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Lab's resident dubstep advisor Shota put me onto 2562 awhile ago. I was wondering when this thing would finally drop and I could stop listening to the promo CD that's littered with those annoying "This is a promo!" drops. Well here it...
expand review is (finally) on loud double LP pressing that sounds so good. "2562" is the moniker for Dave Huismans' dubstep productions and is actually taken from the area code of the Hague, Netherlands where he resides. The fact that this wasn't produced in the usual dubstep breeding ground of the UK is a notable thing and can probably attribute to the unique sound here.
The tracks all have a deep pulse and "breathe" differently from the usual dubstep joints. Take a listen to "Basin Dub(1)" and "The Times (2)" and you'll see what I mean. There is a heavy minimal influence here, but still it manages to give you that bass you crave. "Walkover (3)" and "Moog Dub(4)" kill it with that super-low dub-style sub bass and echoed out synth stabs, while "Morvern(5)" picks up the tempo and adds a big dose of ambience (and seagulls!) to the equation. Fans of Burial and deep & minimal styles will certainly dig this. 8 tracks total. -snackmaster
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Classic DnB tune on official 12" reissue from Metalheadz. Adam F's "Metropolis(1)" shook up the drum and bass world back in '96 with its dark sci-fi synths and stabs, hard rolling drums, and mean, blurpy, subterranean bass blazing the trail for many...
expand review more dark-style tracks to come. I can still see kids losing their shit and sticking their faces in the bass bins. One of the best of the era (even minimal man jocks this tune) - soooo wicked! On the flipside Adam F proves he is a versatile producer with the chilled-out, ambient breaks style of "Mother Earth(2)." The soothing vibe is the perfect antidote for a hard night of partying (you know... that point of the party when the sun is rising and the drugs are wearing off). -snackmaster
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Rewind selectah! Definitely one of the harder tunes to come out of Metalheadz during the DnB heyday, Asylum's "Da Base II Dark(1)" is a taste of no-nonsense, ruff and rugged DnB. No jump-up or novelty remix styles here - this is the...
expand review raw deal. With snares and drums cut up and dubbed-out like machine guns, aggressive bass hits like a punch to the gut, and the killer MC sample yellin "DA BASS 2 DARK!" - this is heavy artillery for a rowdy dancefloor. Flipside features some slightly lighter vibes on "Steppin' Hard(2)" and "Desire(3)" - both with sweet ambient and soulful female vocal samples contrasting the tough drum programming and wicked bass. A-side at 45, B-side at 33. -snackmaster
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Please note, the tracklisting on the Vinyl and the CD are significantly different! Benga has been a major player (along with his buddy Skream) in the dubstep scene since the genre was formed. For his massive debut full length (on none other...
expand review than the much respected Tempa label), Benga has proved he not only has bass for days, but also a versatile, progressive style that can push the dubstep sound forward. From the jazzy, smoked-out intro track "Zero M2(1)," you can already tell Benga's got style that surpasses the usual dubstep fodder. But just when you think it's gonna be a smooth ride, he hits you with the roughness! "Z(2)" and "Tech Wobbler(3)" (just a couple of the tracks unique to the vinyl version) deliver that insane, twisted bass that you crave... and there's a lot more where that came from. "E Trips(4)," "The Cut(5)," and "26 Basses(6)" continue the merciless barrage of low end sounds to shatter a sound bwoy dead. For real, this kid is straight nasty with it! Recommended listening for all the bass fiends out there. 10 Tracks total spread over 3 12"s. -snackmaster
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Anthem alert! Benga & Coki's "Night(1)" was hands-down the best track off the "Diary Of An Afro Warrior" full length, but until now it was only available on the CD version. This isn't your average dubstep tune, this thing is a fuckin...
expand review beast! Just click on that sample and it's pretty obvious that this thing will devastate a dancefloor. A track like this DESERVES to played on loud 45RPM vinyl to get the proper low-end action (sorry but Serato just don't cut it for the true bass rumble on big speakers). Don't sleep on the flip side either, 'cause "Emotions(2)" was another stand-out track from the full length. With it's broken beat-ish drum programming and hypnotizing "E2-E4" like key stabs, this one is another example of Benga & Coki's creative mastery of the dubstep genre. Also includes the non-album cut "Drumz West(3)." Double A-side for sure. Recommended. -snackmaster
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Another full-on kuduro krusher from Lisbon's Buraka Som Sistema, this time with Angolan MC Pongolove on vocal duties. The catchy chorus shouts of "Wegue wegue wegue!" combined with that nasty buzzing bass makes "Kalemba(1)" totally irresistable and perfecto for the summah. The...
expand review fierce, breakneck-speed Hot Chip(2) remix starts off well enough but really fires up when the plonging bass drops about halfway through. Dag. Reso's "Aguardente" mix(3) sticks closer to the original but with heavier surging bass. A-side plays at 33, B-side at 45. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Sophomore albums are always tough to produce, especially when your debut is as critically praised as Burial's. But with Untrue, Steve Goodman (the creative mind behind Burial and Hyperdub label head) seems to be unaffected by the sophomore slump. Untrue manages to...
expand review stay true to the style and mood of the first album and is in someways more focused and affecting. With an introspective, melancholy vibe throughout, this isn't exactly you're typical dancefloor destroying dubstep (it's actually much closer to 2-step garage), Untrue is perfect for solo listening to soak in through your headphones on a rainy day, a hazy night or on a long drive. Listen to the lush, lo-fi production on "Archangel(1)," "Near Dark(2)," "Shell Of Light(3)," "Homeless(4)," and the steppy "Raver(5)," all of which use Burial's clever vocal editing techniques to create his unique brand of futuristic soul. Unfortunately, the ambient tracks have been removed from this, and the tracklisting is entirely messed up on both the jacket AND the spindle. The correct tracklist is found above. Fans of the first album will not be disappointed. Recommended. -snackmaster
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Hotshot Italian duo Crookers show some love to their country of origin with this Leone-inspired EP for Diplo's Mad Decent label. "Il Brutto(1)" is heavy, driving electro-house with gunshots and glitchy fx punctuating the beats; the remix from Bloody Beetroots(2) gets even...
expand review heavier, with a Bmore club slant on things and... what sounds like a possessed demon baby? "Il Buono(3)" stays true to its name, a pleasant little piece of spaghetti house, while "Il Cattivo(4)" gets real ugly with lurching bass, handclaps and chopped Elephant Man shouts. Pic sleeve. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Hotshot free agents Crookers just dropped a nasty EP on Mad Decent, now they're back with a little something for Southern Fried. These guys sound like they're having way too much fun, tossing their now-trademark synths over a Bmore clap on "Sveglia(1)"...
expand review and sprinkling on a little "It Takes Two" and the horror movie organ for good measure. After they completely murdered the remix to Kid Cudi's "Day N Nite," it was only logical that the Italian duo hook up with the Fool's Gold MC for a track of their own. Can't say "Embrace The Martian(2)" winds up on quite the same level of hypeness, but Cudi oozes personality as always over a thumping, tempo-changing outer space house beat. Also includes the slow-motion raver "Magic Bus(3)" and the title track(4). Pic sleeve. -Van Hammersly
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Multifaceted EP from Dabrye (aka James T. Cotton, aka Tadd Mullinix) to tide us over 'til his new full length later in '08. "Get Dirty(1)" features the unmistakable flow of AG (of Show &...) over a squelchy horror movie beat, originally recorded...
expand review during the Two/Three sessions. Speaking of Two/Three, Flying Lotus' remix of that album's "Game Over(2)" shows that the Cali-bred Lotus can make a mean Detroit-style clapper to suit the Dilla and Phat Kat rhymes of the original, and Kode 9's spooky grime take on "Air(3)" sounds extra weird with the time-stretched Doom verses (best to hit the instrumental on that one). B-side holds instrumentals for all three tracks. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Soul Jazz give the sleepers another shot at this classic pair of Mystikz choons from 2006. "Misty Winter(1)" is an appropriately chilly number with deep tunneling bass, icy bells and dubbed out rasta vocal yelps. Turn it over for the equally intense...
expand review and heavily percussive "Conference(2)." Limited repress. Plays at 45. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Two super-tasty dubstep selects from Soul Jazz on this 12" from their "Box of Dub" comp. Digital Mystikz take the A-side with the deep and heavy dub-tinged slumper "I Wait(1)," while Kode 9 gets the flip with his forward-thinking uptempo banger "Magnetic...
expand review City(2)." Haven't really heard anything else that can compare to "Magnetic City" - the track is thick! Limited promo copies, so get 'em while they last. -snackmaster
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This 12" was actually the first from DMZ on Soul Jazz records back in 2006 and is available here once again in a super-limited one-off repress. Get it while it lasts! Mala and Coki make for a formidable force when the team...
expand review up and form South London's premier dubstep team Digital Mystikz. This is dubstep with an emphasis on the heavy-heavy side of tings - with bass, drums, and delays going off. Check the intense, almost tribal sounds on "Walkin' With Jah(1)" and the ruder- than-rude bass line action on "Earth A Run Red(2)." It's no surprise these cats got releases on labels as diverse as Soul Jazz to Rephlex. Top notch dubstep indeed. -snackmaster
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Another piece in the Tony Allen remix project from Honest Jon's, though to be honest (ha!) I doubt there's much of a Tony original to be heard in this track from Diplo. "Fuji Ouija(1)" is one big slab of pawrty music with...
expand review a kuduro rhythm, addictive rave synth progression and hyperactive vocal sample triggering from the dinosaur. UK vets Newham Generals are up next with "Tetsuya's Theme(2)," a nasty piece of instrumental grime centered around some Afro-folk beats. Flip features two cuts of incredible percussion by Elewedu of Agege - "Boys & Girls(3)" and "Thank You(4)" - recorded in Lagos, Nigeria. A-side plays at 45; B-side at 33. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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