[photos by David Lang]

Our latest bass quest through the West brought us to Vancouver, BC to catch Kode9, Starkey, and the Lighta! Sound crew show us how it’s done in Canada. Through their highly acclaimed DubForms parties at Open Studios and the recent showcase of the Vancouver scene on Rob Booth’s Electronic Explorations show, the Vancity collective has helped put Vancouver on the map as one of the premier locations in the world for bass music.


We arrived into town, Schenley’s Golden Wedding in hand and got ready for Hyperdub label founder Kode9 to do his thing at the Biltmore Cabaret alongside Lighta! Crew’s Michael Red and Calamalka. Showed up on site early to check out the venue, a dimly lit club beneath a hotel in Southeast Vancouver, a step back from the busier and chaotic strip of clubs downtown.

Perhaps one of the truest testaments to the people of Vancouver happened to us as we were walking around by the Biltmore.  After spotting a few folks out on a balcony, we introduced ourselves and were kindly invited to come inside and drink and hang out before the show. Canadians, FTW.  As it turns out, they were heading down to the show as well and no strangers to dubstep music and culture, which when you live in a small Washington college town completely blows you away.  As it turned out, we happened to be in the residence of the two authors of the recent ‘Dubstep’ article in Discorder, a local Vancouver music publication which you can now read online HERE (or download the PDF) with words by Chad Thiessen & Dashiell Brasen.

We made our way back down to the Biltmore and caught Michael Calamalka on the decks, blending together bits of digital dancehall inna dubstep sounds ending with Joker’s ‘Digidesign’ leading into Kode9’s set.  Kode9 has been fairly adament about his disinterest with current dubstep and his set was definitely indicative of that feeling.  More recently he has been incorporating the sounds of the UK’s Funky movement into his sets, with it’s tribal, hypnotic percussion and warm basslines that fill up a dancefloor with a quickness.  In a recent Q & A with Phillip Sherberne, Kode9 spoke to this point,

"I haven't "gone funky," although people find it hard to relate to the idea that you are not attached to one camp or another in a black-and-white way. I play a lot of that stuff and support some aspects of where that music is going, what it brings back, and what else it has allowed me to bring into my sets and how it has re-emphasized rhythm. With d-step, I just find it easier to subtract the name — it allows me to hear the good stuff and ignore the bulk. Really, I'm just trying to wire together my own matrix of music to DJ, listen to and release, without being unnecessarily obstructed by other people's discourse. I'm not anti-genre designations — sure they are fictions, but they are fictions that have real effects. I just don't trust being represented, or fitting in with others' designations any more. I run a label called Hyperdub. That word is not a genre title, but it's open enough for me to ignore micro-segmentations and weave together my own selection."

You can read the full Q&A session with Kode9 HERE courtesy of eMusic and check out some questions that didn't make the cut on Phillip's website.

Kode9’s set was a representation of the music and tempo that he is finding inspiration from currently, perhaps most noticeably recognized on his most recent Hyperdub 12” ‘Black Sun / 2 Far Gone’ a departure from his older productions with The Spaceape.  Although some fervent dubstep heads may have walked away disappointed, it was an eye-opening set for those with an open mind. Playing tunes from Martin Kemp, Roska, Fingaprint, Grevious Angel, Joker, and even tapping into some Jungle sounds from Lemon D, it’s impossible to deny his talent and unique style as a DJ and producer.




Be sure to grab the recent LD Hyperdub release ‘Woodblock’, which was a personal favorite of the night along with Joker & Ginz’ ‘Re-Up’ coming soon on Kapsize. Also be on the look out for Steve's book releasing on MIT press this November.

After a 4am pizza run and a nightcapper of some of Vancouver’s lush greenery it was time to catch some ZZZs and rest up for Dollhouse Studios.

Grab this month's issue of The Wire magazine complete with kode9 cover story!