Vol 1
Press Reviews
M8 (UK)
'Beatz & Bobs (Mixed by Darren Chapman)' (FUNCTIONAL BREAKS) Long known as one of the UK's finest breakbeat nights, Beatz & Bobs finally enters the compilation market with a take of their own, straight outta the South West. This compilation CD is mixed and compiled by long standing club resident Darren Chapman, whose silky mixing skills will more than impress and whose track selection is outstanding. Starting off with label stalwart Spoon Wizard's 'Shoe Monkey', this mix takes in a broad selection of music and artists from the scene including the Stanton Warriors, Phantom Beats and the don himself Rennie Pilgrem. Entertaining and pure quality from start to finish, this album will make as good an introduction to breaks as it will an update to scene veterans. M7/M8
Breaksworld.com (Web)

A well-rounded set from Darren Chapman, resident deejay of famous Exeter (UK) breaks night Beatz & Bobz. Unlike most mixed CDs nowadays, it's not strictly one style (yawn!) but runs the gamut of breakbeat styles. After kicking things off nicely with the groovy "Shoe Monkey" by Functional Breaks' own Spoon Wizard, Darren leads us past breakbeat garage from Stanton Warriors, funky breakbeats from Rennie Pilgrem, and progressive breaks from Starecase and Silken. There are nu skool selections from Phantom Beats and Deeper Cover and Florida breaks courtesy of Funk Lab. Even some funky 4/4 beats are mixed in for a total of 13 well-chosen tracks both familiar and obscure. Top effort from Darren!
BPM (USA)

For the breakbeat junkies we have a great mix CD called Beatz and Bobz Vol. 1. Titled after the successful UK club night of the same name, Beatz and Bobz showcases some of the best breaks and beats from resident DJ Darren Chapman- who just finished a quick mini tour of the states, demonstrating the fast-growing resurgence of breakbeats in the UK.

Overload Magazine (UK)

A chunky mix from the resident of Exeter's 'Beatz and Bobz' night that will sit snugly into the sound-systems of rozzer-dodging suburban B-boys everywhere. The enthusiasm is compelling, the production super-clean and the homeland somewhere between hip-hop, pop, house and happy hardcore (!). It's definitely not my cup of tea but I can't knock it as a mix CD. Some dodgy 18 year old kids are gonna get their rocks off to this and the world will be a better place for it.

PureDM .com (Web)

Hip-gyrating, technoid-textured invigorating mix from new label... Exeter, Southwest England, is not the kind of place you'd expect to find a thriving breaks scene. The Beatz & Bobz night at the Cavern Club has, however, firmly placed the serious business of breaks centre-stage in the area's busy underground party scene. This mix by resident DJ Darren Chapman is the debut album for local label Functional Breaks and follows a run of quality singles this year. Chapman certainly doesn't let the city down, by putting in a spectacular decks performance, which squeezes the best out of a largely breakbeat and electro selection. Functional Breaks' own Spoon Wizard starts the show. The duo's 'Show Monkey' features a wise-cracking MC vocal over a looping acid breakbeat. Then the tempo quickens and the texture thickens before we're into Rennie Pilgrim's Philly soul-sampling classic 'Some Funky Place'. With no obvious place for a break to snap, Chapman finds the perfect moment to go 4/4, slamming into Jacob London's lush, intense 'Stop Looking At Me'. Oddly the mix slopes off into a corner - losing any breaks-dancers out there - before coming up for air at Spoon Wizard's technoid, hip-gyrating 'Pantaloon. Chapman finishes off with Deeper Cover's retro electro flourish - a little bit of cutesy vocal to seal a snapping, earful of invigorating beatz.

Beatfield South Africa (Web)
Darren Chapman is da man - this CD totally rocks. 13 awesome tracks showing the wide range that nu skool offers, and they're all mixed tighter than a gnat's ass. Some of the tracks include Stanton Warriors' "Da Virus", as well as Boundarie Hunters, Silken, Deep Cover, Rennie Pilgrem, and more. Massive respect for this one, a must have.
TDB Magazine (UK)
TDB Album of the Month Mixed By Darren Chapman Ooh er, I like this, it's good it is and not only because it's got Tarball & Lungbutter's Looking down at Snake Canyon on it. It also features Spoon Wizard, Rennie Pilgrim, Bod and Phantom Beats.
IDJ Magazine (UK)
A pretty solid collection of tunes, which celebrates one of the South West's longest running beatnights. Mixed by Darren Chapman, it hits on the hard-edged stuff. There's the Label's own Spoon Wizard, break steppers Stanton Warriors, Rennie Pilgrim and Phantom Beats, all of whom are nicely packaged to bring a bit of the night into the listeners.
24/7 Magazine (UK)
This is good mix of dense friendly breakbeat that would excite any dancefloor, I am very impressed with the tunes which are coming from Exeter on the Functional Breaks Label. Highly recommended for the beat heads.
Mixer Mag (USA)
There's no disputing that the rising popularity of breakbeat in the UK will bring new stars behind the decks. With "Beatz and Bobz," the first compilation CD from UK label Functional Breaks, Darren Chapman is placing himself in position to be one of those new stars. Beginning with the Spoon Wizard's "Shoe Monkey," a mellow new school track with a playful rap, Darren sends the listener on their way through a musical trip through funky and progressive breaks with a little tech-house/trance thrown in. The beginning of the mix shows that Darren knows how to pull the crowd onto a dance floor with energetic tracks like Rennie Pilgrem's "Some Place Funky," and The Stanton Warriors "Virus." However, the mix really kicks into gear following Chapman's drop into Funklab's "Manana" and his emergence into progressive breaks by the likes of Phantom Beats, Starecase, and Deep Cover. During the latter portion of "Beatz and Bobz" Chapman seems to slip into his comfort zone and the songs blend seemlessly into one another. The only time the progression of the CD wavers is when it moves into a 4/4 beat, which breaks up the continuity of the mix. This only happens at the end of two separate builds and it isn't something that disrupts the listener too greatly, rather it symbolizes a change in energy. "Beatz and Bobz" is Darren Chapman's first mixed CD outing and the result makes it no surprise that he has opened nights for all the major players of the UK breaks scene, including DJ Hyper, Rennie Pilgrem, and Adam Freeland. 8
DJ Mixed.com (Web)
After playing to hundreds of heads at Exeter’s Cavern Club, resident DJ Darren Chapman has compiled a straightforward, 13-cut album that highlights his favorite tunes during the summer of 2000. While it’s promoted as a breaks project, Chapman does a good job of peppering it with enough four-on-the-floor to keep the vibe up and banging. There’s also a fair bit of melody in both Spoon Wizard tracks, giving the album a little something for the rollers in the crowd to muse on before crushing beats from Rennie Pilgrim and Phanton Beats invade the mix. Thankfully, U.K. breakbeat artists put out enough quality stuff to keep their peers from slacking off. Maybe a few stateside producers could benefit from a trip across the Atlantic. (Richard Thomas)