Owner of Marine Parade Records and one-half of the production crew Tsunami One, Adam Feeland, released a breaks album called "Coastal Breaks" in 1996. At that time Freeland, Rennie Pilgrem and Tayo were hosting a party called Friction. They coined the term "nu skool" to describe the music that they were playing.
Other dj's and producers such as Uberzone, Plump DJ's and Aquasky have since pioneered the nu skool arena. Hybrid was one of the prominent artists to come out of this revolution. In 1999 they released their first album called Wide angle. The compilation was a combination of progressive house and nu skool breaks with vocals and symphonic textures. While they may not necessarily be the originators of the genre, Hybrid was one of the most widely known artists that were producing "progressive breaks."
On the other side of the spectrum there were groups like FreQ Nasty. FreQ Nasty broke down barriers with his music from tracks like "Boomin Back Atcha" to "Move Back". FreQ Nasty was mostly featured on the label Botchit & Scarper.
By the end of 1999 Botchit & Scarper were gearing to change their name to Botchit Breaks. Distinctive Breaks Records was formed shortly after featuring artists such as Way Out West, Icey, Nick Hook and Hybrid.
The nu skool sound had been characterized by most people as slower tempo drum & bass. It was unlike the funky Florida sound or big beat. The primary distinction was in the often growling, sometimes sinister basslines where the funky style of breaks had a lot of focus on using popular samples from funk songs, 80's pop and hip hop. Florida breaks was also influenced by Miami bass which was described in Episode 21. The most notable artists in the Florida breaks scene were DJ Sharaz, Icey and Baby Anne.
While the Orlando scene was highly popularized due to Baby Anne & Icey, it mirrored the nu skool sound while still retaining it's "Florida" feel. However Tampa, FL had forged its own unique sound which was very heavy on sampling and became one of the most notable sound in the Florida breaks category of music. Tampa's biggest pioneers were Huda Hudia & DJ Volume. They formed Kaleidoscope Records in 1997 and churned out 20 classic records before the turn of the millenium.
Since Florida was a prime area for drug trafficking, use of MDMA & cocaine had continued at a high level. A case study performed in 1999 by the DEA showed 3500 drug violation arrests. Around this time a drug known as GHB was being widely used around the country, especially in Florida. The drug was originally meant to be used as a sedative or sleep aid but became recreationally used in the latter period of the nineties. The drug was also popularized by date rapists as high doses of GHB would create a coma-like sleep that would last several hours. In 1999 GHB had become a Federally controlled substance and people became more alert to it's side effects.
This mix was recorded live in 1999. It primarily focused on the nu skool sound which was quite popular at the time, however the end of the mix delves into some of the Tampa style of breaks with Huda Hudia, Sharaz & DJ Volume on the tracklisting.
FreQ Nasty - Taking Liberties
Raw Deal - Oscillators
Tonic & NG - Phoenix
Tonic & NG - San Siro
BT & Tsunami One - Hip Hop Phenomenon
Lenne de Ice - We are I.E.
Inner City - Good Life (Way Out West Remix)
DJ Volume - Unknown
DJ Volume - Get Loose (Sharaz's 4:20 Remix)
Pull's Plastic Playground - 4 On The Floor
Huda Hudia - Drop The Bass Now (Woofer Candy Mix)
