Future Five: Introducing Gella

• Click here to download Gella's latest mix

Our new feature on the acts thisisbreaks.com is backing to be the next big names in breaks continues this week with London-based Andy Gella, who's been making huge strides over the past six months with his glitchy, bass-heavy take on the breakbeat sound. Here he reveals how he approaches the art of the remix. More from Future Five next Friday when we get introduced to Australian prog-breakers Karton. We'll be adding some of Gella's tracks to the player on the front page over the next few days, where you can also find mixes and tunes from the other Future Five. In the meantime, over to Gella.

The Future Five are: BSD, Eshericks, Gella, Karton and LuQas

Remixing has for many years been as fundamental a part of dance music culture as clubs, drugs and raving. As I sat down with my cup of Earl Grey to write this blog, it occurred to me that the bulk of my recent production time has been spent on remix work. This in turn has got me thinking about how I approach such projects, how remixing differs from original track production, and what it is that makes a great remix really stand out from the crowd.

When deciding on a track to remix it's a good idea to sit and listen to the original tune, and to look for an element or hook that jumps out from the track. For me, it's much more enjoyable, and easier to do a good job on a remix if I'm really feeling the original tune, or at least an element of the original track. This could be a snippet or phrase of the vocal, a nice hook or a bass riff. Usually it's pretty obvious straight away if a tune is going to be fun to work with or not.

Remixing often requires a different approach to original composition, which can really be quite liberating. You get all these elements, and have pretty much free reign to rebuild them in a completely different way to the producer of the original song. This enables you to either compliment and stay true to the original, to put your own slant on the track, or to take it in a completely different direction. It's almost as if the creative emphasis is kind of put onto the production itself rather than the composition, which I find calls for a different way of thinking to making original tunes.

Getting good parts is always a bonus - this doesn't just mean quality audio; it's nice if the original producer has taken the time to do you a decent amount of exports so you have a bit more to work with. That said, working with more difficult remix parts can force you into using alternative methods, often with unexpected (and sometimes crazy) results.

So what makes a great remix stand out from the norm? I would say that some of the best are those that retain a sense of the original, but with the remixer firmly stamping their own identity on the track, and and taking things off in a different direction with their own unique style.

Some quality remixes (breakbeat or otherwise!)

DJ Mink - Hey Hey Can you relate - Luke Vibert remix

Meat Katie - Stop the Revolution - Bassbin Twins remix

Lionrock - Packet of Peace - Dust Brothers remix

Backdraft - Headcharge - Eskmo remix

Bjork - Violently Happy - Masters at Work remix

Primal Scream - Loaded - Andy Wetherall remix

Ian Pooley - What's Your Number - Jazznova remix

• Remixes by Gella are out now on Bassrock, U&A, Dusted Breaks, Breakin Even, and Fat! Records. He's currently working on a Si Begg remix for Hardcore Beats.

• Click here for previous Future Five instalments