the genre known as dubstep - search and destroy

I always forget just how fantastic the best bits of the Kode9/Space Ape album, which are a lot of them! My favourite stuff is all the ominous hip hop - the slowly stomping "Backward", the constantly shifting "Portal" (this is prob. my favourite), the delicate "Addiction". the tense "Bodies"... If all of the tracks were in this vein! On a positive note the recent Soul Jazz track "Magnetic" is fairly close to this sound, though on moreo of ambient dancehall tip perhaps owing to no vocalist.

I love that a lot of the above tracks are more on this kind of Japan "Ghosts" meets early Mannie Fresh vibe rather than same old same old dub stuff - I've always really disliked "Sine" to be honest. I like how effortlessly musical and agile and widescreen Kode9's more recent work has been.

Ha perhaps the reason "Portal" knocks me out so much is that he sounds so similar to Target/Danny Weed.

http://media.sonar.es/alacarta07/lista1/kode9_160.mp3

Kode 9's mix for Sónar. File is tiny because it's streaming quality, 64kbps or some shit. Awesome selection though.

^^^
cosignatory

Barefiles (a huge archive of Dubstep pirate radio sets) is back online! Alas, without any of the RinseFM sets because they're trying to start their own podcasting thing. But w/e. Still lots of good shit to be found.

Search: (mixes on Barefiles)

Plastician - May 07 (mentioned up-thread)

Excision - Darkside Dubstep, a classic mix

Lucky Strike b2b The Others b2b Rusko, mainly Rusko/Others tracks which means it's excellent; nicely sequenced

Plastician - May 2006, older mix, still very good

I love love love the Vex'd/Distance Dubstep/Metal mix for the Breezeblock - is there anything else remotely like this?

I'm probably very much behind the 8-ball but Mala's Changes/Forgive 12 inch is great - so eerie! The harmonic synth chords! The cut-up choirs! I almost feel guilty for liking this kind of thing and not the bosh bosh stuff, like, my taste in dubstep is so boringly aristocratic. Or maybe i just like melodies?

Also Mala's stuff sounds fantastic pitched down to house tempos.

there was an older vex'd mix available - 'adverse camber'. was very quiet though.

and i know i keep mentioning it but garagepressure.com does a good job of 2 hours a week of dubstep largely uninterrupted by shout outs. they've started archiving things for more than a fortnight as well.

vex'd @ adverse camber: http://www.spannered.org/radio/1150/

Hi, just thought I'd add my two penneth' worth. I'm really glad I'm not alone in my thoughts on the Kode9/Spaceape album. I recently wrote a 1000 word review for Amazon as no-one had said anything despite it coming out last September or something and the bastards never uploaded it! Must have got lost in the ether. I basically spraffed how it was part of the freat linage of UK Dub going back Linton Kwesi Johnson, Mad Professor and even early Dreadzone i.e. stuff that's already been said about 8 million times regarding this album I 'spose. Stripped to the bones but arranged with startling originality and that's quite difficult to do.

"Sine" and "Backward" are the true stand-out's for me along with the very, very sinister "Correction". Had the pleasure of seeing both of them warm up for Rhythm & Sound at Fabric in March, which was blinding.

Has anyone heard the Cyrus from Random Trio album? Some people are comparing it to the Burial album but I've not heard it meself.

Cyrus LP pretty much all previewable here (use individual 12"s rather than the cd):

http://www.boomkat.com/artist.cfm?a=13472

Cheers, I never thought of checking Boomkat for some reason seeing as a sizable amount of my salary goes into their coffers on a monthly basis.

Yeah, impressed with what I hear from the outset. Sounds more fragmented and experimental than I thought it might, but I think Random Trio have that dynamic in places. Don't think you could compare this to Burial as from my perspective their influences are coming from different orbits. I can see how people would make that comparison tho.

i picked up n-type's "dubstep allstars vol 5" today, because i heard some liar say some lies about it being "intense" "big-room high-energy dance music".

LIES. it's the same old slow wobbly shit.

Did you expect hard house?

maybe something more along the lines of these kromestarr tracks

or is it tes la rok?

i dunno, anyway about 5% of this is new and interesting, the other 95% (all these benga tracks especially) is pretty wack.

maybe this music would sound better on a decent system if i was a pasty-faced weed-addicted shut-in

What's with the number of dubstep artists with names ending in 'a'? Is this some phonetic thing that sounds cool, because for some reason it's gotten on my nerves after reading enough dubstep articles and browsing releases. It might be a problem with selective attention, though.
-ga
-sta
-cha

ubetcha!

is the souljazz 'box of dub' thing any goood? i know next to nothing about what's what in dubstep but loved the burial album and a lot of the other stuff i've heard.

Received this email the other day, new Burial material out this week. Think it's available from Blackmarket today but for those of you outside the M25 it's online from Friday. After hearing 'Unite' on his myspace, I don't think it can be anything else but wicked.......
---------------------
HDB004 - Burial - Ghost Hardware E.P.
12" vinyl
A. Ghost Hardware
B1. Shutta
B2. Exit Woundz

Available in your usual on/offline retailers from Friday 15th June.

Available exclusively in Bm-Soho, London shop from Wednesday 13th June.

Watch out for HDB005 and HDB006 before the end of the summer.

---------------------

Catch kode9 & Spaceape live at Sonar (alongside Mary Ann Hobbs, Skream & Oris Jay), Barcelona this Friday night.

---------------------

Kode9 will also be playing at Fwd>>, Plastic People, London Friday 29th June

---------------------

'low end theory'
www.hyperdub.net

www.myspace.com/hyperdub

i dont know whats happening in dubstep anymore.

when does the plastician album come out?

anyone?

myspace.com...

The Debut Album From The Plastician - "Beg To Differ".....

Tracklisting:

1. Intensive Snare (feat. Skepta)
2. Symptomatic
3. Shallow Grave 2006
4. I Can't Believe Its Not Benny
5. Real Things (feat. Chronik, Skepta, Tempa T, Frisco, Esco)
6. Hocus Pocus
7. Vio-Lent
8. Walk In The Carpark
9. Badboy
10. Japan

Is now being released on June 18th on Terrorhythm Recordings on CD & Download, with vinyl singles following including remixes of the tracks.

Finally after lots of setbacks we can confirm a release date!

that intensive snare song has a crappy hook but its good otherwise. bit quick to release it isnt it? no promo or anything.

oh boy oh boy oh boy! yay!

http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=37739

THE WORLD’S HEAVIEST DUBSTEP, GRIME & BASS TRACKLIST!

CD1 DUBSTEP

1. CASPA – Cockney Violin
2. CLUE KID - Halogen
3. DQ1 – Wear The Crown
4. LOEFAH – System
5. CASPA & RUSKO – Custard Chucker
6. N-TYPE – Way Of The Dub
7. WHITE BOI vs KOMONAZMUK – Shank Step
8. PINCH & P. DUTTY – War Dub
9. JOKER – Stuck In The System
10. JAMIE WOON - Wayfaring Stranger (Burial Remix)
11. GOTH-TRAD – Back To Chill
12. EKSTRAK – Mass Dampers
13. ELEMENTAL - Tribute
14. SKREAM – Bahl FWD
15. KOMONAZMUK – Love

CD2 GRIME

1. FAITH SFX Ft. HYPA FEN, MARCHIEPHONIX, FLIRTA D, BIG MIGHTY, EARZ, JAMMER, Y.O., & NARSTIE - Oh My
2. LADY SOVEREIGN - Chi Ching (Cheque 1 2)
3. SWAY – Baby Father
4. DOCTOR Ft. DESPERADO, JENDER & FRAMES – Play Around
5. ICEKID & SICKMAN Ft. STYLO-G, LITTLE DEE, LIONESS, DIZZMAN & YOUNG DOT - Don’t Talk
6. MAN LIKE ME - Oh My Gosh
7. YES BOSS - Meet The Boss
8. ESKIBOY Ft. JME & EARS - Grim
9. TEAM SHADETEK Ft. SKEPTA - Reign
10. VIRUS SYNDICATE – Neva Argue
11. ESKIBOY Ft. JME – Carry Out Orders
12. STYLO-G Ft. ICEKID & SICKMAN – My Yout
13. ROSSI B & LUCA Ft. GULLY GANG - Music Money
14. ROLL DEEP - Flame Grilled Whopper
15. DAVID E. SUGAR vs EARS – First OK

CD3 BASS

1. DEEKLINE & ED SOLO Ft. MC FLIPSIDE - Handz Up Right Now
2. AQUASKY Ft. ACAFOOL – Have A Good Time
3. NAPT Ft. SKIBADEE - Get Back
4. BACKDRAFT – Off The Wall
5. BASSROCK MEETS ANTI-SCIENCE - Locked On!
6. SHANE THE CUTTER – Blood Runs
7. ED SOLO & SKOOL OF THOUGHT - Babylon Breaks
8. SCAM - Killer (Deepcut Remix)
9. BAOBINGA & I.D. – Extravaganza Man
10. BACKDRAFT - Popcorn
11. THE BREAKFASTAZ - The Pressure (Aquasky Mix)
12. DEEKLINE & WIZARD Ft. TOP CAT - Special Dedication
13. FREESTYLERS Ft. PENDULUM & SIRREAL - Painkiller (Ed Solo & Skool Of Thought Remix)
14. DEEKLINE & WIZARD – Woah
15. AQUASKY, FRICTION AND SPYDA – Control Freek

I have no idea if it's any good or just a shameless cash-in but I sort of approve of shameless cash-ins when they spread the net a little wider than the usual...

nu burial yaaaaaaaaaooowwwww!

that third disc looks like the worst music in the world hands down

What a weird collection. I've been listening to the Skull Disco comp like crazy, but haven't had time for much of the rest (Box O' Dub kind of made me wonder why I was bothering.) Really nice interview with Shackleton by /rupture on WFMU Wednesday night btw.

Alex, search Mala's Changes/Forgive!!!!

Actually I do have that. It's good!

New Burial is very good btw.

God it's beautiful, I had it on repeat all last night.

"Stutta" is fascinating, like a warehouse full of speakers crammed into my headphones. I find myself chasing the groove, finding it for half a measure and then losing it, over and over.

I think I prefer "Unite" off the box of dub compilation to "Ghost Hardware" tbqh

also: skream - essential mix

that skream mix is pretty amazing, thx for the link!

From last year, but I love Pinch's remix of Monkey Steak's "Lighthouse Dub". The closest thing to "Qawwali" I've heard by him.

The Skream essential mix is sounding awesome - so bouncy!

When I think of my favourite dubstep of the past two years (which basically means my favourite stuff by Skream, Pinch, Burial, Kode9, Skull Disco and DMZ peeps) it makes me disbelieve the whole "you need to hear it over the right soundsystem" argument even more than usual - this sounds great in any setting! I refuse to believe that it's because these guys are like the blog house of dubstep... it's because they make dynamic tunes!

More and more I just feel like dread-ladened, bass-dominated halfstep tunes are basically indefensible. As is crash scrape crash scrape dirgestep.