextual print on the label, it was pretty obvious to me that I had an electro-beat rap record in my hand. At that time, rap records were RARE and EXTREMELY HARD to find in record stores anywhere in Canada. Being only 14 years-old in 1985, the only way for me to get them was by traveling (with my parents of course) to London or New York. So finding this record was really like a gift from God, since I had been eager to get my hands on any rap music, whether on cassette tape, vinyl LP or 12-inch single. Once I got home and played this track, I was very impressed with it. Good drum-machine programming, synth hooks and rolling bassline. Great delivery on the rap vocals. Breakloose leans more towards the lighter side of pop breakdance sound, shies away from getting all too serious, plays it safe within the production methods and keeps its groove tight.
And there’s something abstract and hidden about Breakloose ……. it has some kind of good-spirited ability to connect with on a deep, personal level, which is probably the why I still play this track today.
—– UPDATE – February 17, 2010 —–
I had just received a personal email from Chris Larock who is the writer and performer of Breakloose. It is also an honor to have him post a comment on this very blog/article (read below in the comments section):
Hay dude i am so touch by you for keeping my name alive. yes I am C- waLarock from the younger generation 1984 its been almost 30 something years breakloose was number two on billboard overseas, we didnt made a penny. group broke up and went our own ways. i am back now and ready check out my web site www.c-larockrecords.com keep my name alive lov u man peace
Younger Generation – “Breakloose” (Breakdancin’ Mix)…
Artist: Younger Generation
Title: Breakloose (Breakdancin’ Mix)
Year: 1984
Label: Master Mix Records
Media Source: Recorded straight from 12-inch record to enhanced digital.
Younger Generation – “Breakloose” (Breakdancin’ Mix) (mp3)
Younger Generation – “Breakloose” (Dub)…
Artist: Younger Generation
Title: Breakloose (Dub)
Year: 1984
Label: Master Mix Records
Media Source: Recorded straight from 12-inch record to enhanced digital.
Younger Generation – “Breakloose” (Dub) (mp3)
While the norm for most tracks go anywhere between 3:30 to 6:00 minutes in length, I prefer 15:00 minutes or longer, like the four seasons. Give me 4 long tracks to fill the hour, and I’ll be one very happy Iraqi. I love tracks that take me on long journeys through various movements. One of my all-time favorite synth-pop groups is PROPAGANDA from germany … who sound like twisted ABBA + Industrial + TechnoPop + Darkness. My favorite Proganda track is P:Machinery. I’ve taken two 12-inch vinyl versions of that track and conjoined them together as one … the way I want to listen to P:Machinery by:
Propaganda
Although he produced only a handful of tracks of renown and disappeared into obscurity almost as quickly as he had emerged from it, Manny ( Man ) Parrish is nonetheless one of the most important and influential figures in American electronic dance music. Helping to lay the foundation of electro, hip-hop, freestyle, and techno, as well as the dozens of subgenres to splinter off from those, Parrish introduced the aesthetic of European electronic pop to the American club scene by combining the plugged-in disco-funk of Giorgio Moroder and the man-machine music of Kraftwerk with the beefed-up rhythms and cut’n'mix approach of nascent hip-hop. As a result, tracks like “Hip-Hop Be Bop (Don’t Stop)” and “Boogie Down Bronx” were period-defining works that provided the basic genetic material for everyone from Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys to Autechre and Andrea Parker — and they remain undisputed classics of early hip-hop and electro to this day.
Man Parrish
What made Trevor Horn’s productions stand out was his unique and genius production techniques and the heavy use of state-of-the-art pro-audio gear, which made him become the torch-bearer for the kind of technology-led pop music which was hip and incredibly disciplined. Trevor Horn’s 12-inch remixes were uniquely long (anywhere from 8 to 13 minutes in duration) and told stories which took the listeners through long instrumental journeys at the begenning of tracks until the climax is reached (around the 5/6 or 7 minute mark). After the climax, the original or alternate full vocal version of the track takes over from that point on to the end, lasting additional 3.5 to 5 minutes in length.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Trevor Horn is the guy who produced and performed “
The Buggles
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