BUBAKING

BUBAKING is a DJ duo associated with the UK breakbeat and big beat scene. The act grows out of a friendship that begins in a local record shop, where the pair trade white-label records before moving into DJing together. One member, Buba, starts playing in 1996 during the big beat and speed garage era, and the project develops into a hybrid DJ act with a strong emphasis on breakbeat, hip hop and old-school dance music.

Style and approach

Their sets combine hip hop, funk, old-skool rock and pop, along with retro soundtracks, breaks and beats. Their sound also includes hip-house and breakbeats, with an old-school influence. The pair use a cut-and-paste approach and perform on four decks and two CD players across two mixers. Buba is also described as hosting his own shows on Bournemouth station K1-FM.

Career and releases

BUBAKING builds a reputation on the south coast circuit and in cities including London, Brighton, Southampton and Bournemouth. Their debut mix CD, Cake Mix, attracts significant download interest. The duo also creates bootleg versions of tracks including “Gay Bar”, “Trumpton”, a Tori Amos track and “KC & the Sunshine Band”. Their studio work is also noted within the project’s development.

Performances and collaborations

The duo performs alongside a wide range of acts, including Freddy Fresh, Coldcut, Freq Nasty, Stanton Warriors and The Plump DJs. Other names associated with shared line-ups include A Skillz, Atomic Hooligan, Aquasky, Ali B, Howie B, Ben & Lex, The Capoeira Twins, Lee Coombs, DJ Food, Drumattic Twins, Evil Nine, Adam Freeland, The Freestylers, General Midi, Gojira, Herbaliser, Hoffman & Model 101, DJ Hyper, Krafty Kuts, The Lo-Fidelity Allstars, Ollspin, Osymyso, Soul of Man, Steelzawheelz and DJ Touch.

Formation

The project forms after Buba is introduced to King, a resident DJ for Rogue Beats, through a mixtape and a handshake. The two begin performing together without rehearsing first, and the partnership becomes BUBAKING.