PHANTOM BEATS – ARTIST PROFILE
May 3rd, 2006 by rui
Recently placed in the Top 5 breakbeat DJs in the world by the voters at Breakspoll, the International Breakbeat Awards, Phantom Beats were also named “consistently the best party-rockers in the UK today” by the promoter of Spectrum, the winner of the best breaks club. Due in part, no doubt, to their funk-filled basslines, deck-antics and an ability to instantly establish a rapport with any crowd and get them completely hyped up, Phantom Beats are heading for a stratospheric 2006.
In the last few years they have set clubs alight the world over with their “Digital Dancefloor Funk” (another Radio One quote!) pushing the breaks scene to a wider audience and raising many an arm in sweat soaked clubs, much to the delight of the deodorant manufacturers. Their triple-CD mix album ‘21st Century Breaks’ with Soul Of Man (Finger Lickin’) on React Records received gushing praise from press and punters alike. Some called it “hands down the best breaks compilation on the market” whilst Mixmag said “Full marks…rating = Beast!”
By December they had taken their record bags through four continents with them finishing 2003 with a three week tour of Australia and Japan which coincided with the release of the brand new single ‘Rip It Up’ on their Plastic Raygun record label. This “crackin’ breakbeat track” (Ministry), was released, sold out and played by the likes of Meat Katie, Blim, Hybrid and the Plump DJs.
As well as regularly DJing all over the world (they’ve just returned from a second Australian tour and are set for tours of Europe, South America and Asia next year) Phantom Beats have been known for their high quality bootlegs that they only circulate to friends and high-profile supporters such as Hybrid and James Zabiela. As well as the now-infamous “Phantom Xpander” (a Hybrid mash-up involving one of their tracks and Sasha’s “Xpander”) getting repeated airings on Radio 1 and in the sets of countless top DJs, their latest re-rub of Leftfield was regularly spun by Zabiela. On seeing the results on the dancefloor Sasha was so excited he instantly demanded a copy. Their last single ‘Geek!’ turned the heads of breaks and house heads alike including Fatboy Slim and Hybrid. Now back in the studio after a short break watch out for big things this year…
