UK’s Dom Hoare and Andy Gillham went to school together, initially meeting as members of the school orchestra. Their friendship grew, and they became influenced by the music of the time, which were Kraftwerk and the Street Sounds Electro compilations. The albums became a catalyst for the pair to decamp to a shed with a ZX Spectrum computer, tape deck, and a basic synthesizer to try and replicate that sound. These early efforts inspired them to become entrenched in the rave scene of the late 80s; they even hosted their own parties, and promoted others too. After a few ‘lost’ years, Hoare and Gillham became regulars at Goldie’s ‘Metalheadz’ sessions at the Blue Note in east London. In the mid- to late 90s they set up a studio in Kent to create their own drum ‘n’ bass music and travelled around the country doing live shows with an MC in tow. This latest incarnation slowly faded away, and they returned to London to promote parties, mainly in the techno and breakbeat scenes. In 2004 the duo decided to plug their machines back in and begin creating their own breakbeat sound. By the following year Hoare and Gillham had perfected a ‘live’ sound, and, much like their forerunners Orbital, they decided they needed a visual element, and got Mach V (b. Mark van der Vord) onboard. After two years of celebrated shows at parties around the UK and Europe, the duo released their debut album as Echaskech. The resulting Skechbook ably took the baton from the recently retired Orbital, with an additional dose of funky breakbeats.