Tech Styles 8 was one of the greatest breakin/hip hop events ever to hit the city of Bradford. For us it was a dream and something we had been working towards for a very long time. It took things to a whole new level for the bboys, bgirls and the community in the city and was a real celebration of local, national and international creativity, talent and skill. Some of the best dancers in our city were joined by world renowned breakers from Immigrandz crew (Bordeaux), UK Legend ‘Lil Tim’ and the well-respected bboy and social media star, Beast Boogie from Havikoro Crew (Houston, Texas) as well as many other amazing artists in the breaking (breakdance) scene.
The Hip Hop Collective also featured amazing music artists from Bradford, Femi and Kemi who wowed the audience with their original tracks. They both have a unique sound and they collaborated together for the final track of the night which was truly a moment to witness. They are incredible female artists, and we hope for them to have massive success in both their music careers. We were also joined by the one and only 3E productions, Musicarl and Blackbelt Jones. These DJs/turntablist have supported Tech Styles from very early on in our journey and it would not be the same without them, they bring an awesome vibe through the music they play and they help create a positive energy throughout the jam. 3E Productions were also joined by the legendary DJ Rasp and it was so good to have him represent once again in the city.
Having Immigrandz in the city of Bradford was a great exchange as Clean North had visited Bordeaux earlier in the year and it was fantastic to hear that they like the city and felt at home during their stay. Their battle level was impressive and they really brought the fire, taking the B.Tactical crew final against Bradford’s very own premier crew Clean North, who were also on top form. Congratulations to Immigrandz and also to our other winners during the event Hazza D & Lil Mega for taking the 2v2 battle in style. Thank you to the amazing judging from Bboy Sheku, Bgirl Kimie, Bboy Marius, Lil Tim and Beast Boogie. The people’s choice award for the Graffiti Battlex was FiVEZ. His piece was a work of art, using shapes and tones to create a striking bboy portrait. All the graffiti artists were incredibly talented and had distinctive styles. This portion of the event was a real highlight for sure.
Whilst on his visit as a judge, Beast Boogie also decided to collaborate with us to make some of his signature tutorials with the members of Clean North and they got a massive response on Instagram and TikTok. One of the tutorials featuring Fox and Labyrinth is well on its way to 1 Million views. It was great to see his fun energy and dedication to his artform and work. The knowledge and skills he shared through the conversations, his guest talk and the workshops, will help the future generations of breakers within Bradford and the UK. As well as hosting alongside the one and only 10Tonn from Leeds, Captain SugarRush also gave a heartfelt and honest talk about his career/journey and gave caution to choosing the right path and life choices, which will definitely help the dancers within the community to take more time to think and assess their direction. We are very grateful to both these artists for their time and expertise.
The –Special Ops– Award.
Battles are of great importance in hip hop culture across all the elements, however there is something that speaks to every artist and that’s being dope! You can win, lose or draw but if you represent well, no one can take that away from you. This is the essence of street culture to represent yourself, your crew, your city and your style. Thank God this is Hip Hop! We try to maintain this belief and hold onto the values of hip hop. At Tech Styles we want to reward bboys or bgirls who show exceptional character and skill during our events through our Special Ops award. This can go to any bboy or bgirl who brought the fire to the event by inspiring people around them and pushing the level.
This year’s Tech Styles 8 Special Ops winner is none other than ROMARJO!!. This was Romarjo’s first time at Tech Styles and his presence was definitely felt throughout not just the battles but the cyphers too. Both things are important in order to receive this award at Tech Styles. It’s never just about the battles and how far you reach in them, it’s about your impact on the floor and the impression you leave people with after the event. Romarjo took his time on the floor, making every moment count, dropping signatures and surprising the crowd with his movements. He possesses a rare trait amongst breakers with his ability to make you smile & laugh due to his playfulness and responses midst battle.
He was always in tune with what was going on around him, always present. This is an excellent quality to have as a dancer. When we returned to our community classes after the event, students & parents were wondering who this Bboy was! Now you know, Romarjo is one to watch. We hope to see more of this Bboy in the future!! Please show some love to the Tech Styles 8 Special Ops winner ROMARJO!!
We have to give a massive thank you to all the Tech Styles team and everyone involved. We have to thank Luke Uber Hogan with his incredible filming skills, the fresh new promo is out and we are very excited to share that with you check out the recap video below. All the battles are filmed on the Tranquil Productions YouTube Channel check out the link below. Thank you also to the Fountains church team for helping to bring the event together, along with Raven Staging. Thank you to Cultural Flava for catering the amazing food that we were able to provide for our audiences. Tranquil Productions Tech Styles 8 Battle Playlist & Tech Styles 8 Promo
Big Shout out to Kasper Trilby Photography for joining us for the first time. It was great to see how much effort and time he took to get the best images possible. All of the photographs can be viewed on our Facebook Page and some of his photos are featured throughout the post. As an added bonus we have some amazing film shots taken by director Lloyd Tranquil Thompson for the blog, capturing some special moments from the event.
FILM SHOTS
Lastly thank you to all of our invited artists and the bboys and bgirls who came to battle, plus the audiences who brought a great energy to the room and made the event as hype as possible. Thank you to the families, parents and individuals who all came and experienced another moment in Bradford’s history. Thank you to Arts Council England and The Festivals Fund from Bradford Council, it is greatly appreciated.
We hope to see you at the next Tech Styles, thank you for your support.
