Glasgow breakbeat scientist The Burrell Connection delivers a digital-only concoction of open-minded broken techno cuts for Optimo Music

The Breaks That Strung the Camel Back offers up four tracks of future-proofed breakbeat science straight out the South Side of Glasgow. A digital-only EP, it sees The Burrell Connection deliver the last Optimo Music release before the label takes a well deserved break for a couple of months of reflection.

“Brings It Home” initiates proceedings with rolling percussion, deep pulsing bass and dub washes wrapped up as breakbeat-driven techno. Here, The Burrell Connection appears to capture and repackage, in a single track, a number of flavours from Optimo’s always open-minded DJ sets. It’s a heady journey that is decidedly dancefloor ready. Lost in the beat in a (currently imagined) club setting, the subtle production detailing will bubble to the surface, as indeed it does upon repeated home listening. Breaking the fourth world wall, “Møllergata Dojo” has buried bleeps and cinematic breaks that snake and charm their way into the consciousness. The shifts between broken and punishing beats are deftly handled, making the Jon Hassell meets F.U.S.E. output feel like the most natural thing.  

One for the headz, “Hertabrücke Sunset” might exist somewhere along the continuum where “Bug in the Bassbin” gets Massive Attack vibes in a jacked-up, downtempo futurescape. “Neuromancer” then delivers an eyes wide open suite of breaks and beats, hinting at the likes of Luke Vibert (in Mo’ Wax mode) and Burial. The rave anthem snippets that haunt the background of the track maintain an on-the-edge feeling throughout, the listener poised to throw their hands in the air, but never quite arriving at that point. It is however an oddly satisfying Sisyphean dancefloor manoeuvre on behalf of The Burrell Connection and is one that encourages further digital needle drops.

The Burrell Connection on Bandcamp

Stewart Gardiner
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