On booty duty: Going nuclear with Atomic Hooligan (interview and mix inside!)

Sometimes Sean returns with his latest report from the frontline of the ghetto-edged, bass-fuelled corner of the breaks scene

2010 certainly seems to be a big year for Atomic Hooligan! After “breaks” took a bit of a slating, it’s now a sound everyone wants part of in their DJ sets, or productions. How do you feel Atomic Hooligan faired the weather?

As has always been the case with us, we make music... not breaks, not electro, just music. Its everyone else’s perception of us and the scene as a whole that gets tagged as breaks. I can honestly say that I have always played a good percentage of "breaks" in my sets, from back then to now. It does seem though that people are back on the breaks thing. Hearing a few of the bigger guys talking about and looking for breaks again. But, honestly, this is what happens all the time with music, it has to fade to come back stronger. Breaks in the end did weather the storm and i think it will be back.

Smoke and Mirrors has just dropped on Functional Breaks. This takes me right back to the golden years of breaks when lot’s of producers are in a flap and jumping ship. Is it an intentional thing to revive that sound, or are you just keeping on with what you love, and are known for?

When we did Smoke and Mirrors it always sounded like it was from that classic era. I have been good mates with Biff for years and have always respected what he does. It just felt like the right fit. We love Botchit & Scarper and we will always work with them in some form or another, but we wanted to have a kind of new start with this one. We have been putting out another kind of sound with my label, Bass = Win, recently, which shows another side of us, but this and the next single just sounded like the good old days, and one of my favourite labels from back then was Functional. So it just felt right.

Bass = Win is the new label project from Atomic Hooligan and Rico Tubbs. It’s a mixed bag, and great for it. How would you sum the label up?

Music for Bass Heads. If you’re not fussy about how your beats are sequenced and at what tempo, and you just want fun time BASS ... you should make us your new favourite label. Don’t be surprised if you hear some garage coming out on there. We don’t have a specific agenda as to what kind of dancefloor music we put out, we just want to hit you with bass. It’s kind of how we have always done things (Me & Rico). That’s really why we became tight back in the day, and that was kind of what we started to do with Menu. But I think now we are really achieving what we want. Border-less music.

Half way through the year and we’ve seen a few great tunes already. What else have you got planned over the next few months?

Well, another release on Functional, with remixes from Kouncilhouse, Pyramid and DJ Bryx from Canada called Is It Real. The we have an EP on Bass = Win around October. Then working with Functional again, I have a solo Terry Hooligan remix of Ben & Lex's next single. And another for a track off their Ape Label. Plus every second Monday of the month I have my radio show on Rough Tempo. Then on Bass = Win we have a mentally full release schedule of utter full-fat business. Working with a guy called Snide to release some of his stuff soon on the label soon. Very excited about that. It's honestly all go go go.

What sounds outside of the breaks scene have you been taking influence from?

Everyone knows that I’m a MASSIVE hip hop head. So been just exploring the middle ground of that really. Everywhere from grime to BMORE. Been working with Genesis Elijah again, and getting some nice results. Plus been working with DJ Mutiny on his new hip hop stuff. Make sure you check out the Atomic Hooligan mix cloud for that. Plus, just listening as always ... Dubstep has given me a lot of inspiration lately, that whole scene is calming down and growing up a little which is breeding some amazing sounds, and dare I say it, some great pop music.

If you could spotlight some up and coming breaks producers, who would they be?

It's all about Russia and Belarus right now when it comes to breaks producers. Playfellows from Belarus, 4 Kuba, Golitchin. All very very high quality.

Finally is there any advice, musings or shout-outs you’d like to drop to our readers?

Everyone that believes in good music and doesn’t subscribe to trends ... you are the heart and soul of what we do. Keep on giving us love and we will keep on giving it back.

Atomic Hooligan DJ Mix Tracklisting:

1. Atomic Hooligan - Weed (Atomic Hooligan Feat: Afu Ra - Dirty Accapella)
2. Atomic Hooligan - Bass Crazy
3. Atomic Hooligan - Is It Real
4. Dub Pistols - Ganja (Atomic Hooligan Mix)
5. Reset! - If We Try (Atomic Hooligan mix)
6. Atomic Hooligan Smoke & Mirrors
7. Atomic Hooligan - You What Blud?
8. Ben & Lex - Pounds from the Rough Necks (Terry Hooligan Mix)
9. Prosper & Old Skool Nemo vs Benjamin Vial - Bad Bwoys (Terry Hooligan mix)
10. Atomic Hooligan - Bass Crazy (Tek-One Remix)
11. Reset! - If We Try (501 Remix)
12. 501 - Echo in my Head
13. Rico Tubbs - I Like It Raw (Dub Step Remix)
14. Rico Tubbs - Time Bandit (Flatmate Remix)
15. Pyramid - Can't Stand The Rain
16. Pyramid - Beautiful
17. Pete Rock True Master