Tipper: Rock It Fuel.

Tipper plays C-Moog in Byron this Saturday night.

English Breakbeat mechanic Tipper has certainly re-written the rules for Breakbeat over the last two years, with last years Holding Pattern album transcending the boundaries of the genre, incorporating enchanting melodies with bowel twisting basslines and solid amounts of electro funk. He's also established Fuel Records, one of the more leftfield and consistent breaks labels around, also releasing work from Si Begg, Cold Fusion Mafia and many more and has one of the loudest cars on the planet. He's been hanging in Melbourne soaking up the Aussie sun for a few weeks now, and is finally returning to Brisbane this weekend.

How long have you been writing tunes for?

“Ten years.”

What on earth possessed you to put that much sound gear into your car?

“It was actually Richie's (from Fuel) idea... We all laughed initially, but then he actually did it so we stopped laughing at him and started laughing at how loud the car was...”

Have you got any hearing left?

“Yes, I am very careful about looking after my hearing, I always wear earplugs when I DJ and I don't monitor very loudly in the studio.”

How was playing Melbourne with Dom and Roland last Friday?

“It was great, nice crowd of people... good times... Melbourne rocks.”

On the critical path album, you worked extensively with an orchestra. Can you describe this process and how it helped the album?

“I wrote the pads with synthesizers initially... Then handed them to noel from the city string orchestra and he scored them up into string parts and handed the manuscripts out to the orchestra, who then replay it. I love real strings, they have an absolutely unique sound and they added an organic feel to a juxtaposing digital background.”

You've been branching out into ambient work. Please describe what you’re doing here…

“I have just completed an album for a new L.A. based label called MyUtopia. It has been recorded entirely in 5.1 surround sound specifically for DVD Audio. A great deal of time and effort has gone into this album. The panning process alone took over 700 hours. It is essentially a downtempo album, much more organic sounding than my previous material.”

What are the major influences on your sound?

“Anything that has originality. I like stuff from a whole range of genres.”

What can Byron audiences expect from your upcoming sets?

“Aching spleens and a mish mash of electro & breakbeat. And perhaps a downtempo set too.”