Drew Lustman’s ‘Love Is A Liability’ long-player stands unchallenged as one of the finest electronic releases of this year thus far, regardless of genre. His beats as FaltyDL tread a strangely instinctive line between pleasingly complex and downright awkward, yet somehow manage to avoid falling into the trap of losing their intrinsic sense of groove and danceability; hence the dizzying spirals and sudden twists of his debut album’s highlights, ‘To New York’ and ‘The Shape To Come,’ hold a melodic and rhythmic intricacy that sets them in as good stead for late-night headphone listens as for a packed floor. In fact, in the four months since its release ‘Love Is A Liability’ has more or less usurped Burial’s first record as my post-club journey home soundtrack.
Never one to rest on his laurels, during the next month or so the man’s got a new 12” to come on Ramp, ‘Party,’ as well as ‘Bravery,’ his follow-up proper on Planet Mu. Immediately striking is the divergent movement of the two releases – in ‘Party’ he’s further channeled the restless UK garage spirit of his earlier material into a melancholy dancefloor mover, but the other material is different somehow. The ‘Bravery’ EP is a far less immediate listen than its predecessor, stripped of its devotion to a straightforward skip and seemingly more interested in exploring the outer reaches of its parent genre. Opener ‘You Made Me Feel So Right’ is a case in point – the mournful vocal sample of the title rides over an entirely reversed two-step beat. It’s an uncomfortable and introspective listen, its down pitched voices and nocturnal ambience a million miles from a tune like ‘Human Meadow.’
Still, it feels as though detaching his music from the pressures of the floor has allowed Lustman the stylistic and melodic freedom to travel far beyond the self-set limits of ‘Love Is A Liability’ in search of deeper treasures. The expedition has unearthed some real gems - the title track in particular is heart stopping, an opening drunken swagger parting to allow room for a gorgeous sliced vocal breakdown, before a 4/4 kick suddenly sweeps it into space for a few blissful seconds. ‘Tronman’ sets a foreboding drone against escalating percussive aggression, and much of the record shares as much common ground with LA glitch-hop as with its more overt garage and dubstep influences. That said, it’s impossible to miss a warped cameo from Mary Anne Hobbs on ‘Mother Beam,’ no matter how much he messes with her distinctive voice.
In their latest issue, Wire’s main criticism of ‘Bravery’ was its supposed ‘bloodlessness’. I’m not entirely sure how they came to that conclusion. It’s not an easy listen, nor is it slavishly devoted to a single sound, but to call FaltyDL’s music bloodless is to deny the human heart that obviously beats at its core. Only a living being could have made music this brilliantly weird.
Yeah, I realise we skipped September but I only submitted it to the lovely gents at The Quietus today so its totally my bad. To make up for it, this edition is an interview with James Blake...
Soul Jazz Records are releasing their second 'Steppas' Delight' dubstep compilation to date on 19th October, and as you can see from the tracklist below its some pretty serious shit.
Gumpf:
"Second volume of Soul Jazz Records’ Steppers Delight series of killer dubstep tracks – a mixture of new exclusives alongside the cream of recent dubstep 12”s over the last year.
This release is a continuation of Soul Jazz Records’ prolific Dubstep releases such as the Box of Dub And Steppers Delight Vol albums as well as the many singles from the likes of Digital Mystikz, Skream, Ramadanman, Cotti, Kode9, Ladybug, Warrior Queen and many more."
Tracklist:
CD 1:
1. Gemmy - Grime Baby 2. Shed- Another Wedged Chicken (Martyn Remix) 3. LD - Primal Instinct * 4. Dusk - Focus 5. Benga - On the Edge 6. Mr Lager feat Alys Be - Tell Me ** 7. Untold - You Didn't Win The Holiday * 8. Joker & Ginz - Purple City 9. Sully - Shanks (LD remix) 10. Kutz - Hard body * 11. Brackles - Get A Job 12. Octa Push - Quebu Sabe 13. Pangaea - Router
CD 2:
1. Cluekid - '09 lick * 2. King Midas Sound - Crash 'n' Burn * 3. Gemmy - Supligen 4. Von D feat Phephe - Show Me * 5. Cotti - Big It Up * 6. Crazy Cousinz - Inflation 7. Jakes - Calypso 8. D1 - Ongie Bongie 9. Darkstar - Need You 10. James Blake - Air & Lack Thereof 11 Ramadanman Appleblim - Sous le Sable 12. Mr Gasparov - 1975 13. Dot Dot Dash - Relocate (Buraka Mix)
* denotes a previously unreleased track ** denotes a digital exclusive
AND we've been given the below, ahead of time to give you a taste. Its Untold's exclusive track for the compilation, 'You Didn't Win The Holiday,' which you may or may not have heard littering Ben UFO's sets of late...
We've also got a copy of the TRIPLE VINYL pack to give away too! Simply email us your answer to the following question to be in with a shot at scooping the wax.
Soul Jazz Records are based out of which Soho Record Store?
A) Sister Ray B) Sounds Of The Universe 3) BM Soho
Yep, the hype train is rolling hard on this one. First you got the legitimate leak of ‘Rising 5,’ then the first glimpse of the uber awesome artwork, album megamix and the special edition announcements for Hudson Mohawke’s forthcoming Warp album ‘Butter’; and now you get a stream (courtesy of BamaLoveSoul) of ‘Tell Me What You Want From Me’ which features Dam Funk from Stones Throw.
AND!
You can also kop the sick ass bootlegs he did of ‘Oops’ and ‘Still On It’ previously released on vinyl by Lucky Me and Wireblock if you bang on the link below.
Skwee entrepreneur Metske has put together a promo mix for the next Donky Pitch, the second event from the Brighton crew where our old pal Slugabed is resident, which is this time headlined by the crown prince of wonk DJing, Rinse.FM's own Alexander Nut.
Kelpe - Shipwreck Glue (Architeq version) Metske - Skeptic Melkeveien Feat. Sagtann - Melkeveien Cuverville - Troglodytes (Original Mix) Straight into Mesak remix Metske - Pixskweee Fulgeance - Hardi Metske - Egg and SIDchips Boyz of Caliguia - Must amamba Metske - Dark Skweee Eero Johannes - Katt witt 700 watt Easy - Skweee Rider Metske - Isotopic Luke Vibert - De Pimp Act Kouala Melkeveien and Nino - Yo! Eero Johannes - Natt I Sparvagnen Sparton Lover - Sex with a woman Metske - Virtuoso Metske - Over Hill
Templeton Peck - Down [Remix] Nu Klass A - The Rhythm [Steve Gurley Mix] M-Dubs - Killin' Me Martyn - Megadrive Generation Moreso - Take My Hand [Dem 2'S Over There Dub] Skream – Untitled Unknown – Unknown Ikonika - Space Ugly Kode 9 And Benny Ill - Tales From The Bass Side A Made Up Sound – Closer Untold - You Didn't Win The Holiday Pressure - Money Honey [Remix] Tubby - Tigerstyle Suad - Epileptic [Martyn No Strobe Remix] Mala -Changes Darkstar - Aidy's Girl Is A Computer
Someone said once before that their only tip in surviving a packed Deviation is to "bring a spare t-shirt," and I can only wholeheartedly endorse that statement.
Kryptic Minds' debut dubstep album 'One Of Us' is out today on Loefah's Swamp81 imprint. You can read the Sonic Router penned feature with the duo for the recently relaunched Kmag (Knowledge Magazine) website here:
Following on from the Desto mix, and filling the void between gaps in his Pitchfork column, Martin Clark presents another pearl of an exclusive mix from Bristol based producer Kowton (sometimes known as Narcossist), who has been freshly signed to Blackdown's Keysound label.
SRC - Goomba VIP Swindle - Roll Deep Rally Terror Danjah - Sidechain Skepta - O My Gosh Silencer - Hotheadz O.Gz - Madness Maniac - ????? Terror Danjah & Rude Kid - The Best Crawler P Money - Fruits & Veg Maniac - Captain JME - Over Me
I'd been searching for a while, well... since late June, for that beat Joker wheeled out at Sonar with what sounded like The Gossip on vocals. After a few twitter garbles with a certain someone it emerged it was a remix of Simian Mobile Disco.
To put this simply... Jackmaster is playing seminal dubstep rave FWD>> alongside the line up above this Sunday; and the lovable Scot has put together a mix for the occasion.
With releases on Ramp and Rwina Recordings to his name already, as well as a collaboration with the veritable feast of an emcee, Durrty Goodz and an EP forthcoming on Numbers (as well as an album well on the way for Rwina) we thought we’d have a virtual sit down with the man who’s got probably the best alcohol sanctioned production moniker in dubstep, Taz Buckfaster.
Sonic Router: Can you provide those who may not know you with a bit of background info?
Taz Buckfaster: Well, I’m a 26 year old, Glasgow-based dubstep producer/DJ and I’ve been playing out and making music in one way or another since my mid-teens. Had a few releases out on various labels (Dubkraft, Ramp, Rwina) and have a load of things planned for the year ahead.
Outside of music who are you? What do you do on the daily?
On the daily, I do music. It’s hard to stop. I’ve just begun writing Dubstep reviews for a magazine (www.core-mag.net), so I’m looking to cut my journalistic teeth on that then perhaps expand on that. I’ve been on an extended break in the countryside while making this album, testing new material on the free-party scene (big up the Bass Alliance system and the Electrikal crew), away from the city lights, and I’m now looking forward to getting back to the hustle-and-bustle.
How did you first get into making music? What was it that infected you to do produce?
I’ve always had a passion for music. I was into hardcore rave, 80’s metal, synth-pop and gangsta rap/g-funk in primary school and added jungle, house, breaks and trance to the list when I started high school. The time eventually came when I wanted to see if I was capable of making something that I would otherwise pick up off the shelf and listen to. I’d started playing guitar by that point, but buying my first decks at 16 was really the catalyst. That was when I knew I wanted to do more than just spin other people’s records.
Started off messing with the Ejay series (as you do) and then started importing my own loops from Propellerhead software’s ReBirth soft synth, moved onto Cubase and kept progressing.
You mentioned to me before that you fell out of love with computer based producing for a while. What was it that sucked you back in? I mean, was it this new type of music being made that inspired you?
To be honest, the main reason I 'fell out of love' with it was the fact that I was broke and my equipment was failing me, big-time. I started working after college, but was barely making enough to get by, so splashing out on new gear just wasn’t an option. During this period, I got into writing guitar based music, listened to a fair bit of breaks, garage and dnb, and eventually, along with some other mates, discovered the emerging Grime sound.
I ended up getting back in touch with a friend from back in Castle Douglas who I hadn’t seen in a while and he was messing with a few programs and coming up with some alright sounds, so I took out a loan to get a new comp, fired up the cylinders and soon enough he was coming to me asking how to do things. I tend to be my own worst critic, so when I let some other people hear tracks I’d made and they were very enthusiastic, so that inspired some confidence in my abilities and I carried on.
What aspects of dubstep connect with you, and similarly spur you on to continue producing?
What’s your production set up like? Has it changed a lot since day dot?
Primitive and makeshift! Up until a few months ago, I was working with an ancient desktop PC that was far beyond its last last legs, so I was in a bit of a technological rut insofar as what software I could run. My new lappy has been a godsend. Current setup looks like: Laptop (4GB RAM, 320GB HDD, Core 2 Duo), software (Cubase 4, Reason, etc), shitty powered speakers and an M-Audio Axiom 61 that I borrowed off a mate who owes me money. I’ve got some catching up to do software-wise and there are a few bits of kit that are sorely needed.
What’s the Taz Buckfaster moniker about? An ode to the thick wine of Scotland perhaps? Or is there more to it than that…?
Nah, you’re spot on. Everyone calls me Taz, and Buckfaster just came about through excessive consumption of the dark stuff. Couldn’t escape it really, and I suppose it gives me, and the name, a bit of a Glasgow identity; an ode to its grimey underbelly.
Who do you consider to be of great influence on your output?
There are too many to mention. Far too many.
You’re a Scot and as geographically such, you’re tied in nicely with the Numbers crew. What’s your area like for you to make music in and what’s it like having that network around you? How does Glasgow differ inspirationally from Castle Douglas…?
Glasgow’s a sick place to make music, there’s plenty of good patter, and it’s great to have people in the extended family of mates and acquaintances who are on a similar wavelength and all making their own respective marks on what they do. Glasgow and Castle Douglas are polar opposites. “Castle Douglas”, to paraphrase Vic Reeves, “is where people go to die.”
Your older productions have that kind of dark edge and bass impact that really suits grime emcees. Was that an intentional thing do you think or did it just turn out like that?
I got into Grime in 2004/05 and I guess its influence just stuck with me. Almost everything I do is self-taught, so some habits die hard.
How did the track with Durrty Goodz come about? He mentions you approaching him. Did you manage to get in the studio together? What was it like seeing/hearing someone spray like that over your beats?
I added him to myspace after realising I’d not done so before and a few hours later I had a message in my inbox telling me how much he liked the beats in my player and that he’d like for me to produce some tracks for him. It was around this time that I was making my transition between grime and dubstep and I just kept passing stuff his way and I’d get honest opinion and good advice back.
Ended up going on a road trip last summer to Bristol to check out Bodynod as the lineup was sick (Goodz, Slimzee, Zed Bias, El-B, Joker, Blazey) and got talking to Goodz again there. It was good to hear him tear it up on ‘Destruction’. I guess it was time for certain naysayers to button their lips.
Who else are you rating in the grime scene at the moment? Production and MC wise?
If I’m honest, I don’t really keep up-to-date with the grime scene at the moment. When certain heads started falling off and doing grime-pop and dodgy electro, chasing chart money and writing bars about girl trouble and watches, I tuned right out. I still rate Goodz because he thinks outside of the box, and Tempa T is sick (even if ‘Next hype’ is beginning to grate a little from over-play).
Production-wise, I rate Nocturnal. His stuff sounds sharp and has a real musical feel, which some producers really seem to lack (no names mentioned). Rachet, from Outtakers, is coming with some big things these days too, although it’s more of a departure from grime than his earlier stuff.
Your newer stuff seems to be more in key with the ‘purple’ twisted synthesized sound of Bristol... What producers are you really feeling right now in dubstep?
Without getting into a debate about semantics as these things generally end up (re: Dubstep or not Dubstep); in no particular order - Joker, Gemmy, Ginz, Guido, 501, Starkey, Numan, Raffertie, Silkie, Emalkay, Synkro, 2000F & J Kamata, Reso, Ikonika, Untold, etc. I could go on, and on, but endless lists bore me to tears and I’ll inevitably leave someone out.
Your debut album has been announced, forthcoming on the Dutch label Rwina. How did you link with them? What have you got in store to keep ears interested over the long player format?
Chafik got in touch earlier in the year, we had a chat and it turned out we shared some ideas and some background, so I sent him a handful of tracks and we planned out some releases. After getting a taste of the newer material I was coming up with, he suggested I put together an album and I’ve been working on it since.
The album basically comprises of different ideas around the 140 bpm mark, not sticking to any one formula or style and it reflects the thoughts I had at the time. I’d like to think it covers a few roads, as opposed to just plodding along in one lane. It’s not as obvious as previous releases may lead you to believe.
You mentioned an EP on Numbers as well, can you take us through that and whatever else have you’ve got coming up?
Yeah, I’d been talking with Jackmaster for some time about a release and the ‘Bare Grills’ EP is the result. It comprises of 4 tracks and is one of the first releases on the new label. Release details will follow in the near future.
‘Half Man, Half Trout/20 Red’ 12” drops at the beginning of October on Rwina. There are a few releases that I’m not supposed to talk about yet, so I’ll keep it hush for now. Some remixes by other people that will rock your socks.
I’m in the planning stages of a quick jaunt to the west coast US for a show or two in October (tbc), I’ve been invited to play at a night in London run by grime (and now purple-drenched dubstep) producer Rachet on the 14th of November (the details of which are pending), and I’m heading out to Patronaat in Haarlem, Amsterdam, on December 5th to play Dub Infusions with Stenchman, Nicon (Subway) and Akkachar (Rwina), so those who missed me after my passport trouble earlier in the year will get a chance to catch me this time round (bigups to Nicon for covering last time).
Tell us about the mix you’ve done for us, what tracks just had to be there? Any exclusive business?
I put a fair bit of my stuff in there for the heads who haven’t got familiar with my music yet, some exclusive cuts from the album, a couple of past releases, and some tunes by artists I rate. Things like 501’s ‘St Ives’ and Rachet’s ‘80’s Substep’ were definite picks because they’re great tracks and on a similar note, Starkey’s ‘Rain City’ had to be the opener because it’s just simply massive and sets the pace nicely.
Have you got any words of wisdom you’d care to share with the interweb?
“Where words fail, music speaks.” – Hans Christian Andersen
mlr – Metal Pedal (CDR) Offshore – Girly [forthcoming on Stuff Records] Ras G – Time Will Heal [forthcoming on Ramp Recordings] Hudson Mohawke – Spotted [taken from Wild Angels on Planet Mu] Raekwon ft. Cappadonna & Ghostface – 10 Bricks [EMI] Danny Breaks – The Sound [forthcoming on Rush Hour] Flying Lotus - Disco Balls [forthcoming on Hyperdub] Rustie – Tar [Wireblock] Neil Landstrumm – Schlump Funk [Planet Mu] Taz Buckfaster – 20 Red [forthcoming on Rwina] Hyetal – Neon Speech [forthcoming on Soul Motive] Shortstuff - Progression [Formant] Untold – Stop What You’re Doing (James Blake Remix) [forthcoming on Hemlock] October – Elephants [Immerse] Relocate – Origins [forthcoming on Iberian] Brackles – Air Pie [forthcoming on Planet Mu] Scuba – Symbiosis [forthcoming on Hotflush] Instra:mental – Watching You [Non Plus] Gemmy – Rainbow Road [Planet Mu]
Sometime Bristol, sometime London duo Monkeysteak have announced the first 12” release from their new label Steak House, promising to deliver "pure carnival fire" through outsourcing global bass sounds. Over the last few years, the internet’s increasing ubiquity and ever-faster connection speeds have turned the cross-pollination of bass culture into a truly worldwide phenomenon. As well as giving rise to DJs who no longer stick exclusively to one style of music, this has enabled dubstep’s influence to bleed into other localised urban genres – and vice versa, as the Africanised percussive patterns of UK funky can attest to.
Surprisingly, given the label’s dynamic manifesto, Mr. Gasparov’s contribution is a curiously muted way to open their first 12”. Which is not to detract from the track at all – ‘1975’ is a woozy piece of two-step infused house that gradually layers up over its length, from the sparsest of synthetic melodies to an eerie carnival of sampled voices and dizzying instrumental tessellation. It’s still more of a slow-burning brushfire than a massive electrical explosion, which certainly could not be said of Octa Push who bring the promised fireworks on the flip.
‘Ai Nadia’ kicks the reverse off in fine form, its tightly syncopated beat loaded with elements from a whole host of different genres – the propulsive skip of garage, funky’s tribal machinations and the grimey crunch of kuduro. It’s the best thing on here by a long way, a little reminiscent of contemporaries Buraka Som Sistema in sheer bass aggression and lent a distinctly local air by deftly chopped ‘n’ sliced Portugese vocal shards. The fast and furious garage hybrid of ‘Laika Likes It’ wears its UK influences more overtly, a little bit of London attitude ensnared in its suggestive female vocals and bubbling subs.
The third plate from Lisbon and Barcelona-based Iberian Records (so an appropriate label name then) is part two of Relocate’s cheekily named ‘Hard Boogie For Dub Swingers’ EP. The first part emerged earlier in the year, at around the same time as he released a gorgeous house-infused dubstep remix of Kontext’s ‘Plumes’ on Immerse.
Continuing where the first plate left off, lead track ‘Origins’ is dusky and understated, a nocturnal excursion thorough that well-tread middle ground between dubstep and techno with its metronomic kicks and delicately bristling snare patterns. There’s a certain Bristolian element buried in its monochrome synth stabs and echo-drenched voices – this brittle, metallic quality is occasionally reminiscent of Appleblim’s early material for Skull Disco, and wouldn’t sound out of place on Tectonic. Still, its very subtlety marks it out: less a disco-wrecker than a slow-building, hypnotic roller, the ever-present rumble of sub bass pressure is as warm and cocooning as it is propulsive.
By way of contrast, then, the Buraka Som Sistema remix of ‘Dot Dot Dash’ on the flip is a beast: the Lisbon collective take the original’s four-to-the-floor pulse and rebuild the groove over the top entirely, subverting the techno elements with muscular, gritty aggression. Its repeated melodic motif and sudden bursts of feedback are all that remain, but are dragged along by a sinewy, elastic bassline that stretches almost to breaking point before snapping back for the drop. It’s minimalist in structure but deadly in its execution, limb-twitching kuduro percussion married to a grinding low-end that through a big system is liable to cause the gut equivalent of tinnitus.
Despite the wildly different nature of the two tracks here, it is to Buraka’s credit that they preserve Relocate’s tonal palette even as they up the energy levels. It exposes a successful shared goal – to bring a little European twilight to the dance.
We've wanted to feature Oneman for a while, what with his impeccable mixing, Ustream and Rinse.fm residencies and jovial banter making a sizeable impression on us.
Vangelis - Love Theme Fat Freddy's Drop - Cay's Crays [Digital Mystikz Remix] Distance - Saints n Sinners D1 - Joy Pattie Blingh & The Akebluan 5 - Brother:The Point [2562 Remix] Skream - Hitch Scuba - Dream Clouds - Protecting Hands pt. 1 Unknown - Alicia D1 - I'm Loving 2000F & JKamata - You Don't Know What Love Is Darkstar - Saytar Zomby - Test Me For A Reason Mala - Forgive
Its usually me, virtually hotfooting it over to RA, entering one of our interviews into the news feed and waiting with baited breath to see if it gets published. Way more often than not they do get displayed, so, as if in some gratuitous turn of fate, when they sent me this link I simply had to shout about it.
Here Richard Carnes goes deep on some of the most prominent dubstep producers to emerge all year.
Up now - to stream - is a new mix from Brackles on Dazed Digital.
You can check him going back to back with Reecha, just after the Patchwork Pirates at the Pull & Bear launch afterparty tomorrow night at the Bathhouse (nr. Liverpool St) in East London.
1. The Hizatron - Von Glooperstein 2. Cooly G - Jus Wanna 3. Martin Kemp - After The Night 4. Dead Boy - If You Want Me 5. Brackles - 6am El Gordos 6. Brackles and Shortstuff - Pipey D 7. Hem and Terrible Shock - On A Mission (Shortstuff remix) 8. Untold - Stop What You're Doing (James Blake remix) 9. Untold - Palamino
Bass Music Blog's very own I.D. hit us up with a special treat last week, putting together this promotional mix to back up his recent slew of releases. In his own words:
"I've been pretty busy lately - releases and remixes on Earwax, Enchufada, Heavy Artillery, CIVIL, (and that's just the last 6 weeks) and trucks more stuff lined up soon - including releases on Mad Decent, Boka, Mata-Syn, Lucky Break, Passenger and Baobinga's new label 'Build' (which is gonna be amazing) to name just a few.
So to celebrate I've put together this mix - it features loads of the above, a shitload of new and unreleased dubs by the likes of TRG, Gemmy, Toasty and DJ Madd (as well as me and Baobinga/Skinnz obviously), and it swings from deep 2-steppy vibes, to melodic post-dubstep (yeah I know, I hate that term too! But you know what I mean...) to choppy breakstep and beyond."
Alex Cowles has an impressive DIY ethic. Producing deep, engulfing synthesized dubstep under the vowel less DFRNT moniker he’s on the eve of releasing his debut album, ‘Metafiction,’ a dual CD project that includes remixes from Scuba, DJ Madd and Ital Tek amongst others. But the Echodub label boss just doesn’t seem content with unleashing 18 tracks on the public, along with running the Sitting Ovation blog he’s also working on a broader magazine project whilst continuing to DJ, produce and hold down a day job.
We sent a mainline to the Scot whilst he was deep undercover in Bruges to press him on a few matters to accompany the exclusive mix he’s provided us.
Sonic Router: Can you provide those who may not know you with a bit of background info?
DFRNT: year old producer from Scotland, who works as DFRNT, heads up the Echodub label/collective, manages a magazine called Modus, and writes the SittingOvation blog. I've been producing dubstep for a year or two now, although I've been listening for a few.
Outside of music who are you? What do you do on the daily?
9 till 6 I'm a web designer, so that takes up the bulk of my day. I'm also doing one or two freelance projects in my spare time, although I've got to cut down on all that, to spend more time with my beautiful fiancee, and our new puppy. We've just bought a house, so I think that should help influence some new sounds and direction.
How did you first get into making music? What was it that infected you to do produce?
Well I used to play instruments as a child, and when I got a computer at home, I think it was the logical progression to see if I could use it as a tool. I was big in to the eJay programs. Dance eJay and suchlike, which helped me gain an understanding of the workings of a sequencer, as well as a bit of practice making songs with loop based software. From there it was a short jump to Sonic Foundry (now Sony's) Acid program, via a short-lived stint with FruityLoops.
I caught the mashups bug and did that for a while, but I never felt like I connected properly with the music, since I was already working with finished tracks. The original production followed that really. I felt with the original production I could really try and take it somewhere. Without the copyrighted material it felt like I could give it more value.
What aspects of dubstep connect with you, and similarly spur you on to continue producing?
It still amazes me today that everyone seems to know everyone else, from the smaller guys starting out, to the bigger producers. It's a bit trying to call it a very close community, but in some respects it feels like that. It's something of a musical movement which I feel like I can really be part of. I sometimes tell people that for me it's like what Punk or Rock & Roll was for my parents. Something new and exciting that they grew up with.
Production wise, I'm really inspired by a lot of the new talent that is emerging. These producers who can string something beautiful together seem to be popping up all over.
What’s your production set up like? Has it changed a lot since day dot?
I started with just a PC and headphones. I think I could still strip the setup back to that today and keep producing, although at the moment I'm working with a couple of studio monitors and a set of those lovely wee Korg Nano controllers hooked up. It's basic, and all my sound making material is software based, but it works for me, and it keeps things simple and clutter free.
What are the biggest influences on your music right now?
Aside from the new producers that are cropping up all over, I guess there are a few things. My move from the city out to a small coastal town is probably going to have a big effect on my music although I've yet to see that really develop. I still find influence in the bigger producers who are doing their thing; people like Breakage or Scuba. I'm also enjoying the Djing at the moment. It's giving me lots of ideas for tracks, and I feel like I'm working a little more towards tracks that I can play out in a club.
Your debut album ‘Metafiction’ is on its way, tell us about the inspiration behind it?
Well it started as just a collection of tracks I had that I felt were a new direction for my sound following the initial EP I put out on Insectmind. I didn't want to let them all go for free, and figured that actually I'd probably be able to put together an album with a few more.
I'd sent Z-Audio some Echodub tracks with a view to asking them to distribute our stuff for us, but Zac called me up and asked me what my own production plans were for the future. I explained about the album possibility, and they and he picked it up for release on his label On The Edge, so it's now grown from just a handful of tracks to a double-disc CD with 18 tracks and 5 remixes, as well as some vinyl releases to go with it.
You have some big name remixes on the second disc on the album how did they come about?
Well it was decided that some of the tracks on the album would probably not be ideal for vinyl, considering their lack of dancefloor sensibility, however with a couple of well placed remixes, there was the potential to get the tracks out to people going to the clubs, and so it was just a case of asking people if they were interested.
I decided to approach some producers who had influenced the original productions, so there was this nice full-circle thing going on, where they'd be remixing tracks that had been inspired by them in the first place. Indigo I was working with through Echodub, and Synkro was connected to him, and to On The Edge already, and then it was just a case of taking a chance on the likes of Scuba, Ital Tek and Quantec. Luckily they all liked the album and agreed to do a remix. To be honest it's still not really hit home how lucky I've been with the remixers. It's a real honour to have them onboard.
Tell us about your label Echodub, how did it come about and what projects are currently under way?
Well I think it started much the same way as allot of labels – just a way to put out my own tracks. I thought I could handle it myself, and that way I could keep control of the music, the artwork, the promotion and resulting profits. From there I figured if I could do it for myself, then maybe I could do it for other people, so I approached a handful of producers who I really admired at the time, and asked them to come onboard. I treat it like a collective, so we have a set number of guys on the label and we all work together on things and I just stick to putting out their material, as opposed to releases from anyone. It's a different way of doing things, but I like the family aspect of it. I'd like to think that everyone involved feels like it's a stepping stone they can use to get their music further out there.
In terms of forthcomings, well we've got about 10 digital EP releases still to come through the usual channels, then we've launched Echodub Direct with a view to putting out free EPs. We're going to be stopping the digital EPs at number 20, and then moving on to vinyl releases, starting with a limited run that we're looking to do something unique with. We'll deal with sales and promo on that one ourselves, then get going with some regular EPs on wax. I'm planning more free compilations/albums too.
The two free compilations you’ve put out ‘Anechoic Chamber’ and the latest one ‘Echodub Loves Vol.01’ are very good indeed what’s the thinking behind these?
Well 'Anechoic Chamber' was a free album to promote the label and our producers. It was a “here's what we can do” type of thing, and we pushed it far and wide to really get the name out. We're looking to complete a “remixed” version of that album for release this Christmas.
'Echodub Loves Volume 01' is something a bit different, where I asked all the producers in the collective what new producers that they were feeling at the moment, and we made a list. I then approached them all for a single track to put on the compilation. Since there were so many we were enjoying, I decided to split it in to volumes and I've since been thinking that there's a potential to make it a series going forward. Perhaps bi-annually showcasing new talent, while also helping to put Echodub on the map for the styles involved.
You also run Modus Magazine and SittingOvation, tell us a bit about those projects?
Well SittingOvation was started in a similar vein to Echodub. I'd spend a while trawling the dubs section on Dubstepforum, and would get annoyed when someone producing something that I felt was beautiful didn't get much in the way of praise, or often overlooked entirely. So from that notion, SittingOvation was born to help raise awareness of producers that I rate. I've developed it to cover dubstep and dub-techno in a wider sense now, and as well as highlighting new artists, I'm trying to cover a bit more news and release info, although it can be a mission to keep it up to date in amongst other things.
I'm not quite sure where my desire to do Modus came from to be honest. I like the design aspect of the magazine work, and there didn't seem to be many print magazines covering dubstep that I was in to, so it was likely just a hole that I felt needed filling, so figured that it might be worth a shot. Turns out it's a lot of hard work, but we're working towards out first issue at the moment, and although it's taking much longer than I had anticipated, we've got some incredible content lined up so that it's not just another list of reviews, and actually feels more like a nice edited publication, that shouldn't date quite as quickly.
Can you shed some light on the mix you’ve done for us?
Well It is a collection of tracks that I'm feeling at the moment, with the addition of some exclusives from me. It was a bit of a test run for the new tracks to see if they'd stand up in the mix, as well as a bit of a showcase for the tracks I was enjoying. It's a mix that I've tried to add a bit of variety to with some more percussive, and slightly more experimental tracks than I'd normally play, while still trying to retain some of the feeling you'd get with other DFRNT mixes. I'm actually really happy with the way it turned out.
What else is coming up for you?
I'm playing Manchester on the 17th of September at Sicknote, which is going to be a bit of an album launch type thing, and then I've got a gig lined up in Edinburgh at a new night called Diamond Dollar, but following that there's no gigs set in stone. A couple of “maybes” including a slot with Silkie, and one with Kode9 but that's all in progress at the moment.
Have you got any more words of wisdom for our readers?
I guess to producers and DJs I'd say that if you're unsure about doing something to progress your musical career – just go for it. Do what you need to do to make it happen, and things will work out. You can't sit and expect everyone else to release your tracks, and for you to become a big DJ or producer if you don't put the hard work in. There are so many ways to push your output that if you just sit around waiting for someone else to do it – it won't happen.
So you thought I was lying when I wrote this, "Our inability to stress how good XLR8R has been in securing heavyweight mixes has been a burden on every evening's last moments for a couple of months now," about the recent Wireblock mix XLR8R hosted...?
Following probably the best photograph to emerge of Jack Dunning of late (pictured) comes one of the biggest mixes he's offered out to the internet.
This weekend LuckyMe's clubnight, Ballers 5ocial Club, turns 2 and to commemorate the occassion Dazed Digital are touting an exclusive mix.
Shout to Droptop.
"To celebrate their upcoming birthday weekender on the 11th (at Stereo) and 12th September (at The Ivy) with Darkstar, Rustie, Fulgeance, Dema, Dante Fried Chicken and Jamie Vex’d, LuckyMe’s head honchos The Blessings (Dom Sum and Martyn FineArt) flex this mix with a ton of unheard exclusives. "
Nadsroic - Higashi Vs Nishi (LuckyMe) Hudson Mohawke - 3.30 (Warp Records) Mike Slott - Six AM (LuckyMe) Lunice - Hip Pop (LuckyMe) The Big Pink - Dominoes (Rustie remix) (4AD) Jay Prada - From 1000 (LuckyMe) The Blessings - Faberge (LuckyMe) Respite - Pang (LuckyMe) The Blessings - Obama Sushi (LuckyMe) Tiago - Hidden Sources (LuckyMe) Dema - Chang (LuckyMe) Hudson Mohawke - Rising 5 (Warp Records) American Men - Claude Speed (LuckyMe)
Following on perfectly from the Texan label Formant’s last 12” platter from the much discussed Hyetal, Shortstuff, known to the copywriting world as Richard Attley, hits out at the market with his second solo 12” after the superlative ‘A Rustling’ b/w ‘Stuff’ offering on Ramp Recordings.
This three track single manages to take his broken tech infused, nearly funky sound into deeper territory; the opener ‘Progression’ jitters into life with its punctuated echoes and soulful, hot buttered bleeps contrasting the computerised bass warbling until the broken groove Shortstuff is fast making a trademark hits. Taking the garage template and twisting it into new shapes he ebbs up the drone synths, adding familiar chimes and time stretched percussion before the saw waves finally erupt.
With a synth lead reminiscent of early Planet Mu or even some of the more Boards of Canada-esque Warp releases, ‘Relapse’ displays perfectly how to create tension through melody as Attley gears up to his first breakdown with rolling chord stabs and persistent percussion; the kind that absolutely drives the whole rest of the song when it re-appears after it makes way for the low end riff.
‘A,’ the longest track on offer here, again fuses Attley’s penchant for snatches of melody with thick, sweetly compressed kick drums with the kind of wandering bass you’d more likely find accompanying 170bpm drums. Its sawing pierces your belly at high volume and really does leave the lead synths and the high end of the drums completely alone, letting them flitter and twinkle respectively showing a deeper and somewhat more subtle side to Shortstuff.
Tracklist: 1. Kryptic Minds – Chosen Few (Swamp 81) 2. Truth – Terror Planet (Aquatic Lab Records) 3. Tunnidge – Riddles Of Jah VIP (BOKA Records – BOKA019) 4. Marlow – Bandwagon Junglist (BOKA Records – BOKA021) 5. DJ Madd – Better With You (BOKA Records – BOKA020) 6. Skream – Trapped In A Dark Bubble (Tectonic) 7. Babylon System – Hyphy (Argon Records) 8. DJ Madd – Better With You (Akira Kiteshi Remix) (BOKA Records – BOKA022) 9. Benga – One Million (Tempa) 10. Skream – Hitch (Tempa) 11. Von D – Echolow (Black Acre Records) 12. DJ Madd – Reasonz (BOKA Records – BOKA020) 13. Von D – Truth (Tes La Rok remix) (Black Acre Records)
News posts are particularly rare round these parts and in fact are usually reserved for posts that we really want to shout about but can't ever fit into any of our existing categories... Anyway, I digress... for me its a hearty and emphatic pleasure to be able to announce details of Dave Huismans aka 2562's sophomore album, 'Unbalance.'
The forthcoming follow up to the 2562 debut 'Aerial,' a full length stark and oft cold exploration of greyscale dubtechno through stark monochrome synth washes and torrential drums, finds Huisman's exploring his production with a touch more colour, fleshing out his impeccably stumbled drum patter with bold strokes of synthesizer warmth and a flair for higer pitched melody. The recently released 'Love In Outer Space', is included and is definitely indicative of Husiman's matured approach to the dancefloor.
Possibly the most anticipated album release of 2009, I can tell you now, 'Unbalance' will NOT by any strength of the imagination dissapoint.
Tracklist:
1. Intro 2. Flashback 3. Lost 4. Like A Dream 5. Dinosaur 6. Unbalance 7. Superflight 8. Yes / No 9. Who Are You Fooling? 10. Narita 11. Love In Outer Space
Starfighterz - Flavour 1 Telex - Raised by Snakes (Shake remix) Deetron - Let's Get Over It (Marcel Dttmann remix) A Made Up Sound - Bounce Solid Groove - Flookin' remix Shortstuff & Hyetal - Don't Sleep Seiji - Yo Voy remix A Made Up Sound - Rework Jack Sparrow - Terminal Untold - Never Went Away 2562 - Lost Geiom - Reminiscin' (Kode 9 remix) St Files - Tek Dub Martyn - Mega Drive Generation Headhunter - Prototype (Modeselektor remix) ? - Idle Hands 001b Thomas Bangalter - What to Do Tom Trago - Lost in the Streets of NYC (Actress remix) Elemental - Undulating Elf (2562 edit)
Our inability to stress how good XLR8R has been in securing heavyweight mixes has been a burden on every evening's last moments for a couple of months now. This week they've procured a mix from Spencer and Nelson from Glasgow's Wireblock label for their 'Labels We Love' feature which contains an inordinate amount of super exclusives from the soon to be birthed Numbers imprint.
Grime and funky have been creating some common ground of late with things starting to get really interesting when the smooth house grooves got the rude boy treatment from the grime heads, who added a bit of raw dance floor power into the mix. Rinse FM’s Grimey Breakfast DJ and all round badman producer Scratcha DVA has turned his hand to funky after creating some big grime anthems like ‘Nasty Nasty Nasty,’ the simply poisonous ‘Bullet A Go Fly’ and the monster riddim ‘Kill All A’ Dem.’
The ‘Jelly Roll EP’ opens strong with the title track, which will bring a smile to even the badest of a badman’s face with its unashamed cheesy and down right stupidly catchy hooks. Don’t get it twisted though, that isn’t even a dis, ‘Jelly Roll’ is a full on dance floor bomb for exactly those reasons. It comes on like a smoother, heavily swung and less annoying version of Felix Da Housecat’s ‘Cry Baby’ with the ascending and descending riffs getting persistently tweaked and flipped into bouncy synth lines that keep it rolling over the laid back soca-esque drum patterns.
The grime beats that is ‘Nasty Nasty Nasty’ makes an appearance on the flip in the form of two remixes, one from funky maestro Roska , who adds his very own deep dark and down right danceable vibes to the track, and the other by dubstepper Sukh Knight who spaces things out and adds his trademark distinctive wobble. The real mystery comes in the form of the deep house vibes of ‘Guro Triba’ by Soule Power, which finishes off the EP succulently with it's distinctly smooth groove brought on by some bongo action and a steady four four pulse.
"Heads up - here's some fresh news about Hudson Mohawke's sizzling debut album 'Butter,' due out 12th October.
We can now reveal the ultra-safari artwork for the album, [pictured above] plus we have the exclusive t-shirt design for the special 'spreadable edition' and you can also download a mini album sampler mix, nipped and tucked by Hud Mo himself."
Known to us only as Dave, Hyetal has pricked up the attention of many with his productions, obtaining that hallowed MAH mix slot and garnering releases on Formant, Reduction, Planet Mu and (imminently) Soul Motive. His beats even recently prompted a member of Californian crunk smiths Lazer Sword to describe his music as feeling "like... I just won a marathon race and I'm at the dubstep rave and everyone is pouring champagne on me and I'm eating wedding cake with all my ex-girlfriends... and they just told me they still love me. All of them."
Suffice to say his music demands your attention. We tracked him down to an IP address, threw down the mix gauntlet and asked him a few un-intrusive questions.
Sonic Router: Can you provide those who may not know you with a bit of background info?
Hyetal: I’m originally from Southampton but Bristol has been my home for the last 5 years. I make bass heavy melodic music. My first release was on Formant Recordings, a Texas based label run by Sines.
Outside of music who are you? What do you do on the daily?
I’ve just finished uni. I’m rewarding myself with a few months to concentrate on beats and stuff.
How did you first get into making music? What was it that infected you to do produce?
I’ve always been on it in some form. I played in bands as a kid but it was hip-hop that got me interested in programmed music. I had an MPC and used to make sample based beats. I wasn’t really into making tunes with computers until I started my degree in 2005.
What aspects of dubstep connect with you, and similarly spur you on to continue producing?
The lack of defined rules. I can draw influence from the strangest reference points and some people will still dance to it as long as there’s a sub under it.
What’s your production set up like? Has it changed a lot since day dot?
Yeah I used to be nearly completely sample based. I had my MPC, records and a couple of analogue mono synths for bass and FX. I managed to blag a laptop when I went to uni, so now quite a bit of what I make is logic and soft synths.
Your part of the new wave of Bristol producers making moves at the moment, it’s almost like new blood is coming through all the time and adding so much to the scene. What’s the city like for you to make music in and what’s it like having that network around you?
There are some amazing producers, labels and nights. Most people have been really supportive, and I chat to a lot of people regularly to swap tunes and that.
Who do you consider to be of great influence on your output?
That’s a really tough question. Without wanting to seem non-committal there is genuinely loads and I could never pick just one. I suppose the main influences that are most relevant on my current output are: Timbaland, Boards Of Canada and John Carpenter.
Your ‘Pixel Rainbow Sequence’ 12” is out now. How did you link the Peverelist remix and the release? What’s the inspiration behind it?
I wrote ‘Pixel Rainbow Sequence’ in 2007. A lot of the music around at the time was really dark, some of which I liked, but a lot of it I found very generic. I wanted to make a tune that was uplifting and nostalgic. It was made during the transition from writing on the MPC to logic so the main parts were sampled and sequenced in hardware. There’s loads of stuff in there, mega drive samples, little bits of old disco tunes, a rim shot sample from an old band practice I found on a tape. I sent it to everyone I knew in Bristol at the time, Pev and Diccon had both been very encouraging about it. Diccon wanted to release it then but he was having some problems with the label. Last year he told me it was back on but it needed a b side, I’d never had anyone remix a tune of mine before so was interested in going that route. Pev is a friend and someone who I have total faith in musically so he was an obvious choice.
There’s a lot of talk of synesthesia flying wildly around at the moment, mainly in relation to the purple wow sound, but - much like PRS’ title - your sound seems more like an amalgamation of colours, rather than a block shade. What colour would you say use to describe it and why?
I would totally agree with you... can I choose all of them please? I do especially enjoy silver, purple and anything neon though.
Your Shortstuff collabo, ‘Ice Cream,’ is up on your myspace. How was it working with him? Who else would you like to get in the studio with?
Yeah wicked, we did it all online which was an interesting process. I’ve written another tune with him and the two will be released later in the year but we’re supposed to be keeping details quiet for a bit. I want to write more with Shortstuff and I’m already collaborating with a couple of other people.
What else have you got coming up?
‘Pixel Rainbow Sequence’ came out on Reduction this week, I signed ‘We Should Light A Fire’ to the next Mary Anne Hobbs comp (‘Wild Angels’), that is out on Planet Mu on the 14th. ‘Neon Speech’ and ‘Gold Or Soul’ should be dropping on Soul Motive very late this month or early October.
I’m playing at Fabric on 11th September and have a bunch of other stuff booked, including most Season 5 nights at which I’m a resident in Bristol.
If you could remix anybody who would it be and on the flip to that who would you most like to remix you?
In the realms of fantasy I’d really like to remix Sa-Ra or Boards of Canada and would be stoked if they remixed me.
Can you take us through your mix that you’ve done for us?
It’s pretty much a reflection of the kind of sets I’ve been playing recently... gradually working the tempo up. The Brackles, Martin Kemp and Shortstuff tracks are both sick, those guys make amazing beats. There’s some of my forthcoming stuff in there, a new slower thing I made called ‘The Rhythm In Light’ that I still need to properly finish. The Untold track is incredible; I’ve been feeling all of his newer bits... I obviously love all the tunes, hopefully there’s no filler.
Have you got any words of wisdom for the interweb?
Some tracks simply have anthem written all over them from the first time you hear them. When London producer Joy Orbison's "adieu" chant rings out on 'Hyph Mngo' its one such happenstance.
Dylan Richards is doing his best to live up to his mindfuck moniker of King Cannibal, after stirring up dancefloors with his pristine smattering of hoover bass and dancehall drum patterns on tracks like 'Arigami Style' and 'Virgo' and naming his forthcoming album project, 'Let The Night Roar,' after a quote from Jim Jones, the main protagonist of the Jonestown Massacre mass suicide (the greatest singular loss of American civilian life pre 9/11).
Ahead of his album's release later this month and his appearance at fabric next Friday, he's passed us this, a dub refix of his Aviv Geffen remix, an ample showcase of what we like to call his more "thoughtful" production style...
Time will tell if we will post on every single episode that ever goes live but in case you missed it, the 3rd installment in the Hotflush Recordings podcast is now live.
The second installment of Hessle Audio's Room 3 takeover at fabric has been announced with Punch Drunk Records boss, Peverelist, officially named as the guest headliner. He'll be joining Ramadanman, Ben UFO, Pangaea and Untold pon the night.
It's also our pleasure to announce that the Hessle camp have confirmed its now a residency and that they'll be taking the event quarterly as of 2010.
It is Drew Lustman's time to blow. With his 'Bravery' mini LP coming on Planet Mu shortly, so quickly after his debut LP, 'Love Is A Liability,'FaltyDL made big ripples in our little pond.
Sa-ra - Dirty Beauty Prince - The Ballad of Dorothy Parker Kleer - Intimate Connection Cameo - Back & Forth Herbie Hancock - Perfect Machine Slava Tsukerman - Margrets Apartment The Associates - Message Oblique Speech Slava Tsukerman - Night Club Gosub - Last Night at the Stardust Slava Tsukerman - Seduction of Vincent Simonetti/Morante/Pignatelli - Tenebre Simonetti/Morante/Pignatelli - Slow Circus Ryuichi Sakamoto & David Sylvian - Bamboo Houses Dizzee Rascal - Brand New Day Sun Ra - Rocket Number Nine
