Breakage has really set himself up for a punchline with the title of his first single, "Treading Water", from his upcoming third album, When The Night Comes. But thankfully there's no need to make any painfully bad puns because producer James Boyle has delivered an inventive and surprising take on dubstep and drum and bass that suggests anything but complacency. "Treading Water" boldly does away with any percussive backing in favour of oppressive sub-bass punctuated by crystalline synths and Detour City's ghostly vocals.As Boyle himself explains: "I wanted to do a track with an infinite breakdown/build up. A lot of the time, I find the "drop", or when all the elements actually come together, can either get way too aggressive or be rather underwhelming. So I decided to do away with it all together". So there you have it, "Treading Water" might well be the moment that marks the B.C. and A.D. of the drop.
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"Treading Water" is out December 1st on Shy FX's Digital Soundboy label. Until then you can check out Breakage on Twitter and Facebook.