V/A – Dark Matter: Multiverse 2004-2009 [Tectonic]

You may know Multiverse without even knowing it, they’re an umbrella organisation and studio in Bristol that has helped many artists and labels get their music out there. The network of labels alone is pretty special, with: Pinch’s Tectonic that’s been rolling deep at the forefront of dubstep since day one and it’s diverse sister label Earwax, Joker’s Kapsize with its purple hyper-funk, October’s techno offshoot Caravan and Baobinga’s rough house imprint Build all on the roster. As you can imagine a lot of ground is covered on this Dark Matter retrospective.

Storming out of the blocks comes Vex’d with their tough, breaky style. Ravey bass pulses with a ton of energy and dub accents. It’s an early highlight. October shows an early dubstep production off by remixing Circuit Breakers, if you ever caught that Immerse 12” last year where he really goes in with two grimy hard hitting raw slabs of it you’ll know what to expect here. Later on the compilation you’ll catch more of his techno-oriented stuff he’s doing at present… You’ll be in for a treat. Pinch makes his first appearance with a weighty number in collaboration with P Dutty, its full of space, bass and a pent up aggression. Skream turns in a big dubby production with some serious bass weight. But its Joker’s ‘Stuck in the System’ that really grabs you, the grimy favourite twists computer game strings and a dirty south aesthetic into a twisted synth workout, it’s a real peak. He smooths out that style on his collaboration with Ginz on ‘Purple City’ here too, with real sing along synths. A personal favourite of mine ‘Techno Dread’ by 2562 still hits hard, with its relentless bass line and skippy, addictive drum patterns. Bristol legend RSD offers up his sublime remix of Pinch and Yolanda’s ‘Get Up’, the smooth vocals ride his dubbed out basslines perfectly, it’s a track that keeps rolling with a joyful soulful vibe. The first CD ends on the tough broken house of Baobinga & ID which really pops and swings.

The second disc really takes off with Vex’d dropping ‘Pop pop’ a heavy skippy number. Loefah & Skream come together on the fantastic ’28 Grams’, which has a weightlessness to it, the wobbly bassline ricochets off into orbit while a solid slab of sub keeps it tethered to the ground. Cyrus follows that up with the sublime ‘Indian Stomp’ with, as you’d expect Indian samples and killer percussion that rolls and bumps hard, its one of the highlights of the compilation for me. If that wasn’t enough already Pinch comes and drops ‘Qawwali / Brighter Day’ which is just pure bliss. Its got that deep meditative vibe about it that’s so addictive and appealing about early dubstep. The bassline drones and pulses with a weighty pressure that draws you in deep as the drums, pads and melodies get your head nodding. Loefah turns up on his own this time with the spacious and powerful ‘System’. ‘Uranium’ by Moving Ninja shows off similar space but with added atmosphere, they really know how to build it from raw field recordings and synth pads. October is back and in techno mode, tough four to the floor kicks and microscopic samples get cut into bumpy shapes all over the place on the addictive ‘Three Drops’, which drops into as the name suggests a three drop synth loop that really gets things moving, and when it melts into wide screen synths its something else. He pulls off another highlight with ‘Euro Dance Hit’ which comes on like a lost Daniel Bell production fighting its way through a crowded room, its all space and tension. A killer 2562 track from his last album ‘Unbalance’, which is full of colour and presence gets book-ended by two impressive productions from Emptyset to finish off the compilation, the dub techno duo really bring it with the heavy ‘Gate 4’ which sounds like it could flatten a house and the more laid back ‘Demian’ which is so smooth and full of vibes its unreal.

The music speaks for its self really, a diverse bunch. Many of the tracks sound as fresh as when they first dropped. It’s a retrospective you can really get involved with and a good jumping off point for exploring the artists and labels involved. The Multiverse really shows what presence it’s had in the scene with this compilation; it runs deep to the roots of the genre and all its factions as well as showing how important it is to the city it occupies.

http://www.multiverse-music.com/

Joker – Tron/VIP [Kapsize]

This is a track that can’t be stopped, a certified anthem that has to be unleashed on the public while it’s hot. It’s so hot it can’t be left until Joker finishes his album the track is just too big to be confined and sat on. It’s not to often an anthem comes around that you’ll hear everyone in the dubstep scene and a fair few beyond play out, but ‘Tron’ is one of them and has been for some time, maybe pre-dating the last scene wide anthem ‘Hyph Mngo’ and the latest upstart ‘Footcrab’. At a time where there is so much talk of the scene expanding and bleeding in all directions, ‘Tron’ shows that there is still a united core at work behind dubstep and one with depth too if you take those three examples. So to write words about this track seems almost futile, as you’ve either heard it and even sung along to it’s twisted synth lines, hell you may have even choreographed a dance to it… But if you haven’t heard it, first of all where have you been? And come inside you’re in for a real treat, you’ll be throwing gun fingers from your neon glow bike in no time.

The 5th release on Joker’s Kapsize label is born: ‘Tron’ takes Joker’s hyper addictive synth funk aesthetic and really lets it wile out. It’s smoother than breakthrough anthem ‘Gully Brooke Lane’ but more deranged than ‘Digidesign’. It’s a track that sounds like it’s born out of the last few years of Joker playing bigger and bigger raves, a track that doesn’t hold back. It’s smooth yet hyper-filth all at once, blurring the lines of dubstep and grime along with crunked out hip-hop. The intro springs into action like a hyped up circus/big-top soundtrack and not unlike a grimy vision of Quest’s ‘The Seafront’ before really letting loose. Then you get the drop, THAT drop: pent up energy, compressed and unleashed through vintage synths and hyeprfunk melody lines that burst and flutter as they progress over fat bass tones and punchy drums. The nearest you’ll get to ‘Tron’ in Joker released material is his work with the badman that is Ginz, but if you’ve stepped inside one of Joker’s sets you’ll no doubt know, ‘My Trance Girl’ and ‘There She Goes’ are on a similar tip.

The VIP is a hot one too, smoothing out the edges and upping the funk to create a track that is what you may imagine the rumoured Silkie collaborations to sound like if/when they surface. Smooth supped up late night street soul. Plus it’s a welcome twist up of the original to throw the floor, which is handy when the original is so well played. Joker blurs the lines and leads the way with his dubstep meets grime hybrids. Fitting in with Terror Danjah and Swindle as much as he does Gemmy and Guido, let alone Skream and Benga. ‘Tron’ is finally unleashed it’s a firm declaration of intent by Joker to shake up dance floors.

Joker "TRON" (original mix) by Multiverse

Joker "TRON" (VIP Mix) by Multiverse

http://www.myspace.com/thejokerproductions
http://www.myspace.com/kapsize1
http://www.kapsize.com/

12”

Just before record buying Armageddon picks up again and decides to destroy everyone’s wallets with fresh platters of sound coming thick and fast again this year, here’s a little round up of some 12”s from my bag at the end of last year.

Royal T – 1Up or Shatup EP [No Hoods No Hats]
One of the grime instrumentals of the year, 1Up is Mario on the rampage, fuckin’ things up to get those coins, P Money kills the vocal but you’ll need to buy his mixtape for that. Martin Kemp turns in a funky remix with balls and Bok Bok maybe makes the best material I’ve heard from him yet.

Martin Kemp – After The Night/Aztec [Blunted Robots]
Funky manoeuvres with broken grooves, deep bass and twisted synths that sound like harnessed air pressure pointed directly at your feet to make you move. Martin Kemp does it again, the Blunted Robots crew are really on it right now.

Greena – Tenzado/Actual Pain [Apple Pips]
Finally we get a 12” from Greena on the mighty Apple Pips. Two slabs of chunky bass heavy funky that rolls with broken tribal percussion. Actual Pain’s devastating bass pulse and twisted vocal samples kill it. Greena has this huge soundsystem shaking carnival vibe going on here it’s addictive.

Breakage ft. Newham Generals & David Rodigan – Hard/(Caspa & The Others ‘The Police Takeover remix’) [Digital Soundboy]
The instrumental ‘Together’ was always big but the Newham Generals give it a new lease of life by making one of THE grime bangers of the year. The Gen’s kill it vocally and add extra hype to a deep track. I’d love to hear more of the Gen’s on dubstep.

Joker – Digidesign (Om Unit’s Pop Lock remix) [White]
Quality hip-hop re-fix of the Joker favourite that has been locked in my head since I first heard it gets the Om Unit aka 2Tall treatment. He gives it a digital b-boy flex with loads of snap. Added playtime for a track I still can’t stop rinsing.

V/A – 25/11/09 EP [Ramp]
Sampha/Slugabed/Tokimonsta/Shortstuff/SBTRKT/P.U.D.G.E. celebrate the night in question with a super limited 12” EP with one track from everyone that played. Irresistible for the frozen remix of A Rustling that takes that track and goes all Wiley on us. Getting an original SBTRKT track that isn’t a remix is bless too. Tokimonsta brings her own brand of off-centre hip-hop and kills it.

Julio Bashmore – Um Bongo’s Revenge/World Peace [Dirtybird]
It took me a little while to get into this one, Um Bongo… is like a straight up peak time techno track with a funky slant and cheeky vocal sample that gets people smiling. World Peace is a subtler affair that keeps growing on you.

Ikonika – Sahara Michael/Fish [Hyperdub]
Taster of things to come from the wonderful Ikonika, who is all set to release an album in 2010. SM was on the ‘5’ comp and with its catchy funk its still lodge in my head. Fish stands up too, with more of an epic sound. Her twisted synths are kind of special. Now what we really need is her track, ‘Idiot’ its insane.

12”

The return of the semi regular, ‘randomly selected platters from my record bag that I’m really feeling right now’ blog post, maybe it needs a catchier name…

Joy Orbison – BRKLN CLLN/J.Doe [Doldrums]
Two 12”s, a few remixes and all the hype in the world. His first release on his own label, Doldrums, shows he deserves it too. BRKLN CLLN is the subtler cousin of Hyph Mngo, just as catchy and full of blissful energy. J.Doe takes the diva samples and throws it down old school house style.

Geiom & Shortstuff – No Hand Signals/Wardenclyffe [Planet Mu]
Tag team antics from two heavy weights, Geiom’s music is always special and Shorstuff makes some of the most exciting stuff around and together we get hyper coloured house variants built to move you. There is something grimy about Wardenclyffe, its like eski-acid house. No Hand Signals picks up the tempo but keeps the funky bump.

ASC – Porcelain/Focus Inwards [Nonplus+]
More Nonplus+ I can’t get enough… having missed the d’n’b boat entirely this is the first label that’s getting me excited about the sound. Super smooth half stepping d’n’b that’s so minimal it sounds like electro being fed through a wormhole. The flip takes in dubstep a tempo, big up the multi tempo 12” crews for pushing DJs to think and ride that pitch shifter!

Headhunter – Prototype (Modselektor remix)/Sex At The Prom [Tempa]
This 12” sounds massive: Modeselektor return the remix favour and make their own take on dubstep, which sounds like big room techno with a dark edge. Sex At The Prom goes deep with acid bubbles and hypnotic bass. It’s like Berlin and Bristol are tearing each other a new one on the same 12”.

Starkey Ft. Badness – Ok Luv/Ok Luv (instrumental)/Multidial [Planet Mu]
Taster of things to come from Starkey’s next album ‘Ear Drums and Black Holes’ due March 2010: super smooth hyper soul with grimy undertones and epic colourful melodies. Multidial, heads right to the dance floor with robo-bass and energy surges, killer.

V.I.V.E.K. – Kulture/Meditation Rock [Deep Medi]
Big room material from V.I.V.E.K., dub techno undertones pulled off in a very Deep Medi way, your soundsystem will shake. Things get ravey with Kulture,the filtered stabs re-live the hayday and make you want to loose it in a field outside the M25. But there is something else here too, an eerie blissful dub vibe... Which is where Meditation Rock picks up from.

Joker – City Hopper/Output 1-2 [Tectonic]
These tracks aren’t even the catchiest Joker tracks this year but I still can’t shift them from my head. He keeps it grimy and techy for Tectonic, Output 1-2 especially. City Hopper makes you want to roll around the city with your windows down, swaggering funk and irresistible melodies that somehow remind me of the circus.

Instra:mental/Skream – No Future (Skreamix)/Minimalistix [Nonplus+]
Minimalistix is THE one here: Skream takes it into tech infused stripped back and subtle roller territory while No Future tears the dance a new hole. It’s like the evil twin of his Zomby Float remix and will have to do until that drops fingers crossed…

Joker & Ginz – Purple City / Re-Up [Kapsize]

Joker’s Kapsize imprint has grown from strength to strength since it’s inception last year, from getting dubstep and grime heads excited to drawing in the hip-hop crowd and with the last platter gaining Radio One recognition.

His collaborations have always been special the aqaucrunk madness of ‘Play Doe’ with Rustie was a true meeting of minds. Now for the latest Kapsize offering Joker has hooked up with another pimp, breakbeat producer that goes by many name ranging from 30Hz to The Body Snatchers, right now he is in his fur lined purple suit as Ginz.

First up on the 12” is ‘Purple City’ with those snapping crunk drums and electronic bongo rolls then a set of almighty synth hooks that just sing to you like a fucked-up robot soul machine with a real raw edge. Then the sick bass line just adds even more raw energy with a sub low growl. It’s an anthem that’s for sure dance floors will drop with a pimp limp to this one.

Flip it and you get the ‘Re-Up’ which all you wire fans and drug dealers will know means the stash is coming and fuck me it doesn’t disappoint. The orchestral build up above the crisp snapping percussion that ushers in the bass drop is a needle drop to the top, spin back moment. It pulses with high-octane energy and gets the gun fingers going, get ready to brock out.

Joker and Ginz show they are big time pimps on this Kapsize each side oozes with quality cop it while it’s hot.


Download: Joker - Solid State

Durrty Goodz – Ultrasound

Original writen for Sonic Router, see it and more here.

The long awaited next CD from Durrty Goodz is finally here and it’s taken time. Ultrasound is the pre-album to the highly anticipated album Born Blessed and the follow up to one of the top grime releases to date the on point Axiom EP.

It’s so good to have him back and Ultrasound doesn’t disappoint, it may not reach the heights of Axiom but it’s solid. There is no need to skip a track, which is good going for a grime CD.

There’s some big productions on here, every beat is huge sounding and punchy. Nocturnal, Rudekid, Taz Buckfaster, Bouncer, Demos, Maniac and Joker all pull out the big guns. A lot of the time they find the middle ground between grime and dubstep, which really suits Goodz not to mention, kills it.

Goodz deals with grime matters mostly, like people going mainstream and electro, the death of raves and the scene. But he does it with a big shit eating grin big bars and hooks.

Highlights include the hyper strings and bass of ‘Party N Rave’ about the state of grime raves. Buckfaster’s ‘Destruction’ is an absolute beast, pure gully. ‘Upset Me’ has a quite dig at Wiley over a minimal bleep beat. The radio sampling ‘Grime Killers’ is a banger and pretty much sums up the CD’s lyrical tip. ‘Forward Skip’ featuring MC Stephen Hawkins really gets in your head with its hype hook.

If this is just the warm up for Born Blessed we are in for a real treat as the levels are high on this one.

http://www.myspace.com/officialdurrtygoodz

Hyperdub Up and Coming

Hyperdub is setting it’s self up well for the beginning of 2009 with some quality slabs of bass music. Stretching its already diverse catalogue into territories far and wide, well this time it’s going a bit funky at least. I will maybe do an article on funky soon enough but for now just check this out. It made my jaw drop.

HDB018 A. Joker - 'Digidesign' AA. 2000F & J Kamata - 'You Don't Know What Love Is'

Late February

These two tracks have been around for quite some time now but they still rock so hard. Digidesign has to be one of my favourite Joker tracks so far and the 2000F & J Kamata tune is some next level P-Funk vocoder business.

Joker

2000F

J Kamata

HDB019 LD A. Traumatic Times AA. Woodblock early 2009

I think LD played these in his Marry Ann Hobbs showcase but I’m not to sure about that. LD is blowing me away right now with his funky swinging and driving drum patterns he just has so much soul and a wicked dancy vibe. Check out an interview with LD by 3barfire’s Markle here.

LD

HDB020 Cooly G A. Narst AA. Love Dub / Love Dub refix Out in March

Cooly G is almost an unknown to me, I say almost as I found her just yesterday and thought to myself, now this is some good shit. Then I went for a peek on dubstepforum like you do and found out that Kode 9 had picked up some of her tracks for release! She makes a deep funky kind of house, you know funky as in funky. It sounds pretty different to your average funky too so may well push the sound into yet more diverse territories. She also has a self-released CD out soon that you can cop from her.

Cooly G

HYP009 A. Kode9 - Black Sun B. Kode9 - 2 Far Gone March release

I will let the video of Black Sun speak for it’s self here:





This is one fucked up funky paced wonky bleep fest from what I can gather, I’ve only really seen it on the video so we will have to wait and see what the rest is like. Big things!

Kode 9

Then:

‘don't worry . . .it all goes to shit after this one
got a double ep from this guy from bavaria playin the spoons wooden spoons, mind you, not some formulaic metal spoon sheet’
Hyperdub (2008)

P U R P L E

Joker – Gemmy – Guido

These three are doing it for me right now; they are bringing a mad Dr. Dre style funk to the 140 bpm dubstep / grime template. They have been at it for quite a while now but hell they are kicking this year off well.

First up is Joker for a start he has one of his sickest productions Digidesign dropping on Hyperdub next month but then what really got my ear was this mix:

‘Hope y’all all like it about 45 mins of wow sound MIXED MY ME http://www.zshare.net/download/5344464594dfa8be/ Track listening coming soon no hype ting just good muzik’

Heny G - Delayed Style

Silkie - 7-1

Joker & Ginz - Purple City

Joker - Psychedelic Runway

Joker - Gullybrook Plain

Joker - Digidesign

Guido - Tango 140

Gemmy - Espaniola (SOMETHING LIKE THAT )

Gemmy - The box Remix no.2

Gemmy - BT Tower

Gemmy - Back 2 the future 2012

Gemmy - ........

Joker - Do it

Joker - Early Morning

Benga - Buzzin

RSD - Naked Mario Kart

Skream - Unknown

Silkie - Weird Piano Quest - The Unknown

Rude kid - Are You Ready (instrumental)

Maniac - Three Crows

Joker & Rustie -Play Doe

Joker - Untitled.rsn

NELLY FERTARDO -SHOW TIME YA GETTT ME! LOL

That’s how he described it anyway. It’s maybe the best mix I’ve heard him do apart from his Bristol Rise Up and Generation Bass sessions on Marry Ann Hobbs Experimental on Radio One. So many bangers and so much great music it has to be heard.

Gemmy next, he is Joker’s mate (these three are all from Bristol) they have been making tracks for quite some time together and they are still young’uns. Joker’s mix nicely showcases a lot of Gemmy beats for you to check out so do that… What’s exciting me the most though is the fact that Gemmy will be dropping the Supligen EP on Planet Mu pretty damn soon.

Guido is the third part of the puzzle, he is rooted in a mad grime based future R&B kind of area, not unlike Joker and Gemmy but then has a sound all of his own too. Check this out:

‘yo whats poppin peeps just joined the forum, heres a 29 minute mix ive done... hope u like it http://www.sendspace.com/file/yrv8pk PEACE guido’

Tantalized - Guido

Beautiful Complication - Guido, Aarya & Ruthless

Chakra - Guido

You Do It Right - Guido

Orchestral Lab- Guido J

ohnny 5 - Gemmy

Mad Sax - Guido

Do It! - Joker

Tango - Guido

Digidesign – Joker

It’s one of the most addictive mixes I’ve heard in a while, I must have listened to it about 5 times the day I downloaded it. The stand out tracks for me are; the amazing Beautiful Complication as it really adds some sexy vocal soul that is sometimes lacking in dubstep and grime beats. Orchestral Lab is another beauty that needs a shout out, I’ve heard rumours that it’s going to come out on Peverelist’s Punch Drunk label but I have no idea how true that is.

So there you go the Purple Trilogy, check them out.

http://www.myspace.com/guidoproductions

www.myspace.com/thejokerproductions

www.myspace.com/djgemmy

Coleco – Campfire Funk / Sharmaji Feat. Maggie Horn – Break Your Heart 12” (Soul Motive)

This is 12” number three from Bristol’s Soul Motive and once again they are really pushing the dubstep sound into strange and wonderful territories. SMR001 was a fantastic 12” featuring TRG and Joker it’s the one with the legendary beast that is Snake Eater on it, you now the one it sounds like the dirty south of hiphop meats grime down an ally and has a big fight. SMR002 was just as insane yet on a completely different tip it featured spaghetti western style dubstep from Forsaken and Ben Blackmoor. I really haven’t heard much like that before in my life, country and western honky ton style guitar and piano’s over some serious bass. So we come to the third release SMR003 and again they bring the different vibes along.

The A-side features a broken beat meets euphoric funk number Campfire Funk by Coleco, it comes on like a deep bassy Chemical Brothers or something and it fits in so well with the Soul Motive collective sound. The crackle of a campfire brings the track in as organic percussion builds into melodic guitar riffs. It’s nice to hear some really big break beats in dubstep as well, these ones sound huge and you could easily imagain a full band playing this track. It really lives up to Soul Motives moto of Emotive, Innovative and Timeless Music.

Onto the flip now and you are in for a real treat from Brooklyn producer Sharmaji and the vocal talents of Maggie Horn. Break Your Heart is a soulful, spooky 2-stepper with an emotive vocal hook that rides effortlessly on top of skipping garage beats and some big punchy funky bongo rhythms. This has to be my favourite track on the 12” I can’t get the hook out of my head. It’s all so dark and uplifting like a melancholic shuffle on a dark and dirty dance floor. The bass is deep and driving with a bit of a growl to add some extra dirt, it really finishes off the 12” nicely.

Soul Motive bring it to the table yet again with some very different vibes, oh yeah I forgot to mention that the artwork for each record is awesome. I mean check out the first one for some old skool style jazz posses from Joker or the second for Forsaken posing with a police horse while dressed as cowboys. This one features a nice campfire scene inside a dirty wearhouse that has now been torn down. You also get a password to email to the label, which lets you get some nice 320 mp3’s so you can listen from the comfort of your computer. What more could you want from a label, I look forward to seeing what they drop next.

www.soulmotive.co.uk

Joker & Rustie – Play Doe / Tempered (Kapsize) 12”

12” number two from the new label Kapsize, which is owned and run by the young talent Joker, the 19 year old from Bristol. The first 12” was a solo effort and features one of my favourite Joker joints 80’s, number two comes with even more fire power.

Side A is a collaboration between Kapsize head honcho Joker and Glasgow wonky beat maker Rustie. They fight over whatever equipment they have laying around the studio to create a track that is the best of both their worlds.

You get sparse lilting beats with that dirty south hiphop bump to them and deranged synths that Timberland wishes he could have thought of. Not to mention the massive bass weight, the low-end spectrum to this as with all Joker stuff is pretty huge and will make your teeth shake on a big system. I’m pretty sure they sample Busta Rhymes or something with the small vocal sample, ‘Ha’, but I could be wrong there. I remember hearing this on Generation Bass in Jokers set and thinking man this is a banger. Rustie brings a bit of a hip-hop swagger to the beats that is more than welcome, he gets his wonk on and makes this track a certified future R&B, Hip-Hop, bass bin shaker.

The flip side is Rustie flexing his 140 bpm mussels on his own, Tempered is a real treat I just love it when people like FlyLo and Rustie bring the tempo up to dubstep kind of speeds for a few tracks. They really know how to bring different things to the table. This track is no exception, it goes really well with the A Side and has a kind of aquatic vibe, with some massive 808 style drum work outs and a synth to die for. Rustie with his wonk on, keeping it bumping and aquatic.

This 12” is kind of special and there isn’t quite anything like it around right now. Kapsize are doing things differently and with style. Joker the young’un is tearing up floors world wide now as is Rustie. These two better keep working together when they find them selves in the same town, the Bristol Vs. Glasgow combination needs exploring more. Big up Joker & Rustie.

http://www.myspace.com/kapsizerecordings

http://www.myspace.com/rustiebeetz

http://www.myspace.com/thejokerproductions

Rustie – Zig Zag (Wireblock) 12”

This is a super limited slab of one-sided laser etched future funk bass hype music. There are only 1000 12”s of this around at the moment so if you want it you will have to grab it quick or forever be looking for it on ebay for ridicules prices. This track is like a sugar rush and maybe one of Rustie’s best so far, which is saying something with his track record. Zig Zag is all over the place its so wonky it hurts, you feel like you are being taken in so many different directions as you can hear different tempos and pitch shifts at once. This is wonky wild pitch if ever I heard it. The sounds he uses are like some kind of freaked out mix of hip-hop and trance with a blast of electro for good measure. It’s like he gave Blaze a sugar injection and set him loose in the studio with sonic the hedgehog some extra hairdo to top up with e numbers and made him get his wobble on. Right now Rustie is making some exciting music as are people like: Joker (who has an up and coming 12” on Kapsize with Rustie), Starkey, Zomby… They all get their urban bass music going in some strange off-kilter future style.

Buy it here: Wireblock

Rustie Myspace

Wireblock Myspace

MRK 1 – Get Out Clause / Infected 12” (Earwax) [EAR007]

This 12” is dropping on Earwax on the 8th September 2008 and sees the return of Manchester’s MRK 1 AKA Mark One of Virus Syndicate.

Get Out Clause is a dirty and raw skanker that will shake up the dance. The grizzly bass osculation will rip through you as the beat skips and pounds around like a beast on the rampage. The whooshing build up sound reminds me of a house track by Hatiras called Space Invader. There is a cheeky little vocal sample that I can’t quite place but it sounds a little like Jay Z. Get Out Clause is an energetic electronic pure dance floor track.

Infected is on the flip and is a slightly subtler affair with some live cymbal samples that add some warmth to the production. The half step groove and deep synths add a dirty grime edge to the track. Every now and again the half-step drums are interrupted by a wicked skipping robo rhythm that induces a little more energy. I am really feeling the dirty grime energy in bass music right now and MRK 1 certainly has that in bucket loads. I much prefer this side of the 12” to the first this seems to be the case with me I always go for the more subtle grooves rather than the full on dance floor bombs.

MRK 1 and Earwax have made a brilliant 12” here that well satisfy many heads…

I mean just check out ho has been letting this rip on the scene: Pinch, Joker, Plastician, RSD.

MRK 1 / Mark One Space

Virus Syndicate Space

Earwax Recordings

Generation Bass on Marry Anne Hobbs Experimental Show on Radio One 20th August 2008

Live and rolling review...

M.A.H. kicks off the Experimental with that brilliant little intro and introduces all the heads and the host MC Sgt. Pokes.

Silkie & Quest are up first, they are Mala’s choice. They are the Deep Medi, Anti Social posse and they bring some serious heavy weight bass. The first tune is seriously spooky and the next is a funky freak of a tune that I have on pre-order: Silkie’s Dam 4. The tracks come think and fast as each artist only gets about 15 minuets, next up is some dub reggae influenced vibes with a killer soulful piano. This is some space age soul music right here, its like the most swingin’ techno infused future soul going and the bass is indeed next generation. I’m a little bit taken back by how good it is and we have only just started. I can’t wait to get a track list for this…

Kulture is up next and Skreams choice; this guy intrigues me as I have found little about him. He starts with some spooky sci-fi vibes, like something out of Bladerunner if it was set in London via Jamaca, there is also a huge bouncy bass drop, which is followed by some head nodding reggae business and growling bass. This set isn’t quite smashing it as much as Quest & Silkie, but you know each to their own. Ah it just picked up again, with some pure rolling garage bongos and warm little twinkles of dub synth. More deep stuff follows and I’m happy as hell, this little echo drenched techno soul vibe tune is THE SHIT. Some female vocals mix out of that into some sexy dance floor stuff and a rap track that is hyper as hell and mixed into some down tempo laid back stuff, which reminds me of my own heartbeat.

Joker takes his place on the ones and twos next with his MC Nomad, he is Kode 9’s choice and what a choice he is. This guy is exciting me right now, not only in the dubstep circles but also in music in general. He is making some futuristic sci-fi grime infused bass beats that are pretty much the next wave of urban R&B sounds. He doesn’t disappoint by opening with what sounds like some twisted G-Funk that not even Dre could make. The next tune is another 8-bit synth freak out which samples Busta Rhymes as far as I can tell. Nomad spat some nice bars over some seriously squelch acid bass. This is some futuristic sounds, its like an alien just landed and decided to create some sounds that he thought would make us dance, and you know what the fucker got it right. And then he drops 80’s one of my all time favourite tracks right now, and into the flip to that 12” Gully Brook Lane / what ever that other one is called. This is from and I quote, ‘Next solar system’. Pitched bent synth lines and out there hooks fade into the huge Snake Eater, I think some sub systems just got kicked over… So far Joker is the winner if we have to choose, Quest & Silkie came so close but hell, Joker is not from this world.

American Starkey is up to the plate, Vex’d choice won’t disappoint. He makes some beautiful soulful stuff along with in your face industrial beasts. Its full of vibes and colour, I love his new EP Angel and he has an album dropping soon on Planet Mu. It’s a cross between grime and dubstep but with a really warm soulful edge. Gutter Music opens the set in true style, then into some growling future funk. He slows it down with some half stepping and rap vibes over the top or some bubble bass beats. These synths are pretty damn twisted to say the least. And it just gets more wonky in the bass section as some deep stabs flow on top the madness. Starkey is taking it into pumping techno territory almost before dropping some more twisted soul music from the heart. This is deep and emotional stuff; he is showing some range in his selection. As he proves by dropping some rap track with a mad growling grime style. Starkey is showing that this is truly a global thing…

Chef, Hatcha’s choice steps up. The Corydon rising star brings the heavy weight vinyl to all three decks. The bass is pretty ridicules on his opener, it sounds like the hardest garage you could make while still keeping the sexy soul swing. The beats are huge and rolling, he drops the anthem Reminiscin’ with tailor made vocals that say, ‘I’m Reminiscin’ Chef’. Man I love this tune; I play it any time I get chance. This is almost into D’n’B territory in places; I guess that’s because of the three deck beat action. He is the first guy to whip out some silence and make the build and drop huge to one of his tracks. Chef is good an all that, but others still have an edge over him in my eyes. It’s a tough line up though and he is holding his own. Chef drops a dirty junglest bassline number with reggae samples, then into some hard stuff again.

Oneman the DJ that spins pretty much anything awesome from old skool 2-step to what ever is hot right now, he’s up next and is Loefah’s choice. He doesn’t produce so he is likely to drop something special to keep it rolling and maybe even give us a history lesson. He starts his set with some pure rolling garage beats and twisted synths. The bass is huge and the vibe strong, he brings so many different styles to the table; he is a true DJ Selecta. He goes from the deep rolling style into some dirty as hell bangers with such ease. Oneman I salute you… This is the most on form I have heard him, I am a bit speechless, the slow rolling synth numbers that echo the 2-step scene as much as the dubstep are killing me. As is this piano riff creeping in, that drops into an eyes down dirty skanker, Forgive by Mala as Uprooted crew member Rudetone from York just informed me, big up to them. More 2-step soul to move your feet is up next in the mix. Onemans set was special…

Cyrus is the final choice and he was picked by Distance the metal monster of the scene. This is some seriously heavy beats again, and he starts with some Random Trio action, a deep bass growler. This is some dark, dark and dirty, sick stuff; someone should check this guy out he is ill. Cyrus has some metallic tones just like the guy who picked him Distance. Some of it’s not really my thing but the guy is still killin’ it, I’m nodding my head fo’ sho’. He is dark, deep and proper hardcore the bass weight is immense. He brings a little bit of light and soul into the set with a lazy swaggering number.

Generation Bass killed it and showcased some of the scenes amazing talent; they took their 15 minuets each and ran amuck. Joker brought the hyper energy of a madman badman and was maybe my favourite of the night. Starkey follows him for me, but only just, I mean hell I’m going to have to listen to that again to make sure. Quest & Silkie pretty much blew me away with some pure future soul. Oneman is up there too, just for an impeccable style, selection and vibes. Cyrus is one dark mutha and the more his set went on the more I felt it, the deep and pure dirty sound was intence. The rest represented and showed me parts of the scene I wouldn’t normally venture and killed it still. I’m going to have to get up early and rewind this little gem of a show. Big up to Marry Anne Hobbs and her Experimental Show and the whole load of steppers, first up the original Dubstep Warz crew for choosing and then the new blood Generation Bass for keeping it alive and well.

What the heads say…

listen again on the BBC iPlayer all week, then I'm sure it will be around online after that as an mp3.

Wednesday 20th August

Generation Bass
Recorded live at Maida Vale, hosted by Mary Anne Hobbs & MC Sgt Pokes

Rustie - 'Jagz The Smack' (Stuff)

Silkie & Quest… chosen by Mala
Conquest – ‘Stand’ (Deep Medi)
Silkie – ‘Dam 4’ (Soul Jazz)
Conquest – ‘Hard Food’ (Ase)
Silkie – ‘Test’ (Dubplate)
Conquest – ‘Last Dayz’ (Dubplate)
Conquest – ‘The Seafront’ (Deep Medi)
Silkie – ‘The Horizon’ (Dubplate)
Silkie & Mizzbeats – ‘Purple Love’ (Dubplate)
Conquest – ‘The Unknown’ (Dubplate)

Kulture… chosen by Skream
Kulture –‘Diesel’ (Disfigured Dubz)
Kulture –‘Steppin’ Outta Babylon’ (Dubplate)
Kulture – ‘Spooked’ (Dubplate)
Kulture – ‘Vitamin D’ (Dubplate)
Kulture feat. Ghost 1 – ‘Purple’ (Promo)
Kulture – ‘Rock The Boat’ (Bootleg)
Kulture – ‘Tonight’ (Dubplate)
Late – ‘Misty Morning (Kulture Remix) (Dubplate)

Joker & MC Nomad… chosen by Kode 9
Joker – ‘Stuck In The System’ (Earwax)
2000F & JKamata – ‘You Don’t Know What Love Is’ joker special (Dubplate)
Joker & Rustie – ‘Play Doe’ (Kapsize)
Gemmy – ‘Double Yellow’ (Dubplate)
MR E – ‘Space Invaders’ (Dubplate)
Rustie – ‘Tempered’ (Kapsize)
Joker – ‘80's’ (Kapsize)
Joker – ‘Gully Brook Lane’ (Terrorhythm)
J@kes & Joker – ‘3K Lane’ (H.E.N.C.H)
Joker – ‘Holly Brook Park’ (Kapsize)
Gemmy – ‘Back 2 The Future’ (Punch drunk)
Joker – ‘Snake Eater’ (Soul motive)

Starkey… chosen by Vex’d
Starkey –‘Gutter Music (Keysound / Planet Mu)
Starkey – ‘Striking Distance’ (Planet Mu)
Starkey – ‘Pictures’ (Planet Mu)
Graphic feat. Beans – ‘ I am Metal’ (Starkey remix) (Offshore)
Starkey – ‘Pressure’ (Planet Mu)
Starkey – ‘Dark Alley’ (Planet Mu)
MOVES!!! – ‘All Skate’ (Dubplate)
Starkey – ‘Miracles’ (Planet Mu)
Styles P feat. Swizz Beats – ‘Blow Ya Mind’ (Starkey Remix) (Seclusiasis)
Starkey – ‘Spacewalk’ (Planet Mu)

Chef… chosen by Hatcha
Mr Lager & Alys Blaze – ‘Tell Me’ (Sub Freq)
LD + Clue Kid –‘Not Gonna Cry’ (Ringo)
Geoim feat. Marita – ‘Reminiscin’(Berkane Sol)
LD & Kode 9 – ‘Bad’ (Hyperdub)
Flying Lotus feat. Dolly – ‘Roberta Flack’ (Martyn’s Heart Beat mix) (Warp)
Clue Kid – ‘Monkey Style’(Subbalicious)
Cotti – ‘Calm Down’ (Bassface)
Kutz & Benga – ‘I’ll Kut Ya’ (Dubplate)
Coki - ‘Robotnik’ (Dubplate)

Oneman… chosen by Loefah
Brackles – ‘Get A Job (VIP)’ (Applepips)
Loefah – Midnight’ (Dubplate)
Toasty – ‘Lickable’ (Dubplate)
Point B – ‘E Blade’ (Combat Recordings)
Mala – ‘Forgive’ (Deep Medi)
Groove Chronicles – ‘Stone Cold’ (White Label)
Darkstar – ‘Aidy’s Girl is a Computer’ (Hyperdub)

Cyrus… chosen by Distance
Cyrus & Distance – ‘Violate’ (RTP005)
Cyrus – ‘Decisions’ (Dubplate)
Cyrus – ‘Night After’ (Dubplate)
Cyrus & Distance – ‘Surrender’ (Dubplate)
Cyrus – ‘Space Cadet’ (Dubplate)
Distance – ‘Magnesium’ (Dubplate)

LL - 'Out The Club' (Dubplate)

Picture From drumzofthesouth Dot Com ;)

BIG!

Generation Bass Vs. Dubstep Warz

The original Dubstep Warz was way back in 2006 on Radio 1 by Marry Anne Hobbs and it went down as a bit of a legendary shindig apparently. I never heard it at the time but in this day and age you can find it easy enough. So for Generation Bass Marry Anne has got the original members of Dubstep Warz together to curate and choose some artists of their own to represent the scene. It goes a little something like this:

Mala’s choice: Silkie and Quest

Skream’s choice: Kulture

Kode 9’s choice: Joker

Vex’d’s choice: Starkey

Hatcha’s choice: Chef

Loefah’s choice: Oneman

Distance’s choice: Cyrus

“I have been given the opportunity to do a very special one-off show at the BBC's Maida Vale studios, which we'll broadcast on Radio 1, Tuesday night/Wednesday morning on August 19th/20th. We will also be filming the whole thing for YouTube.” Marry Anne Hobbs

I’m most excited about Silkie, Kulture & Joker who just zinged me on dubstepforum about my needles, cheeky: and Starkey sounds wicked too. All of it is going to be awesome to be honest, you can be sure to hear a showcase of the dubstep sound. I was hopping to have Appleblim, Martyn, 2562 or Peverlist in there somewhere but I guess it just isn’t happening. Catch up on the Dubstep Warz from way back bellow:

Dubstep Warz Download

Tracklist:

D1 - Untitled (white)Mala (Digital Mystikz)

Digital Mystikz - ‘10 Dread Commandments VIP’ (white)
Digital Mystikz - ‘Haunted’ (white)
Digital Mystikz - ‘Left Leg Out’ (white)
Skream - ‘Request Line’ Mala remix (white)
Digital Mystikz - ‘All Of A Sudden’ (white)
Digital Mystikz - ‘Anti-War Dub’ (white)

Skream
Skream - ‘Midnight Request Line’ (Tempa)
Skream - ‘Tapped’ (Tempa)
Sunship and Warrior Queen - ‘Almighty Father’ Skream remix (white)
Skream - ‘Glamma’ (Tempa)
Skream - ‘Deep Concentration’ (Tempa)
Skream - ‘Rottan’ (Tempa)
Digital Mystikz - ‘Ancient Memories’ Skream remix (white)
Horsepower - ‘Egypt’ (Skream remix) (white)
Skream - ‘Music 2 Make Us Stagga’ (white)

Kode 9 and Space Ape
Benny Ill, Kode9 & the Culprit - ‘Fat Larry Skank’ Kode 9 remix (white)
Kode 9 and Space Ape - ‘9 Samurai’ (Hyperdub)
Kode 9 and Space Ape - ‘Backward’ (Hyperdub)
Kode 9 and Space Ape - ‘Kingston Dub’ (Hyperdub)
Burial and Space Ape - ‘Space Ape’ (White)

Vex’d
Vex’d - ‘Saturn’ (white)
Vex’d - ‘3rd Choice’ (white)
Vex’d - ‘Wavescape Remix’ (white)
Vex’d - ‘Killing Floor’ (white)

Hatcha and Crazy D
Benga - Untitled (white)
Benga - Untitled (white)
Coki - Untitled (white)
Coki - Untitled (white)

Coki - Untitled (white)
Skream - ‘Request Line’ Remix (white)
Benga - Untitled (white)
Benga - Untitled (white)
Benga - Untitled (white)
Digital Mystikz - ‘Ancient Memories’ Skream remix (white)

Loefah and Sgt. Pokes
Loefah - ‘Mud’ (white)
Loefah - ‘Ruffage’ (white)
Loefah - ‘Sukkah’ (white)
Loefah - ‘System’ (white)
Loefah - ‘Root’ (DMZ)

Distance
Distance - ‘My Demons’ (white)
Distance - ‘Fallen’ (white)
Distance - ‘Tuning’ (white)
Distance - ‘Cella’ (white)
Distance - ‘Cyclops’ (white)
Distance - ‘Night Vision’ (white)
Distance - ‘Traffic’ (white)

DJ Pinch - ‘Qawwali’ (white)

Joker – Holly Brook Park / 80s 12”

This is the new 12” from Joker who seems to be smashing it right now form what I can gather, it’s dropping on his new Bristol imprint called Kapsize in mid to late July, so soon if not now. The A-Side Holly Brook Park is an electro tinged dubstep beast with a slow kind of hiphop vibe to it. Holly Brook Park is so damn catchy I keep getting it stuck in my head; the synth hook is deadly and will smash the dance floor. It’s in the same vain as his last banger Gully Brook Lane, it could even be the extended mid section to that very track. I could see this tune crossing over to the Grime crowd someone spittin’ on it would work a treat. Hell some dirty south syrup drinking freaks could rock this tune too.

The flip 80s is a subtler affair and I maybe prefer it just. Retro 8-bit twinkles and synths make a sweet little tune that starts off like some long lost computer game soundtrack nugget before dropping some powerful bass and mournful melodies. The skitting electro percussion is in full effect here it reminds me of that booming old skool electro sound you get on Street Sound compilations. This 12” is a beast A-side and flip will move the floor in different ways. Check out his myspace bellow and there is a mini mix he did for Skream’s radio show that looks fat.

JokerSpace

Joker Mix for Skream’s Rinse show