The Dubstep-Techno hybrid: DubTek, Tech-Step, Dub-No, Who knows?

Along with the Wonky revolution in dubstep that is being championed by the likes of Fly Lo, Rustie and Samiyam there seems to be another side bubbeling away that take influence from techno, tech house and minimal. I’m going to call it Tech-Step maybe, any way the purveyors of this sound seem to be people like 2562, Ramadanman, Martyn and maybe the main figure head Appleblim. Of course Kode 9 has his feet in pretty much all camps at once with his supurb Hyperdub label. But I will no doubt do a post dedicated to him some other time.

On with the Tech-Step AKA DubTek! I guess I first became aware of this sound when hearing Ricardo Villalobos dropping dubstep in his minimal mixes and that opening my eyes to the possibilities; Ramadanman’s Blimey was dropped recently as the opening track in one of his sets. Also the Villalobos mix of Shackletons Blood On Your Hands is phenomenal and well worth its wait in the dubstep/minimal hall of fame, if that existed. In the mean time this sound has been bubbling under and brewing some brilliant sounds. Villalobos has been making more tunes that slide nicely between the two genres since as well.

Appleblim’s Dubstep Allstars Vol.6 may well be the definitive document of Tech-Step-Dub-No to date, I will talk about that one another time though, as I haven’t heard it very much yet, to do it justice. I have however heard an amazing mix he did on Sub FM, which I will put a link up to at the end of the post. It opened my ears fully to this dubstep movement and got me pretty excited. He effortlessly mixed between minimal sounds and dubstep tunes you often couldn’t decide what was which it was brilliant. Appleblim owns Apple Pips and co-owns Skull Disco too with Shackleton.

Martyn has been making some noise and stiring some genre spanning all of his own. He is a Dutch producer and DJ who owns 3024 Records and releases on Apple Pips as well. Martyn’s sound is techey and stepy hence the name I guess, he is similar in some ways to 2562, yet not as deep and dubby. He is a jack of all genres; he has shown this by not only playing awesome tech infused dubstep sets but by also warming up fabric with a four to the floor techno set. Examples of these brilliant mixes bellow.

2562 has made an amazing album called Ariel that I reviewed right here on this very blog not long ago. So I wont go into to much detail right now, but its techno style dub beats echo great sounds from Detroit to London.

Explore the sounds bellow and enjoy your Tech-Step (Well that name seems to be taken, so any takers on DubTek?) journey as much as I have done and will continue to do…

Appleblim’s Sub FM mix

Track list:

01. Ghislain Poirier - They Wanna Know [Tax Records]
02. Keith Worthy - Deep for Days [Sistrum Recordings]
03. Radio Slave - K-Maze [REKIDS]
04. Intrusion - Intrusion (CV313 Reduction) [echospace [detroit]]
05. Ricardo Villalobos - Electonic Water (San Proper's 'It Ate My Quarter' Mix) [Perlon]
06. Shed - Warped Mind [Ostgut Tonträger]
07. CH-Signal Laboratories (8003 Lucerne) - Hypnotica Scale [Sandwell District]
08. Peverelist - Clunk Click Every Trip [Unreleased]
09. Footsie - Pissed [White]
10. Geiom feat. Marita - Reminissin (Kode9 Remix) [Forthcoming Berkane Sol]
11. Jus Wan - Action Potential [Unreleased]
12. Martyn - General 73 [Unreleased]
13. Pangaea - You & I [Unreleased]
14. Spherix - Look Back [Unreleased]
15. Headhunter - Physics Impulse [Unreleased]
16. Burial - Pirates [Hyperdub]
17. Jus Wan - Affletic [Unreleased]
18. DLX - ??? (Breakage Remix) [Unreleased]
19. Unknown - Untitled [Unreleased]
20. Digital Mystikz - Misty Winter [Soul Jazz]
21. Ramadanman - Bidding War [Unreleased]
22. Sharmaji - Qalandar [Unreleased]
23. Martyn - Vancouver [Forthcoming 3024]
24. Appleblim & Geiom - Shreds [Unreleased]
25. Joe - Grimelight [Unreleased]
26. DJ Madd - In The Lounge [Unreleased]
27. Ramadanman - Untitled [Unreleased]
28. Instra:mental - Futurist [Unreleased]
29. Komonazmuk - Light [Terminal DUsk]
30. Unknown - At Dub [Unreleased]
31. Peverelist - Gather [Unreleased]
32. Burial - Exit Wounds [Hyperdub]
33. Distance - Fallen [Boka]
34. Cyrus - Banshi [Unreleased]
35. Gemmy - Back 2 Da Future [Unreleased]
36. Joker - 80s [Forthcoming Kapsize]
37. RSD - Prophecy [White]
38. Joker - Snake Eater [Unreleased]
39. Mala - Da Wrath (Souljahz VIP Mix) [DMZ]
40. Unknown - Murderah [Unreleased]


Martyn’s Rinse FM mix

Track list:

1. martyn - natural selection (3024)

2. slaughter mob - no snare (?)

3. skream - trapped in a dark bubble (?)

4. martyn - suburbia (applepips)

5. geiom - reminissin' kode9 remix (berkane sol)

6. trg - broken heart martyns dcm mix (hessle audio)

7. horsepower productions - hand of death (tempa)

8. benny - jahroel (?)

9. pantha du prince - florac juswan remix (tube)

10. martyn - vancouver (3024)

11. shut up and dance - epileptic martyns no strobe mix (suadrecs)


Martyn’s Fabric techno mix

Track list:

01. Omar-S - Untitled (FXHE)

02. Recloose - Soul Clap 2000 (Planet E)

03. Tikiman - Spend Some Time (Burial Mix)

04. Ripperton - On Falling (92 edit) (?)

05. Robert Owens - Bring Down the Talls (Trax)

06. Sonja Moonear - 99 Erikas (Karat)

07. Westpark Unit - Blaxrotation Suite mix (Farside records)

08. The Timewriter - Never Stop (Plastic City)

09. Roy Davis Jr. - My Soul is Electric (Large)

10. Ripperton - Tainted Words (Connaisseur)

11. Marc Schneider - Sniper Heat (Wasnotwas)

12. Theo Parrish – Can’t Take It

13. Agnes - Hi Murda (Perspectiv)

14. Ame - Basic Track (Innervisions)

15. Andomat 3000 & Jan - Entr'acte Music (Cadenza)

16. Andy Stott - Fear of Heights (Modern Love)

17. Common Factor - Get Down 3 (Playhouse)

18. DJ Minx - A Walk in the Park (Villalobos and Cassy remix) (Minus)

19. Frivolous - Sooo Savvy (Scape)

20. Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts - Mederico (Oslo)

21. Jobim's Causin - Comerte (Cargo Edition)

22. Loco Dice - A Chico a Rhytmico (Cadenza)

23. Atjazz - For Real (Version mix) (Innervisions)

24. Cobblestone Jazz - India in Me (Wagon Repair)

25. Dennis Ferrer - Son of Raw (Loco Dice remix) (Objektivity)

26. Junior Boys - Like a Child (Carl Craig mix)

27. Kenneth Graham - Love Dialed In (Visage Recordings)

28. John Shananigans - Charles on the Dancefloor (Cynosure)

29. Ricardo Villalobos - Fizheuer Zieheuer pt 2 (Playhouse)

30. Maurizio - Domina edit (M)

31. Deadbeat - Abu Graib Reconfiguration (Scape)

32. Mike Shannon - Ghost Writer Blues (Cynosure)

33. Mark August - Old Joy (Connaisseur)

34. Sid le Rock - Naked (DJ Koze mix) (Cereal/Killer)

35. Matthew Dear - But for You (Ghostly)

36. St. Germain - Rose Rouge (Rhadoo edit)

37. October - Homo Sapiens (Caravan)

38. Pole - Duesseldorf (Mike Huckaby’s SYNTH remix) (scape)

39. Substance & Vainqueur - Surface (Scion Versions)

40. Beat Pharmacy & Tikiman - Hot Spot Splash (Deep Space Media)