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Force 10

breaking interview 006 added 13.09.01 words 2hip

On the Beaufort scale, a Force 10 wind speed is officially a 'storm', trees are uprooted, roof tiles are thrown about, and the sea gets just a tad choppy. However, when Sir Francis Beaufort, a British admiral, invented the internationally used scale, who would have thought it would also spawn one of the most well know UK breakin crews? From the town of Norwich, which is better known for a fucking great big Cathedral and people shouting 'Jurassic park' in the voice of Alan Partridge, Force 10 do cause a bit of a storm on the breakin scene in the UK. I caught up with B-boys JB, M-Phatic and B-girl Kelfx of Force 10, so let them drop some knowledge…
So can you introduce yourself and tell me a bit about how you became a breaker?

JB

[JB] 30 years old so like many from my generation I got the itch when I first saw the Buffalo Girls video in '83. I'd never been much of a dancer before then but had a mild interest in gymnastics from doing the basic levels at primary school, within a few weeks I was taking out all of the girls at handstands! At that time I was also really getting into electronic music (Kraftwerk, New Order, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Numan etc) and breakin enhanced that as it was more often performed to Electro in the UK rather than the 70's funk that the dance developed with in America. The combination of being the right age, the interest in the music and a close knit group of friends that wanted to learn the new dance all came together at the perfect time.
[M-PHATIC] I go by the name of M-Phatic. It's all Worms (my older brother) fault that I became a B-boy. I saw him practising outside our house at the age of 9 in late '83, I laughed saying he'd never catch me doing that shit. A few weeks later I tried a backspin and that was it, game over, hooked, addicted for life.
[KELFX] The love of Hip-Hop got me into breakin really and ultimately the encouragement of 4 b-boys: JB, Worm, M-Phatic and Daddy-Addy, oh yeah, and the fact that I'm quite fearless made me think I could do that shit!
What's it like being bboys from boogie down Norwich? How do you amuse yourself?
[JB] Well only half of Force 10 actually live in Norwich, KelFX and I both live in Suffolk and we hooked up with M-Phatic and Worm at a monthly hip-hop night in Ipswich in early 1998. Worm thought of the name "Force 10" a few months later. (We've since found out that there was a UK crew in the 80's also called Force 10). There is a surprising amount of Hip-Hop related talent hidden away in East Anglia including Deftex, The Plagiawrists and Vinyl Dialect. With regard to breakin, we have all been teaching lessons at various schools, youth clubs and universities so there are several up and coming "juniors" around our way. Kilo and Trubl-Roc (SinStar/SinCru head ponchos) have nurtured several more juniors just up the road in Cambridge.
[M-PHATIC] Norwich is actually a really nice place to live - it has its drawbacks but then all places do. There's a kind of Jamaican feel to it, kind of ironic really when Norwich is a notorious "white" city. There's no rush to get anywhere or do something. The pace of life is quite slow and chilled. Norwich is a peaceful place but it has enough life in it to keep us going. Oh, and men are outnumbered by women by about 4 to one apparently, even if they are inbred!
[KELFX] Living in the middle of nowhere without much going on means that most heads take their passion seriously. I am lucky to have been surrounded by scratch-DJs (Plagiawrists), producers and MCs (Vinyl Dialect) for the last 9 years, so that and breakin keeps me out of trouble.
How do you perceive the UK seen at the moment? Healthy/unhealthy?
[JB] It's gaining strength rapidly, probably at a faster rate than most other countries, however that's most likely because we were several years behind the rest of the world with regard starting up again. We therefore have a lot of work to do before we can contend with nearby countries like France, Spain and Germany. As you probably know, breakin died a sudden death over here in around 1987 and faded to such an extent that all but a hand full of people gave up (respect to Second To None, Tim Twist and Evo for keeping at it). Other countries in Europe either kept it going or seem to have recovered far better and sooner than we have.
[M-PHATIC] The scene is better here than what it was a few years ago with regard to the amount of breakers. Unfortunately our standard in comparison to the rest of the world is not that healthy, but you have to take into account there are some seriously talented breakers in most countries and these are the b-boys that are most often featured on videos. For us to compare ourselves to those individuals is unrealistic, however we obviously do not see the hundreds of average breakers from outside the UK. There are some really talented individuals here but there's not really an entire crew that sticks out.
[KELFX] The UK scene is most definitely on the up, both bboys and b-girls are jumping out of the woodwork all over the place. My diagnosis is healthy.
What do you feel would be the most important things to try and rectify this situation?

Kelfx's mum always warned what could happen if the wind changed direction, shes still there to this day.

[JB] Over the past 18 months a few bboys have put on their own b-boy/b-girl friendly events instead of blindly attending those put on by club promoters. A lot of the larger events tend to be more of a showcase to a non-breaking audience rather than a "free for all" where breakers of all levels have the opportunity to dance. We really have to help those who are just getting started by having open floors that are less intimidating than a huge auditorium surrounded by hundreds of spectators waiting to be impressed.
[M-PHATIC] We need more events where we can all get together. More importantly I think we've got to try our hardest to get the next generation into it and this isn't easy at all. A lot of people want to learn but just don't know where or how to go about it.
[KELFX] Keep on encouraging the next generation - even if they'll be whipping our arses in battles before we know it.
Urban games, cash in or helping build?
[JB] Well this is an interesting question. I wasn't going to attend the Urban Games this year through concerns of big-event promoters. I was talked into going by the rest of F-10 and I had a very good time. This year's event was different as it was also the qualifications for the UK Championships 2001 and we entered in association with Adam and Junk from Second To None and Zane and Triple S from NCK. (We were robbed! Ha, ha). KelFX & Worm and M-Phatic & I (under alter egos) also entered the 2 on 2 battles which was a laugh as M and I ended up battling against Sonic and David from Natural Effects who eventually won overall. The event itself was well organised and displayed how much the UK scene is building with a wide representation from all over the UK at all levels and ages, for the first time it didn't seem to be just for the established breakers which was my main concern.
[M-PHATIC] This years Urban Games took me by surprise, it has to be one of the best weekends for breakin I've been to in recent times. Hooch may have made lots of money from it, but he also put a lot of work into it so I have no complaints.
[KELFX] The Games for me definitely helped build this year. The b-boy turnout was excellent and the atmosphere and standard of dancing were off tha hook.
Do any of you do any specific training/stretches to prepare your body for bboying?
[JB] We all warm-up a bit before practices but definitely not enough (hence the various injuries we are all carrying). We recently had Tuff Kid over and he does even less - his idea of a warm-up is a few 1990's to air-flares and that's it!
[M-PHATIC] I go bar stretching most Friday nights! This is a great way to feel like someone has opened your skull up and stuck a food blender in there if you have to break the following day. I'm currently in the worst condition I've been in for some time, the niggling injuries over the years have really started taking their toll so my standard has dropped over the past year. I probably need a good few months off and then start training again.
[KELFX] I do neck-stretches every day due to ongoing injuries. I'd rather do that than the Valium and anti-inflammatory pills the doctor tries to push onto me.
What move still has you wanting? Doesn't have to be a move you can't do, just one you like to do better…
[JB] I've always wanted "doubles". To me, smooth doubles are far more appealing than air-flares. When Gumby (Suicidal Lifestyles) or Wicket (Renegades) perform doubles I'm in total awe, no other move has the same effect on me.
[M-PHATIC] There are too many moves to list here!
[KELFX] My mills still have room for improvement and I really want to land those elbow-airtracks 100% of the time. Oh yeah, and more than two and a bit 1990's.
Which move still gives you that real buzzy feeling?
[JB] No single move really does it for me, longer than usual headspins, 90's and 2000's give me a buzz but I realise that they're one-offs as I don't really focus on those moves much nowadays. I get more of a buzz from a particularly fluid and technically complex footwork throwdown, one that feels good from beginning to end - far more satisfying than x-many rotations of a text-book move.
[M-PHATIC] Dynamic power moves where it's shit or bust, you can only do these moves when the adrenaline is really pumping. If you pull these moves off in front of an appreciative crowd, there's no feeling quite like it.
[KELFX] 2000's, not that I'm especially good at them, but they feel good, as does a particularly jammy headspin.
Right the old foundations argument. How important do you deem it for a bboy to be able to step up with an artillery of uprock and floorwork if the situation calls for it?
[JB] To me it's about all round skills, foundation, flow AND power moves. If I see someone air-flare I don't think "wow, an air-flare" because I've seen it all before, my initial thoughts are towards how they got into it, how they finished, i.e. the meat around the bones. Toprock to air-flare as a throwdown doesn't do anything for me at all, it just shows a lack of variation and originality. To me the sign of a class b-boy is not necessarily about what individual moves they have but how their moves are linked, how smoothly they flow and how they relate to the music. I think those are the true distinguishing factors that make a quality b-boy. Have a look at Storm, Ivan, Wicket and EZ Rock to see what I mean, a balance of power and fundamentals with style, they may not have the most up to date power moves but they can seamlessly integrate all of their moves together with finesse.
[M-PHATIC] Versatility is the key, if you can adapt to the music, the surroundings, the type of floor and the type of opponent then you're doing well. I hate the style vs power debate, neither is more important. Yes there has to be a foundation in place but it doesn't have to be traditional and foundation relates to power as well as style in my eyes. Breakin HAS to progress and in order to do this we have to embrace other dance forms, martial arts, gymnastics and whatever else and incorporate it into our own. As long as knowledge of where breakin came from and the history of it is acknowledged then that's cool, there's no need to get anal about it and become obsessed about foundation. I love watching old skool styles being old skool but I get just as, if not more, excited by seeing someone innovate.
[KELFX] We all need to be as good all-rounders as possible, ideally being able to step-up and respond to whatever situation you are faced with. Maybe that's unrealistic, but that's what I'm aiming for.
Do you think the UK, or even the world needs an intelligent, well-written b-boy magazine?

Worm

[JB] I personally don't think that it is that important to have a dedicated b-boy magazine. I find journalists to be scathing about things that they do not truly understand or alternatively they are too passionate to the point that they do not necessarily report a true representation of events. I think that most bboys/girls have their own means of getting the latest info on what's going on (from Internet message boards, event videos and word of mouth), a magazine would just make details available to the general public… who probably wouldn't show interest for very long. It's easy to get frustrated with the lack of coverage of bboys in the media but it's even easier to feel that it's being commercialised/exploited when it actually does get media attention.
[M-PHATIC] Certainly but it's market appeal would not be that big, so I don't think it would sell so great, therefore, like most other things in Hip-Hop, it would have to be done by people who are prepared to put a lot of effort in with little financial reward. I think in order to progress with breakin and create more appeal, breakin needs to be included in competitions like the X Games which are televised on a global scale.
[KELFX] I don't really know, if there was one it would have to be written by well-respected dancers for people to take it seriously. It would also have to represent all style perspectives to be rated any good.
I often feel that in the UK we are fighting over so little, do you think that bboys and all the other elements should unite and maybe form some kind of union?
[JB] SinCru is one step ahead of you there, for SinStar gigs we demand a sensible and fair rate, if that is not agreed to they'll have to book someone else, simple. If a promoter does not pay up all Sin members are notified and that promoter will lose a lot of potential booking opportunities - that includes all of the Sin DJ's, MCs and Graffiti artists.
[M-PHATIC] SINCru have been doing this for a few years now. There will always be controversy that comes in this industry but that's what makes it in some respects, we all have our opinions, our preferences. The great thing about hip-hop is it's freedom of expression, by forming a union would it surpress this? I'm all for the protection of breakers from being exploited but having one union is not necessarily the best move, it's a tough one that.
[KELFX] SIN!
Are most of you into old funk etc..? Or do you try break to the more modern hiphop beats? Because I often feel that the UK scene as a whole would benefit if the bboys breaked to new UK hiphop, and if the beats made were more bboy friendly. What's your take on that?
[JB] I'm personally into classic Electro/Old School and late 80's/early 90's UK rap (Hijack, Hardnoise, Demon Boyz, Gunshot etc), we mostly practice to 70's funk and 80s & early 90's rap. Several modern rap tunes do hit the spot but most are too slow and are difficult to get fired-up to. For us to dance to UK artists the music obviously has to be b-boy friendly however who are we to try to govern what direction an artist/group/music genre should take? If UK rap naturally becomes b-boy friendly we will then dance to it.
[M-PHATIC] I prefer old skool hip-hop and old funk. The majority of modern UK Hip-Hop is not that appealing to me for breakin There are some classic UK tunes that must have been designed with the idea of breakin in mind like Hardnoise, Gunshot, "Tales of what Daddy did" by Def Tex.
[KELFX] Old School Hip-Hop all the way, but DJ Skyes selection of breaks are impossible to sit still to.
Do you think that one-day it's possible, one person could change the face of our scene? I mean if some kid out there was learning (not biting videos) and just stepped up and blew everyone out. How realistic do you think that is? Because I always feel in the UK we just wait for it to happen, just hoping…
[JB] Of course it's possible for one person to inspire many others. For me to be inspired it would depend on their attitude as much as their skills. I feel that the best scenario for the UK would be for an incredible B-Girl to come through to challenge the Bboys current dominance as well as being a head figure for b-girls to aspire to, to me that would be the biggest boost to the UK scene.
[M-PHATIC] There are some decent breakers in this country, more than what we give ourselves credit for, but there hasn't been an outstanding crew or b-boy which are innovating since the early 90's in the days of Second To None and Evo, that's 10 years ago and we're still waiting. Of course it's possible but it's a way off yet.
[KELFX] Yeah, of course that could happen, it's probably happening right now.

M-Phatic, KelFX, Tuff Kid (Basel City Attack), JB, Worm

There's plenty of baby bboys out there who find it a bitch to get into b-boying even if they want to try their hand at it, what would your advise be?
[JB] Visit the www.unknownelement.com message board and someone will point you in the direction of other breakers in your area.
[M-PHATIC] Buy videos as this is going to be the easiest way to see what's going on. You're going to have to copy the moves people are doing to start off with but you've gotta start somewhere, aim to create your own style. Get online and check the bboy sites out, this is a great way of finding people in your area that you might be able to hook up with or see that there are lessons in your area.
[KELFX] Just give it a go. If you see something that inspires you, try it, even in front of a mirror in your bedroom to see if it looks any good.
Do you have any shout outs or disses or general gripes you'd like to give out?
[JB] Aa special shout out to all SIN (and Junior SIN) members especially Kilo and Trubl-Roc for establishing unity between the four elements, also, props to NCK for injecting new excitement into the UK scene, Chunks Of Fun(k) for daring to be different, Foundation, Tron2, Second To None, Born 2 Rock, B-Boy P from BTC, Timber from BCB, Remarkable and Flex from UKRSC, Ben Swift from Style First, Shok-1 (for the best graffiti I have ever seen in the flesh) and M||ke from Unknown Elements for providing an internet message board for us. My only gripes are towards the British public transport system for being too expensive and having inflexible late night timetables that result in us having to drive to all events and practice sessions. Also, two fingers to all of the naive journalists that think that we are just a bunch of people reminiscing about the 80's - hopefully one day they'll realise that it's very different this time round, oh, and that Hip-Hop is not just a category of music!
[M-PHATIC] Shout outs to Sinstars, Born 2 Rock, NCK, Chunk(s), Tron 2, Def Tex, Plagiawrists and all those out there making the effort to encourage others to take this artform up and that travel stupid distances to support and represent at events because we love what we do. To all those who prevent us from hiring places to teach because our art form is not recognised as a sport and dismiss our dance as too dangerous, OPEN YOUR EYES AND MIND! There are too many narrow-minded people in this world.
[KELFX] All the bboys and b-girls above no doubt, Foundations, RLK, and the next generation: Airwoolf, Evavessance, Tommy Fisher and the DJs & producers for the inspirational tunes. Plagiawrists, Vinyl Dialect, Skye, Tuff Kutt, Invisible Mics, DefTex, Arch Collision, Daddy Addy. Obelisk + the Saxstead boys.