There is an interesting sub-culture among hip-hop fans, one that s mission is to unearth every sample used by their dream team of producers, from Erick Sermon to DJ Shadow to Showbiz to the Dust Brothers. Where the obsession comes from, most likely stems from the fact that hip-hop music was birthed upon the doubling up of funk and disco breaks, such as “Good Times”. But it’s deeper than simply just finding the sample that Diamond used for “That’s That Shit”. The crate-digger’s ambition is to recreate that era, either for their own personal entertainment, or as the soundtrack for today’s b-boys. Not to mention the sheer bragging rights of finding a “Cramp Your Style” 45, then casually spinning it at your next gig. That’s enough to get Miles Tackett knocking at your door.

Dr. Tackett is in fact one of these types, as you can tell by listening to his nine-man funk ensemble, The Breakestra. My mind was blown the first time I saw them perform at an Urb Magazine party in 1999. Not being a hardcore follower of breaks, like many of my peers, I was unsure that I would be able to fully appreciate their sound, mainly because I don’t study 45′s quite as hard. But the experience was incredible. The band flawlessly recreated samples from all of my favorite hip-hop songs, and like a great DJ, was in and out of each track in under 60 seconds, never losing momentum, or the crowd’s attention. Left and right familiar sounds from who knows where were hitting my ears, and just as I remember “Oh shit! Redman sampled that!”, the next break comes in, leaving me scrambling to identify it.

This was even better than listening to DJ John Doe spin his collection of impossible-to-find funk 45′s, simply because it was live. The minor popping sound of a dusty 7-inch was gone. The sound had been recreated flawlessly, but in no way disrespected the originals, but instead honored them. It was like being in a different era.

Which is why The Live Mix Volume Two is such a masterpiece. Following the Japanese release of the first volume, (which is equally satisfying) this album is simply The Breakestra’s performance – a “live mix-tape”, if you will. The most beautiful thing about it is that it’s not pretentious, by getting so obscure with its selections that the average head gets bored in the middle of it. It caters directly to the hip-hop listener by structuring the playlist like a DJ would, playing the familiar break, and then moving on to the next one. 45 minutes of non-stop funk, with Mixmaster Wolf as your narrator.

Whether you are the bookworm crate fiend, or just an everyday fan of hip-hop music, the Breakestra’s The Live Mix Volume Two is an essential listen for both parties, as everyone will appreciate this album. It’s an incredible piece of work, that’s only flaw is that it leaves your mouth watering for The Live Mix Vol. 3.