Soul Sinners are new comers to dubstar records, lots of big things forthcoming from these guys deffo ones to watch, this one getting battered by N-Type, Walshy & Kromestar to name just a few!
As a seductive taster and spectral glimpse of the forthcoming King Midas Sound full length, 'Dub Heavy - Hearts And Ghosts' is an EP of three of that album's tracks dubbed into new alien versions. King Midas Sound is the duo of Kevin Martin, known for his groundbreaking work over the last decade as The Bug, teamed with Roger Robinson, reputed writer and spoken word performer. The pair first worked together in 2003 on The Bug's 'Pressure' album, but within these King Midas grooves, the visceral drive characteristic of The Bug's fevered sound is replaced by deeper core energies, and graced with Robinson's gentle soul lilt, the combination is blissfully, crushingly powerful. On these tunes, song structure and vocal are intoxicated with unsettling fx and consumed with reverb, pressing the music into haunting and unfamiliar territory. 'I Dub' marries booming bass and gaseous echo to grime hand-claps and a tense chilling melody. Centrepiece 'Ting Dub' fuses ominous distant sirens, shifting vocal streams, decelerated hip hop boom bap and a geologic subsonic rumble into a wraith-like miasma, while on 'Too Long Dub', the sinister chiming pendulum motif and decaying vocals dissolve into a delirious haze of toxic audio reflections. Burning like an endless fuse, this special release will be available only for a limited period, pressed on high grade 180g heavy guage vinyl, and is also Hyperdub's first ever individually artworked 12", housed in a photo jacket with gold-embossed detail.
UK dance legend Zed Bias returns to head up a distinctly roots infused fourth release on his Sidestepper label. Hooking up with long time friend MC Fox, 'Seeds' twins Zed's bass driven, steppers riddim with catchy retro flavoured toasting. Its simplicity and vocal hook is almost impossible to get out of your head once tasted. On the flipside we find 'Dub Spot Riddim', a smoky dubstep burner built specially for Zed's club residency at Dub Spot in Manchester. Its deep sub-sonics and striped down vibe will no doubt please the fans of Digital Mystiks and Loefah while rumbling many a sound system worldwide.
The second vinyl outing from the inimitable Trouble & Bass empire comes from Nottingham's Blackfinger, who has recently been producing some of the best underground UK-style garage, bassline, dubstep and funky that's coming out of this island right now. He's already made a name with his 2007 hit 'Mistreated' on Rossi B and Luca's More 2 Da Floor label, and has also remixed Trouble & Bass artists Little Jinder, Rebecca Knight, Ramzi and more. The EP's title cut 'Fearless' is a full-on collision of firing Bmore breaks, tear-out bassline energy and wobbly dubsteppism that's tailor-made for club murderation, followed by four diverse diversions on 'UMF (Up Middle Finger)', lead out by Blackfinger's original take, a stroppy and demanding exercise in idioitically simplistic sub-bass and 4/4 beat looping. Stepping up on 'UMF' remix duties are HeavyFeet, Supra 1 and DZ. Manchester's HeavyFeet come strong with a bass-laden electro house remix similar in style to Sinden or Herve, hard on the vocal edits, even harder on the kick drum. Supra1's rub mixes elements of funky house, bassline and soul into a more smoothed out and rolling version, and then putting the tin lid on it DZ drops a huge high-impact dubstep excursion. If Reso's 'Can't Beat Em' struck you as a little deep, then Blackfinger is your new best friend, and a name you'll be hearing hear more and more of in 2009.
This dubstep / grime / 4x4 / garage EP first dropped in October last year, laying down a clear marker for the varied styles which Frijsfo Beats was set up to support. Writing in The Wire, the Bass Generation's verbal blade Joe Muggs opined "Over recent years, a fertile territory is opening up where current bass music and the free party scene intersect, drawing from Grime, DJ Trace style dark Techstep, Vex'd at their most melodramatic and the sharper edges of breakbeat honed by Tipper and Amon Tobin. Labels like Blackmass Plastics have staked claims here, and now so is Bristol/Cambridge enterprise Frijsfo, with big, glossy Blade Runner-style tracks from Chav & Dave and Innasekt. More interesting, though, is the flickering, skittering Boxcutter-like unfolding narrative of Lewis Hunter's 'Cut From The Wreckage' in which bass thrums and breakbeat flutters surge in and out of existence like ghostly electrical storms. But the real prize here is Yapsta's 'Zoompy Riddum', which foregrounds the retro-rave strategies innate in current Bassline House, bringing out a womblike warmth with ecstatic pads and voices but avoiding becoming too cuddly by retaining Bassline's brisk bass-warping and threatening detuned arcade bleeps."
Frijsfo Beats welcomes on board electronic music hero Ed DMX, aka DMX Krew. Ed offers a new kind of treat from the archives, fusing two-step swing and spacious dubstep rhythms with his immediately recognisable analogue electro style. Although the material on this four-track EP dates from 2003-4 and has been quietly maturing on Ed's hard-drive since then, now is the right time for these atmospheric tracks to see the light of day, with the demand in the dubstep community and beyond for fresh takes on post-garage bass-drenched electro music never higher. Fans will know EDMX from his prolific output on Rephlex, Breakin' and a wealth of other labels, and his ability to mutate a Detroitesque electro sound into sick hybrid forms is something he's ably proven again and again. An instant sell-out on first release back at the start of February, now repressed for all those who still need to pick it up.
Dev79 has been smacking it out for almost 10 years with an unparalled hunger for that fresh good and lo-freek vibe. His numerous releases have dropped on labels like Slit Jockey and Dead Homies, and his ruckus DJ sets are famed for keeping dancefloors raw and sweaty with a unique blend of bassline, hip hop, grime, electro, and dubstep. Along with The Mayor Of Starktown aka Starkey he invented the sonically-demented 'Street Bass Anthems' mix CD series, and his signature track 'In Ya Face' is often referred to as the first to fully identify Starkey & Dev79's patented Street Bass sound. It's been doing serious club damage on dubplate for the longest times, getting spins on their Philly home turf and beyond from the likes of local big hitters AC Slater, Dirty South Joe and Sharkslayer for over a year now. Finally hitting the streets on banging vinyl on Starkey's own Seclusiasis imprint, 'In Ya Face' is power packed with remixes from Edu K, Pharaoh & Peach (of Todosantos), Egyptrixx, and Willy Joy. The original version of this xtra-heavy tune starts out with a throbbing and lurching rhythm to set the mood before the full on 4x4 dancefloor action kicks in with cut-up girl rapping the title hook. Brazil's wildman producer, MC, DJ and Diplo-collaborator Edu K turns out a raved up jackin' house mix that breaks down into a crunked tempo switch. Venezuelan Pharaoh drops a slab of dub weight on the people, with some help from his Todosantos band mate Peach on keyboards. Thick synths and a nicely developed composition make this a standout, and definitely the cut the dubsteppah heads are getting hype for. Finally, Toronto's up-and-coming producer Egyptrixx delivers a big electro re-work sure to keep the fists pumping and bodies gyrating.
Placed among the top strata of bass music practitioners in San Francisco, Djunya's growing outernational repute, fuelled by previous outings on Mode, Narco.Hz and Eight FX, is primed to flare up with the release of his contribution to the ever-expanding collection of free radicals that is the LoDubs wax catalogue. 'Elevate' is a sprawling gem of a track, which manages to run with a certain ferocity without being derivitive, carrying its weight above a chassis of pronounced yet un-heavy-handed funky driving breakstep. By adding what is natural to such realms, principally thick layers of keys and rolling bass threads with a purely optimistic feel, 'Elevate' seems to conjure up a largely hidden aspect of the spectrum of dubstep, with a lightness of decorative touch and hazily sun-drenched atmosphere that places it in similar orbit to LD's ambitious 'Traumatic Times', just around the corner on Hyperdub. With all elements of 'Elevate' so perfectly matched, finding an emulatory partner for the flipside would be an exercise in futility, so an alternative view of Djunya's soundworld is offered by the beautiful piece of subterranean ambience known as 'Puja Karna Sangit'. No less evocative in its own way, it expands and disperses like an indirect answer to the question of what Muslimgauze might be creating today in response the new movements in low end psychedelia, with Skull Disco-influenced percussive currents seeming somehow to pulse half-hidden beneath the waves of bass, like the detailed movements of single fish within the shoal's vast rolling morphing mass.
Inspired by the feeling that the current dubstep scene has drifted too far from the real dubwise spirit that pioneering crews like DMZ and Horsepower Productions used as their starting point, new Lyon label Airflex Labs exists to release music born out of a longlasting love of bass, with the hope of contributing to a global post-dub unity in the dance. Their first release is a standard-bearer for the twinned dub and dance aspects of this philosophy, keeping a clear distance from the raging wars of ultra-wobbled-mega-synths, with melody and narrative given prominence to generate equal pleasure either in the mix or on the stereo. Veteran French electronic & dub producer Led Piperz offers gritty and forward-looking bass for the floor with 'Aerial', built around a thudding but complex perpetual motion break that doesn't follow the rules, so be warned, it's not one for the warm-up session. With echoes of the syncopated spaces of drum & bass, this rich rythmic and melodic cut is sure to be a fixture in the clubs for months to come. Conversely, as it's title suggests, 'Otherside Dub' places dub dynamics at the fore, with hymnal rastaman vocal loops, intricate bass layerings, raw snares and uncompromised musical variations, all driven by an awesome low-end engine. 'Otherside Remix (Earth Is My Spaceship)' is Boxcutter's stone in the massive wall of sound Airflex Labs aims to construct block by block. His spacey, lush and dynamic remix of 'Otherside Dub' is rootical proof that the best of today's sound is made by those wise enough to keep the past in mind. Although the track will also appear on his new Planet Mu CD, this 12" is the only place where it will be located on vinyl.
Intention & Rare Dynamic have hit the Dubstep scene running with a series of releases in late 2008 and more coming in 2009. Their fresh new sound has perked up plenty of ears over the last few months. With media hype at an all time high the man on the street left to wonder "who are these guys?" ... "where did they come from?" ... "how do they make such sick beats?", the pair are sure to make some ripples in the scene during the upcoming year. With first release "Licensed To Dub" on Lickthewrap records kicking up a storm on the digital download scene. The pair quickly followed this up with "Butchers Row", Rare Dynamic mixed things up a bit with the next release "Il Padrino" all now released on our favorite format. Surely a must for your collection?
On the seventh release on this imprint, L-Wiz starts precedings with 'Must', a deeper more musical number which will take your mind on a trip thru time. Subeena comes with 'Transient', a darker rolling track which is a dancefloor stepper skipping beats paired with some crazy samples to good effect. Fiab's final track 'Broken Mirror' (Innasekt remix) adds to the darkness felt on the previous two, where moody effects and big beats take control with growling baselines to take you to the darkside.
Alongside Burial, Skream, Benga & Rusko, Caspa is a key part of the first wave of UK dubstep stars, not only as a producer, artist and DJ, but also pushing the boundaries & setting the standards.
Three killer cuts here from the mighty pairing that is Reso & ID, this one undoubtedly the finset Smokin Sessions yet with the standout track being "Shifty" by a mile. This ones got more bounce to it than a bouncy castle!
P&S drop #2 in their "unofficial" blend series. All about the dub and not so much the step, this limited bass burster is built from old-school JA dub beats sampled from Prince Far-I, paired with a vocal lifted from The Four Tops' R&B classic 'Still Waters Run Deep'. Rumbly and Rastafaried for maximum dub damage, with a stripped and stroked "Non-U" remix on the flip. Smoke 'em if you got 'em. Short run pressing on hand stamped white label wax.
Four track EP of clear musical contrasts, united by an equally clear passion for the power of low end. A-side brings two doses of woofer-beating vibes from Planet Mu's Texan representative Parson, kicking off with 'Invasion', a superheavyweight block of dark rolling basslines, earth-shaking sub-tones and immense beats. 'Night Of The Hunter' steps onto more metallic and atmospheric ground, driven by a ramping-up bass pulse and intricate offbeat rhythms, while strange sci-fi effects and a disembodied voice intoning "the soul remains evil" create an effect not unlike Shackleton's 'Blood On My Hands' on performance enhancing drugs. On the flip, newcomer Fragile balances Parson's thunderous pressure with a pair of cuts which, although with a deeper and more melodic feel, are still straining under the weight of their low frequency oscillations. 'Infinity' uses delicate Burial-esque filtered voice samples, echoing flute loops, an insistent snare rattle and simple synth figures to decorate a subtly evocative tune which sweeps along on shuddering ultrabass waves. The kind of track made to bring a moment of jawdropping astonishment to the dance before the crowd plunges right back into the enveloping sublow waters. Last, 'Into The Night' glides in on 2-step rhythms and a retro Metalheadz feel in its use of timestretched and delayed female vocals, laying out a funky-style template for a futuristic dubstep roller characterised by a prowling bassline which drops in and out of the mix to create a dynamic dancefloor tune.
Fronted by the increasingly-accliamed Luca Venezia aka Drop The Lime, the renowned Trouble & Bass Recordings have existed for the last couple of years as a digital-only label, but now they're back in the needle-to-groove business in none-more-emphatic fashion. First strike in their bid for growling bass domination in 2009 comes from Manchester's dubious Baobinga, who bursts in with an explosive bassline track featuring Detroit's legendary ghettotech producer DJ Nasty on vocals. 'State Of Ghetto Jackin' has already been used on Freq Nasty's FabricLive Mix (selected by DJ Mag as the 'Mint Track' of the whole set), and word is out all over about this hammering cut. Remixes come from Dave Nada, Baltimore producer extraordinaire and one half of Dubsided's Nadastrom, and TRG from Croatia, one of the biggest names to watch in dubstep. Nada thrashes out a glossy full-beam fidgety hot club refix which will drive the most nuts crowd even nutsier, while TRG brings his style of carumba drum patterns mixed with high density bass bounce which comes over like a bruising rethink of the funky sound. Three tracks with more than enough noise and rhythm to shatter the floor at any dance. Essential purchase.
The Bass Has Left The Building' is the long-awaited sequel to Disrupt's debut album 'Foundation Bit', which appeared on the wonderful Werk Discs in 2007 and quickly became one of the classic works of modern bass culture. On this new epic voyage Disrupt pushes the genre boundaries of 8Bit-ChipHop, roots dub and old-school gaming soundtracks into one big swirling black hole of low end mayhem. Raw, ultra-shuffling drum machine action and re-wired skanks create the gateway for a mind bending reference network of retro-SciFi movies, arcade classics and dub soundscapes in infinite loop mode.
Black Sun' started life as a ceremonially torched copy of The Sun newspaper and ended up as a weirdly euphoric, smeared synth workout that Kode9 has been mixing in his recent "funky" sets. Wavering and pitch-bent tones wind their way around a broken rhythm, while the bassline bubbles manically from beneath. '2 Far Gone', on the flip, similarly sends recent strains of UK house rhythm into modulating analogue drone. Sounds like 9's been drinking acid rain. Whatever this is, we're not sure where it came from and don't quite have words to describe it yet. Nor do we need them.
Following on from the release of the prodigiously talented Wagawaga's 'Goodbye Greens' EP, the new Imminent (formerly Immigrant) Recordings outing showcases the musical gifts of label co-owner Subeena, featuring three of her indomitable productions, including a track with Portuguese female MC Violet, alongside a remix of genre bending Mexican producer Pepepe, all of which have been greeted with widespread acclaim in both virtual and real worlds.
Awash with echoing dub effects and deejay shouts, 'Bad Mind' fights a running three-way battle between rattling percussion, huge rolling sub-bass, and a righteous steppah swing. Flipside 'Clash' is another dark destroyer, first heard on 'Analog Clash' and now here on vinyl for the first time. Warrior-Charging horns establish a dread landscape across which pummeling bass, minimal beats, and spaced-out effects make for a superheavyweight rootical groove. The bigger they come, the harder they drop, and you won't find too many larger than these Hoodz.
For the past few years, Nottingham's Wigflex night in has made clued up ravers jump and twist to some of the weirdest, most fucked up and cutting edge electronic music around. The Wigflex ethos is essentially "keep it unpredictable (and fun)", with a soundtrack ranging from dubstep, tech haus and techno to bleep hop, wonky bumps and, well, pretty much anything else. That unpredictability has been carried over brilliantly into this EP. Check it out!
The first of a string of new releases for the early part of the year from the always erudite and adventurous LoDubs, this 12" guns the engine with a bit of hybrid action, and marks the return of Toronto's own Bombaman. As with his refixing of Solvent's 'Think Like Us', the first release on the bespoke LoDubs Special Request imprint last year, the styles touched upon here are instantly relevant, and at the same time offer a new and alternative sonic combination. Taking source material from Toronto synth/disco/house production and DJ duo Syntonics, 'Material' opens up with a mighty, shuffling piece of genius, towed forward by a monstrous, oozing bassline. However, the backing rhythm and its stilted shuffling cacophany of drums may remind many of something more in the backyard of DJ Assault crossed with Herbert on a caffeinated day, rather than the 4-beat dubstep son du jour. If you really have to, call it Funky and make it a stepping-stone across the ever-decreasing gap over which dubstep and bassline stares longingly at b-more club and fidgety house sounds. Completing a perfect pair, another Syntonics remix 'Rock Tonight' arrives at lower velocity but arguably more aggressively, following an open drum signature which allows for a high-meets-low frequency interplay that when properly amplified almost seems to make the air wiggle in front of your face, like a hot day in Arizona. Yes, it wobbles, but like the Earth's crust does after faultline displacement.
The incomparable 6Blocc drops some heavyweight science from his secret stash of personal dubs. Soundsystem-tested by the man himself, and sought after by scenesters the world over, these four tracks have already been out and in high demand via his Digital 6 label on download only, but now here's your chance to grab them (some in re-versioned form) on limited vinyl release. Each cut resonates with the trademark 6Blocc badboy bass quake and dirty ragga junglist influences. 'Boom' is all about a monstrous kick drum thud and none-more-massive jumping sub-bass, flavoured with raw-throated emcee call outs. 'Buddy Buddy' winds up the dance like The Bug in timestretched vengeful mood on a heavy steppah rhythm and stomping pneumatic bassline. 'Shine U Gun Remix' is a thoroughly corrupted and abused interpretation of rootical dancehall, and one that could easily find part-time work in the demolition business. Finally, 'The Burning Dub' is a dubstep devastator that will reduce even the most armour-plated rig to smouldering wreckage.
Some of you may not be familiar with the sound of this fresh new talent, but Kutz has been a busy bee deep in the studio producing tunes for some years now, some of which have been co-produced alongside his buddies Skream and Benga.
This is the second of two 12" from Kutz on Soul Jazz Records. 'Travelling' is a massive party banger with a heavy rolling hypnotic bassline, and not forgetting the B side, 'Static' is not one to be overlooked, massive shuddering bass bin trembler.
Kicking off part 5 of the series are Dub Police regulars. The Others with one serious riddim in 'Everybody Do The Superskank'. Bone crushing, mechanical beats and snarling basslines are in order with eerie soundscapes and a super catchy synth. Guaranteed to tear down any dance - think Robocop on steroids. L-Wiz, Dub Police's answer to Abba - yet again manage to deliver an absolutely mind blowing and spine tingling track, that will send tingles down your spine. 'Amy Diamond' is carried along by a loose beat, warm bass, and beautiful synths and melodies in typical mesmerising L-Wiz fashion. Scandinavian counterparts Dubwoofa round off the EP with the seriously dark 'Nightmares', which makes black metal sound like nursery rhymes with its erie soundscapes, tribal beats, dark warping bass and hints of atmospheric pianos.
A talented musician in his own right, respected Brooklyn-based producer Kotchy is fast forging a reputation based on combining great song writing and stunning production with inspired results. Crunk, funk and soul, 'Sing What You Want' is Kotchy's slick second single. His groove, beats and captivating vocals deliver a slip-hop affair with a top line that oozes style, as clipped out beats are laced with synth leads, melody and a vintage NYC feel. On the remix, bass wizard Rusko replaces his trademark LFO basslines with a happy, feel good version, influenced by his love of Skwee, the new synth-pop sound coming out of Scandinavia. Next up, MRK1, one of the originators of the dubstep sound and producer of Planet Mu's Virus Syndicate, delivers a dance floor destroyer remix that's already getting rewinds by the boatload, with his signature beats and electrobass sequences dominating a mix that retains the beauty and adds the beast. By contrast, the engaging and anthemic 'One For The Money' has a melancholy nostalgic feel. Heartfelt vocals, eloquent cuts and samples intertwine while Kotchy shows his prodigious talent with his drum kit. Slower and woozier but no less detailed, this is intelligent, deconstructive, dub-conscious dance music. Starkey's refix delivers an audio delight that licks the whole inside of your ear and morphs into a dancefloor cluster bomb. Wonky pitch-bent synths and acid drenched bass spatter the track as it strips ever-downwards on a ne-way ride down into jacksville. Press, radio and club support for Kotchy and these new mixes is growing by the minute, making this 12" an undeniable must for the bass generation.
Oh yes - with some all new pressure to kick off the nought-nine, Disrupt is back on the joysticks and having another go on the sub-bass highscore with these two fresh robo-skanking low-end belters. 'Berzerk Dub' is a raw elektro-dub joint in the 80s spirit, driven by a simple drum machine beat, straight-up heavy heavy bass, and spooky robot chatter. The tune also salutes Berzerk, the 1980 arcade game which was the first ever to use speech-synthesis, and at the same time pays tribute to Peter Burkowski, the first person die (of a heart attack in 1982) while playing a computer game, you guessed it, he was on Berzerk at the time. On the flip, 'Echobombing' is self-explanitory... an ultra-heavy bass, set to bomb any floor, riding a hip hop beatbox and some rough 8bit-skanks, with plenty of surprising turns and twists along the way. Always pushing the dub sound onwards with fresh ideas and equal amounts of dirty heaviness and a good dose of humour, there's no end in sight for future Disrupt goodness. Both tracks are utterly exclusively new and a rapid sell-out is certain. Mastered for maximum effect at Berlin's Dubplate & Mastering, this 7" is limited to 700 copies.
12th Planet ft. Howard Marks / Define ft. Howard Marks
Title:
Spliff Politics / 48 Hours
Label:
Subconscious
The first release on new label Subconscious is a "future soca dubstep beat" from 12th Planet featuring the notorious Howard Marks, backed with the just as impressive '48 Hours' from Define and again featuring Howard Marks, with a memorable hook leading into a rolling drums and a heavy bassline with sharp bass stabs. This first single sets the mood for the label to be a collaboration crossover imprint, catering to distinct and various audiences. Getting heavy support and airplay from the likes of Hijak, Hatcha, Rusko, Bun Zero, Nick Argon, Markle, Oneman & ASBO, Pawn, Emu, Bombaman, XI and Lukki.
Martyn is one of the new stars of dubstep, having almost single-handedly started a 2-step revival and released some of the most sought after music of 2008 on his own 3024 label. One half of influential dubstep innovators Vex'd, Jamie has recently been working alone, and this is the first of his solo productions to be released.
With a debut EP boasting four journeys into rumbling, echoing, haunted dancehall minimalism, each known by a five-figure code number rather than a name, low frequency newcomer Spatial is one of a growing band of post-Burial producers whose attention to evocative detail in their music is as great as their reluctance to self-promote. "Here's my sound" they seem to say "and that's all I need to tell you." In some hands this anti-stance could be massaged into an attention-diverting image in itself, but Spatial makes a compelling case for the virtues of less versus more and may well have produced one of 2009's most essential dubstep releases, right at the start of the year. Joe Muggs' review in The Wire tells it like this - 2008's clearest trend in dubstep is "future garage", a technologically-enhanced re-imagining of the sound's 2-step origins by Martyn, 2562, Ramadanman & co. On his debut productions, Londoner Spatial could have risked simply reworking this new formula: the microhouse clicks, Basic Channel washes and clean subs are certainly present and correct, However his understanding of original UK garage's clipped shuffle, snappy woodblock hits and compressed emotion goes way beyond pastiche, and the incorporation of older rave elements like '80723's Detroit strings and riffs and '80207's contrast between cushioning alto vocal samples and sharp stabs creates a distinctive sound world. Most of all, though, it's the expert manipulation of space to give a sense of buoyancy, of loosened gravity, that make stepping inside these four tracks so inviting. Limited edition pressing of 500 - grab this now and file your bragging rights for later use.
With strong DJ support from Caspa, N-Type, Adam Freeland, Howie B, and The Others, the South coast's finest steps up to the plate with a stonkingly epic two tracks of skull crushing bass-work. 'Colossus' has seen Marlow described as the Sunn of dubstep, as strange and esoteric sounds twist and contort amid an avalanche of deformed low-end anomalies. Here drums are robust as ever providing a solid vertebrae for Marlow's unofficial Godzilla-stomps-Tokyo soundtrack. On the flip, Marlow rejacks DZ's techno necksnapper 'Stompa' into a breakstep anthem, best played unhealthly loud in a dark place.
From Within (Marcel Dettmann Remix) / Hard Boiled (SCB Edit)
Label:
Hotflush
The defining feature of bass music in 2008 has been the expansion of the dubstep sound across disparate genres. Scuba's debut long player 'A Mutual Antipathy' exemplified this phenomenon, mixing dubstep's bass rumble with the eccentricities of dub techno and electronica into a sprawling cinematic landscape. To complete the project, six tracks from the album have now been remixed by producers of a similar disposition, adding their interpretations of Scuba's vision, to be released in quick succession across three 12"s. The last of the trio features Marcel Dettmann, one of the hottest properties in techno, thanks to a slew of incredible releases and his recent ;'Berghain' mix CD on the Ostgut label, backed with a previously unexplored musical side of Paul Rose (aka Scuba) on 'Hard Boiled' (SCB edit).
Lo Dubs continues to document the dubstep sound of South America with this new 12" from Venezuela's Cardopusher, an artist well known and highly regarded within many subgenres of electronic bass music. An aggressive slice of break-fuelled mechanoid dub-funk, 'Milk Thistle' was first unveiled on the LoDubs 'Analog Clash' CD, sparking much interest in the artist, and curiousity across the forums as to when the tune would be cut and pressed on vinyl. That would be now, then. On equal footing with regards to stylistic ingenuity and power are b-side 'Double Dragon' and extra track 'Jerk Pork'. The first is remarkably catchy with high pitched arpeggiated melody (seemingly hijacked from an early YMO tune) and punchy, distinct bassline, and the latter a truly original and energizing rhythmic wobbler, built around skanking guitar and an uptempo digital dancehall bassline, with strangely incongruous oriental melodic motifs. Once again, the charge is on and Lo Dubs is leading it.
Jam & Spoons "Age Of Love" gets reworked into a dubstep behemoth by the mighty Ed Solo and JFB. Pulsating basses and epic synths make this release a total stonker!
First time out with a single that shows all Mother Inc experiences built up back in 1997/98 till now. Drum'n'bass, big beat, trip hop are guidelines for their sophisticated sound traced with some club jazz and reggae soul too. Once again dancehall aptitude is main focus for this guys that represent a big part of the north italy bassline lovers and dancers, as MOTHER INC. is first one of the biggest Urban Music promoter in Milan well known for their Magnolia Parties.
The big boys return!! Bar 9 are back with 3 more smashers for the racks, this is in a slightly different style to their usual stuff, exploring the deeper side of things.
The follow up to dubstep chart topping Around The World Volume One. Volume Two featues Eat Bullets,a club banger by Sukh Knight that has been power played by N Type and Plastician. Volume Two also has a strongly asian influnced track by Sukh Knights which has received high rotation from Blackdown and Dusk. Hungarian newcomer Matt-U also makes his true tiger debut with his slamming track Chase Pack which is currently getting heavy dubplate play from the likes of N Type, Chef and more. The EP also includes a club banger from Venezuala's Cardopusher entitled Steppin Worldwide which confirms the EPs status of going all around the world! Just like volume one this is a limited edition release.
Two killer cuts which have been much delayed by some pressing issues. Now it's finally back in and ready to rock, some classic Reso action and a wicked track from the main man Adam Elemental!
Soul Motive wraps up 2008 with two of the most innovative tracks you'll hear this year. Another storming double-A side brings you fresh distinctive tracks from Coleco and Sharmaji, two talented emerging producers creating truly unique music.
Coleco is a fresh and more than welcome addition to the Bristol collective whilst Sharmaji hails from Brooklyn where he has made quite a name for himself through his work with Low Motion records and NYC's SubSwara, despite being a relative unknown to many on other shores.
Campfire Funk is a fractured funk workout of epic proportions. Blurring the lines between progressive funk and sub heavy dance music. Atmospheric synths, samples and melodic guitar riffs captivate you while driving, organic breaks build into an absolutely biblical amount of raw funk. It's not often music this beautiful and progressive comes along so enjoy it when it does.
From Brooklyn, New York comes a fresh and highly original take on the UK sound. Simultaneously dark, driving yet strangely elevating. Break Your Heart fuses 2-step swing with dynamic percussion alongside a storming, ever shifting bassline juxtaposed with an emotive, haunting vocal courtesy of Maggie Horn. Sharmaji has created a deep, emotional banger that will hammer dancefloors worldwide!
