DJing and producing are two related but distinct skills. Not all beatsmiths can work a crowd, so when DJs with a reputation for destroying raves everywhere from Brixton to Brooklyn start making tracks, you know the beats will be battle-tested.
East London’s Tomb Crew is a perfect example of this. Since 2007, DJs Jamie Floodgate and Nick Bennett, along with hypeman Illaman (aka David Penning), have honed their craft across the globe, playing with nearly every UK bass luminary, including Zinc, Herve, Rusko and Sinden, to name just a few. Tomb Crew approaches DJ gigs like a live act, working the crowd into a bass-rattled frenzy.
After a string of successful remixes for acts including Crookers, Drop the Lime and French Fries, the Crew got to work on their own bass creations. With a sound that draws from all strands of bass music, Tomb Crew blends dubstep, club, kuduro, and jungle into a concoction more potent than anything you can buy at a rave.
This year, they released their first EP on Trouble and Bass, a perfect fit for their brand of bangers. Mixing old school jungle with new school bass, the tracks range from the tropical, horn-driven “Oh So Good” to the divebombing “King of the Tweets.”
On their recently released Watch This EP (on Black Butter Records), Tomb Crew continues to update throwback styles with an emphasis on the low end. “Yaphet Kotto Stole My Steez” – a candidate for best song title of the year – oscillates between housey breakbeats and the group’s trademark wobble (and you can download it for free on Soundcloud). The title track, featuring MCs Rubi Dan and Juxci D alongside Illaman, is a slice of tropical bashment perfect for carnival.
Tomb Crew always rocks Мишка, and the guys had a cameo in the Fall 2011 Lookbook teaser. Keep watch for the collection’s official release, and look out for Tomb Crew at a rave near you.
A journey across the UK electronic music landscape takes you from the badman bass of grime, through various permutations of dubstep, until you eventually end up at UK funky. The sound combines that last major UK movement, garage, with house, broken beat, and notably soca rhythms into something more dance-friendly than its underground cousins.
The don of the UK funky game, Roska, has taken a similar journey. Born Wayne Goodlitt, Roska began his musical career as a grime MC under the name Mentor in the late 90s. His shift from the mic to the producer’s chair was accompanied by a less aggressive sound and a new alias. As Roska, he first made waves in 2008 with “Feeline” and “Boxed In,” two prototypical UK funky tracks that force you to move.
Roska’s rising profile led to a residency on trendsetting Rinse.FM, just as the (then) pirate radio station shifted its focus to funky. Not only did it expose him to an even larger audience, but Rinse also released Roska’s debut album – the first full length LP on its eponymous label. Rinse Presents Roska is pure UK funky, from the shifty rave-whistles of “Squark” to the silky dancefloor-killer “Love 2 Nite” with vocalist Jamie George.
Last year was a hectic one for the producer. He opened the doors of his Kicks and Snares imprint to new artists like DJ Naughty, J:Kenzo and DJ MA1, and he compiled a 14Tracks collection that is as good as any when it comes to essential UK funky. And after remixing Untold‘s massive “Just For You” in 2009, the duo paired up on bass bangers “Myth” and “Long Range.”
This year’s Jackpot EP pushes the producer forward from funky to the difficult to pin down bass scene. Roska can still pump up an audience with something like “4th Blind Mouse,” but he’s also experimenting with elements of rave, tech and club that we haven’t heard from the South Londoner until now. “Blame the Speakers” is a choatic fist-pumper and “Roskallion” is a take on the dub-bashment of someone like Redlight. Roska has already seen a sea change in the UK electronic music world, and he’s definitely poised for the next one.
Toddla T is on top of the world. In the last couple of years, he’s obtained both a slot on BBC Radio 1’s In DJs We Trust and a residency at Fabric. So what’s behind Toddla T’s meteoric rise?
Let’s start at the beginning. Toddla T is Tom Bell, a 26-year old from Sheffield, a city in England that has contributed to everything from industrial (Cabaret Voltaire) to new wave (The Human League) to post-punk revival (Artic Monkeys). The Steel City has also been important to electronic music, as the home of the groundbreaking Warp Records and the birthplace of bassline. With that rich musical background in mind, Toddla T’s globe-trotting sound makes a lot more sense.
His stage name is a tribute to his early start: DJing in Sheffield clubs since 14, Toddla focused on music full-time at 16. Originally into hip-hop, he didn’t even like electronic music until going to parties run by Sheffield DJs Winston Hazel and Pipes. Techno, house, and especially dancehall would become the calling cards of Toddla’s sound.
Since 2008s much-hyped mixtape Ghettoblaster #1, Toddla’s mix of dancehall riddims, jump-up rave accents, and wiggly bass has filled playlists across the world. His unique style is on full display on his 2009 debut record, Skanky Skanky, especially on single “Shake It,” where MC Serocee commands the listener to “shake it, shake it / get naked, naked.”
Toddla T kept things moving in 2010, with the hands-in-the-air “Sky Surfing,” featuring vocalist Wayne Marshall. The video for the song shows Toddla’s fun-loving irreverence – a key to what separates him from his more dour counterparts in the bass world.
Toddla has remixed songs by artists as diverse as Hot Chip, Roots Manuva, and Ladyhawke. His finest moment, however, was giving the high-energy treatment to Gyptian‘s reggae anthem “Hold You,” with a little help from Double D on the mic.
His latest album, Watch Me Dance, is Toddla T at his most eclectic. There are plenty of the riddim-and-bass bangers that he’s known for, along with new experiments like the disco-funk title track and the Timbaland-influenced R&B of “Body Good.” The track that you’ll be playing on repeat, though, is the rave-throwback “Take It Back.” Like all of his songs, “Take It Back” is a feel-good jam designed for the dance floor.
Last month I had the rare pleasure of witnessing a DJ set from someone I consider an inspiring living legend, Mala. With a line around the block on a Monday in NYC, Cielo was packed wall-to-wall for the Dubspot and Deep Space celebration. From the second the needle hit the record until the last dubplate was tossed, it was undeniable how the refined, signature bass weight sound of Digital Mystikz and DMZ has changed modern club music.
Before dubstep formed the enigmatic identity it has today, the word dubstep itself comes from joining two genres of music, “dub,” as in dub reggae, and “step,” referring to 2-step garage. It has since incorporated a myriad of other genres and influences into its definition (or lack of), but it’s important to note its origins stem from these fundamental foundations. When it comes to pioneers, especially regarding its dub roots, Mala and Coki — together known as Digital Mystikz — are essential visionaries in dubstep’s history.
Having already been long term friends, Mala and Coki initially formed Digital Mystikz from sharing a common love of jungle, dub, reggae, garage and house. In 2004, the South London underground began to recognize their dubwise production style after their breakthrough track “Pathwayz” was rinsed at the cutting-edge club night, FWD. Mala and Coki seized this opportunity to start their own record label, DMZ, along with fellow collaborator Loefah. In 2005, after a series well-received single releases, Digital Mystikz and Loefah started the soon-to-be legendary DMZ club night.
Since the inception of DMZ as a label and clubnight, Digital Mystikz and Loefah have championed a radical, unprecedented attitude toward club music: meditate in the club. On original DMZ flyers was the slogan “come meditate on bass weight,” encouraging attendees to embrace the introspective headspace their music launches you into. Another crucial member of the DMZ family is the always charismatic emcee Sgt Pokes, who directs the vibes of the night.
These two principles—bass weight and meditation—are the most fascinating and unique elements of dubstep and what initially drew me to the genre. When I first heard Digital Mystikz’ tune “Haunted,” I thought “what is this music? People go to the club to this?” It was completely alien to me, as my knowledge of jungle, drum and bass, grime, garage and dub was limited at the time. It wasn’t until I made it to DubWar, the United States’ first and then longest running dubstep night, did I convert to the dubstep side. Tracks such as “Horror Show,” “Bury Da Bwoy,” and “Goblin” are what I consider soundsystem specific tracks: their deliberately designed for sub woofers and huge soundsystems. Long story short, if you haven’t heard any of these tunes in a proper club environment, you haven’t had the entire DMZ and dubstep experience.
In addition to preserving the dubwise ethos in dubstep, Digital Mystikz are never afraid of innovation. Coki alone is responsible for two significant turning points in the genre. In 2007, Coki was one of the first to explore the metallic and menacing wobble bass with his breakthrough banger “Sponge Bob.” The following year, Coki co-produced with Benga one of the most famous dubstep tracks to hit international radio airwaves, “Night.” Years later, these tracks still sound as dynamic and groundbreaking as they did when they were first cut to dubplates.
Never compromising and always evolving, DMZ continues to contribute to dubstep history. Last year Digital Mystikz released two highly anticipated LPs, Return II Space and Urban Ethics, which were both collections of unreleased, sought-after dubplates from the Mystikz themselves.
In 2006, Mala started his own imprint Deep Medi Musik, which continues to carry the torch for dubstep’s dub roots. In 2009, Loefah started his own label Swamp 81, a label embracing the darker, mysterious side of house by combining elements from the past and present (its logo alone references iconic Chicago-house label, Trax Records). With such innovative, sincere and forward-thinking leaders, you should never be afraid to keep it eyes to the ground and meditate in the club.
Electronic music is constantly in flux, and while some artists can plant a flag and never change their sound, the majority must adapt or be left behind. Case in point: Redlight, who built a decade-long career as drum and bass producer Clipz but now crafts dubstep-bashment hybrids. Certainly not the only – or last – DnB head to slow down their frenetic productions into hulking wobblers, Redlight has found a second life by focusing the over-the-top energy of DnB into something more corporeal.
As Clipz (aka Bristol-based Hugh Pescod), the man now known as Redlight tended towards the melodic side of the rave playground. There is more to songs like “Slippery Slope” and “Sticky” than unrelenting DnB. “Ugly,” featuring vocalist Holly G, is a forebearer of his current sound.
In 2009, Pescod put away childish things and renamed himself Redlight, releasing the Lobster Boy EP. Some of the trademarks of his earlier sound remained, like the breakbeats that fuel “Pick Up the Phone” and “Feel So Good (Wine Up Yr Body),” a tune that relies on singers and MCs to counterbalance eruptions of bass.
The most addictive track on the EP is “Be With You,” which bounces from bashment toasting to a wobbling, house-inflected chorus. Redlight’s handle on West Indian riddims is exceeded only by Toddla T; he puts the dub in dubstep by bringing in Serocee and frequent collaborator Dread MC. This trend has continued: his banger “MDMA” served as the instrumental for Ms. Dynamite’s grimey “What You Talking About?”
Redlight’s evolution continues. Earlier this year, he released “Source 16” and “Progress,” which both feature housey, four-on-the-floor drums and metallic synth basslines. Guaranteed big room slayers, both are far cries from the riddims of the Lobster Boy EP. But with over a decade in the game, whatever Redlight does next – under whichever name he chooses – is sure to be essential bass music.
Nadastrom is comprised of DJ/producers-extraordinaire Dave Nada (né Villegas) and Matt Nordstrom. Established in 2007, Nadastrom have toured the world, unleashed their trademark brand of club-infused tech house on crowds everywhere, and found a home on Switch’s forward-thinking label Dubsided. It’s been a busy few years.
Nadastrom is an example of the whole being greater than the parts. Both Nada and Nordstrom were established talents when they came together: Nada as a resident of quintessential Baltimore party Taxlo and Nordstrom as a studio engineer for house music legends Deep Dish. But it was only together, when they combined the energy of Baltimore club and the pulsing vibe of deep house (along with precise studio programming), that they could reach superstar status in the global underground dance scene.
From the first bass blast of their debut Pussy EP, its been clear that Nadastrom is masterful at crafting soulful, big room bangers. The Soul II Soul-sampling title track and Blaqstarr-driven electroclub of “Tween Me + U” are still vital nearly three years after their release: guaranteed dance floor destroyers that should come pre-loaded on Serato boxes. The same can be said about “Save Us” on 2009’s The Saved EP: the shimmering breakdowns are but momentary respites from the hard-charging, soul-clapping spiritual.
Ever since they flipped Lil Wayne’s “A Milli” into a screwed-down grindfest, Nadastrom has proven to be expert remixers as well, taking on everyone from DC homeboy Tittsworth to Laidback Luke and Diplo. Keying in on the most essential element of a song, Nadastrom practically renders the originals obsolete. Last year, Nadastrom tweaked bass bangers from Udachi (“P-Funk Skank”) and AC Slater (“Take You”), slicing out most of the wobble but keeping all the intensity. Their most surprising remix, however, was a dubstep take on “Crush” by UK hip-pop act Fugative.
While their club and house credentials are impeccable, you can’t mention Nadastrom these days without bringing up moombahton. Nada may have (unintentionally) created it at his cousin’s skip party, but they’ve fostered the growth of the heatseeking genre together. Nadastrom is responsible for some — if not most — of the finest moombahton edits in existence; their Rum & Coke EP is required listening.
Since releasing the first official moombahton remix (of Steve Starks’ “Lydia”) they’ve brought songs by Florence and the Machine, Temper Trap, Win Win, and The Weeknd to the magical land of 108 BPM. Pairing up with UK singer-songwriter Alex Clare has resulted in two instant classics: “Too Close” and the as of yet unreleased “Up All Night.”
Moombahton may be getting them attention, but Nadastrom haven’t forgotten what got them where they are now. The duo dropped several singles earlier this year that hark back to tracks like “Pussy.” Ominous rumblers “Theo” and “M.U.H.” play on the dark side of house, yet the highlight of their new material is “All Night.” The track is built on a vocal riff from one of the most sampled songs ever, the James Brown-produced, Lyn Collins jam “Think (About It)” (for non-crate diggers, that’s where that classic “woo! yeah!” break comes from).
Nadastrom’s mascot / logo / spirit animal is the Yeti, specifically the one from the hilariously over-the-top SkyMall catalog. What started as an inside joke has actually come to describe the duo: this dark, mysterious beast who haunts our collective consciousness. If you’ve ever heard a Nadastrom track in a DJ set (you probably have) or have been lucky enough to see them live, you understand the Yeti. From the most powerful tech house to the smoothest moombahton, Nadastrom is out there.
For centuries, scholars and sages attempted to answer the age old question: who is the hardest? Certainly not cookie-cutter butt metal, recycled rave tracks or Jason Mraz. After the rise of low bitrate MP3s and deteriorating sound quality across the globe, many believers gave up the quest to find The Hardest of Them All. However, over the last decade, psychics and soothsayers have revealed the location of an energy source with power so immense, so devastating that the people of Earth finally have an answer to this ancient conundrum. Witches and warlocks, look no further than Bristol’s legendary team of dubstep undertakers: H.E.N.C.H. Recordings.
Before we begin, we can’t start the H.E.N.C.H. (Hard Earned Never Caught Hustlin’) story without getting to know the godfather of Bristol drum and bass and dubstep, Jermaine Jacobs, aka Jakes. The world was first introduced to Jermaine Jacobs as MC Jakes, the charismatic voice of TC‘s most notorious anthems “Deep,” “Drink” and “Mindkiller.” With such international success from his work with TC and the label D-Style Recordings, it was only a matter of time before J. Jacobs began to expand his unique vision from the mic to the decks. With his ears directed to the underground and to the rapidly evolving sound of dubstep, it was time for Mr. Jacobs to become Jakes. In 2007, Jakes founded H.E.N.C.H., which would soon become the legendary Bristol dubstep crew, record label and club night it’s known as today.
The second you place the needle on a H.E.N.C.H. record, you’ll immediately notice the dynamic and rich sound quality of each cut over the majority of dubstep you hear today. With such attention to detail—from the lowest of low sub bass tones to the snares that cut like katanas—few can compare to the craft and sound design of a H.E.N.C.H. artist’s dedication to a great mixdown. These bangers are specifically designed for proper soundsystems. The members of H.E.N.C.H. also remain true to the best aspects of classic dub: space and atmosphere. Every track utilizes negative space just as much as it fills every frequency. Though it’s clear H.E.N.C.H. Recordings is infamous for each artists’ contribution to the global wobble sound, each song has an incredible sense of rhythm and tension.
When it comes to their catalog, the artists on H.E.N.C.H. individually have unique soundscapes without restrictions. Each member contributes their own sense of energy, unexpected sample choices, dread and humor. While Jakes can be found sampling classic 90′s hip hop or a disturbing scene from a Stanley Kubrick film, you can find Komonazmuk sampling some dub next to Chasing Shadows sampling classic rock. Relentless, never compromising or predictable, H.E.N.C.H. always dishes the filth like no other.
It’s clear H.E.N.C.H. is here to stay. With such instant classics as Jakes‘ Rock The Bells, the hard hitting Eddie K & Minus‘ tracks featuring the maniacal vocal stylings of one Beezy and this year’s menacing collaboration from Sukh Knight, Mensah and Squarewave called “G Activity,” this Bristol crew of invincible sound system warriors won’t be stopping now.
For those in the NYC area, you do NOT want to miss the Мишка sponsored event in a few weeks featuring the drill sergeant himself, Jakes. As for the rest of us, you can either cower in fear or show us your WARFACE!
Now I know it’s hard to imagine kids, but there was a time when the heavy bass club community wasn’t ingrained in pop culture. There was a time when you didn’t hear a wobble bassline from a breakdancer’s boombox on the subway, you didn’t hear rave builds on the radio and the vampire lifestyle was limited to industrial nights and Buffy. Well no more! And I can safely say the heavy bass world take over couldn’t exist without the great empress of the sub woofer kingdom, Ms. Vivian Host, aka Star Eyes.
Along with being one of the founding members of the now world famous Trouble & Bass crew in 2006, Star Eyes’ 15-years of experience on the decks is one of her many claims to fame. Her eclectic DJ sets—where you’ll hear her go from bassline house, grime, ghettotech to dubstep in one evening—certainly stems from her unique music career. After getting her start in journalism by reviewing drum and bass releases for then up-and-coming electronic music magazine XLR8R, Star Eyes later became the main editor of publication. She has done everything from writing features on your favorite cities, run the entire magazine, host episodes of XLR8R TV, and hell…she even interviewed Prodigy! And in the true vampire spirit and nights without sleep, she somehow also managed to DJ as one half of NYC genre-bending DJ duo Syrup Girls.
In 2009, Star Eyes said farewell to being editor of XLR8R to become a full-time, international heavy bass spot rocker. Since then she’s toured all over the world, from playing Barcelona’s famous Sonar Festival, renowned London nightclub Fabric and sold out shows all around New York. The same year she left, she released her rave-goth-demon-dance club anthem, “Disappear” on Trouble & Bass.
Following the “Disappear” release is her White Gloves EP, which recently dropped earlier this month. The title track is an epic ode to every peak moment you’ve experience at a rave in an abandoned warehouse. It’s loaded with slice n’ dice snare breaks, late night house chords, punch-you-in-the face rave stabs and a growling sawtooth bassline that’ll make your glowstick explode. The punishment continues with the pummeling “What Do You Mean?,” which is riddled with trash can grime snares and go-big-or-go-home relentless energy. The final layer of hell is revealed at the end with “Ride Or Die,” a disturbing, ADHD switch-up track with a super catchy, bouncing bassline and a Terminator synth strings breakdown. If you can’t handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen before it…blows up.
What’s next for Star Eyes? For all you DC cats and dogs, you do not want to miss her with the rest of the Trouble & Bass crew DJing with the unpredictable, always top notch leader in future bass music, Untold at U Street Music Hall this coming Thursday. The rest of the time you can find her either DJing at a blood rave, with or without a panda hat and bringing out the heavy bass in all of us.
The marriage of melting synth sounds and pounding bass lines is what makes the thoroughly black and yellow Butterz, first a well-respected blog and now a brand-new label, one of the up-and-coming powerhouses of grime music worldwide. Butterz is the brainchild of iconic Rinse.FM DJs Elijah & Skilliam, have been hand-picking the best in forward-thinking grime, then turning it loose on the public every Thursday night for a long time running. Based on that experience and knowledge alone, they’re definitely qualified to take over the grime scene.
The main objective of Butterz is to produce singles with intensely-structured grime riddims that don’t necessarily require a vocal to launch them into hit status. For years, the grime scene was founded on simple but heavy white-label productions that lent themselves to the lyrical stylings of such MCs as Wiley, Kano, Dizzee Rascal, and JME, which in turn paved the way for artists like P-Money and Tempa T. Butterz looks to both work with talented MCs, but also create successful grime tracks that are able to stand alone in the world of electronic music.
One of their best recent releases is what will definitely become a summer two-step anthem, a fast-paced P-Money and Blacks track called “Boo You.” It features production by Butterz soldier TRC. He, Swindle, S-X, and Royal-T are the main players in the Butterz grime takeover.
You can hear them in the process of creating their empire in one of their generously-offered free monthly Butterz zips, which each contain a slew of fresh, innovative grime tunes for your listening pleasure.
If you don’t want to have to wait a month, this track will help to whet your appetite. Street fighter D Double E adds vocals to S-X’s “Wooo Riddim,” transforming it into a banger called “Bad To The Bone.”
Part of what makes Butterz so good is the ability of its artists to understand, appreciate and rework one another’s music, creating a slightly-incestuous but nonetheless brilliant grime collective.
Last but not least, when Royal-T squeezes some “Orangeade” onto vinyl, you have to be careful…your head might explode after hearing this crazy track! The tempo is switched up at unexpected intervals as the song progresses. It’s also studded with wild, percussive beats that make it hard not to move to.
Based on these few things that they’ve released so far, it seems obvious that Butterz is poised to start a new revolution in grime. Make sure to keep checking in with this amazing new label as they chart their course to grime domination!
Now that all the kiddies have sought out and developed a diverse array of opinions on what the term “Dubstep” actually means, perhaps its about time they be taken to school to learn about the origins of the genre. We won’t have time to give a history lesson on Garage and how the transition was made into Grime. Nor will we delve into the earlier darker and deeper roots of Dubstep but we will clue you in to some of the key players, giving you some background on a musical style that is all the rage and one that has been slowly creeping its way into the USA for the past 10 years.
Not too long ago, we had the pleasure of seeing Plastician perform for a completely new crowd of devotees. He drew from them a stellar reaction considering he did not modify his performance with audience in mind and instead delivered a classic technical set as you can hear every week on Rinse FM. I can only suggest an almost religious dedication to the show and with this you shall receive some purpose in life.
Onward! It’s a must that we now explore one of the forefathers of dubstep, DJ Wonder, whom you can find every Friday night, being featured as well, on Rinse FM. As one the founding member of pivotal Grime crew Roll Deep, with Wiley and Danny Weed to soon be sworn in, Wonder embarks upon a solo career eventually linking up with Rinse FM bossman Geeneus.
Then in 2005, he goes on to produce Dizzie Rascal‘s epic “Respect Me”, closely after, embarking on a European and American tour as his DJ opening for The Streets. Wonder has produced some of the greats, this includes Kano and even remixing The Prodigy, but its with the formation and completion of his album “Welcome to Wonderland” that he etches his name into the primordial stone giving way to a legendary status.
On “Welcome to Wonderland”, eerie wobbles matched with low frequencies are draped over subtle auditory stabbing. Coupling immense sound with a variety of notable vocalists, including the likes of Kano, adds the cherry atop this great instrumental mound of sweetness entitled “What Have You Done”. Recently, he’s been busy both remixing and producing originals: this remix of TC feat. Princess Nyah’s “Take Control” will surely haunt you til the end of times. Pray for Bass!
