In advance of Reconstrvct V this Saturday in BKLYN, we enlisted the help of resident DJ TrueNature to provide a guestmix of some of the deep, mesmerizing, sub-bass laden tunes you can expect to experience over the Tsunami Bass soundsystem. TrueNature will be kicking things off when doors open and if last month's 2-hour set was any indication, you'll want to get there early. This month's event ushers in another set of USA debuts with London's Razor Rekta and Bristol's Kahn being flown in to mark the occasion. Red Stripe crew, Saturday night is your time!!
pinch & shackleton- torn & submerged (honest jon's)
shackleton- hypno angel (skull disco)
mykur & tmsv- icarus (freebie)
shackleton- blood on my hands (skull disco)
pinch & shackleton- levitation (honest jon's)
lee scratch perry vs mala- like the way we should (digital mystikz remix) (aei)
In case you were unable to attend January's Reconstrvct which featured stunning sets from Lurka & Jack Sparrow, here's some of what you missed: (captured by the talented Roslyn Julia)
Our latest cloudcast comes via Rem Koolhaus, lazer-fog summoner and resident DJ at Brooklyn's TURRBOTAX monthly. His aptly titled 'Coffee Companion Mini-Mega Mix' is a perfect way to power you through the humpday doldrums without having to resort to mainlining the standard 5-hour energy/Red Bull cocktail.
The mix kicks off with some '80s flavor courtesy of New Order and the retro sounds of John Dasilva before landing full speed ahead into the music of Detroit & Chicago with tunes from Carl Craig and Tevo Howard, respectively. Another gem is the unreleased "Mystery House' by Ghosts on Tape as well as cuts from this Friday night's TURRBOTAX headliners Terrance Parker & Doc Daneeka.
Full lineup on the night features the stylings of the Detroit legend Parker, Doc Daneeka's triumphant return, as well as a live set from Brooklyn-based producer Octo Octa. You know the drill by now: FREE B4 11, FREE Sixpoint @ 11, NO MCs, NO CRYING, NO SET TIMES! See you on the dancefloor.
This week's cloudcast comes courtesy of Knomad, whom you can find opening things up, filling in the gaps, and shutting things down at On The Sly, every third Thursday of the month down at the Gallery @ LPR. What Jeremy Lin is to the New York Knicks, Knomad is to OnTheSly. When he isn't busy manning the mixing board running FOH, he also holds down residency at Albany's Outpost1 monthly, all the while maintaining one of the freshest DJ beards this side of the Mississippi. Keep warm, stay percalatin', and enjoy the sounds of Knomad in the mix....
Thursday night you can catch Knomad spinning alongside DJ SLiiNK (Brick Bandits) & Contakt (TURRBOTAX) in the Gallery @ LPR for this month's installment of OTS. Continuing our ongoing partnership with Oaxaca Taqueria (16 Extra Pl off Bowery), we'll be hosting a taco happy from 8-10pm night of the show with 2$ tacos and free beers until they're gone. Scarf some tacos, kick back a couple brews, and then posse up and rally with us down to the venue to show some love.
For those lucky enough to snag tickets to Four Tet's sold-out show at LPR March 10th, you can also catch knomad warming things up and playing setbreaks on the night with additional support courtesy of Mike Slott.
Our latest cloudcast comes from 23-year old producer James Hinton aka The Range, out of Providence, Rhode Island. His knack for lush chopped and de-tuned RnB vocal samples anchored by footwork percussion earned him high accolades on his album 'The Big Dip' released on Astro Nautico this past December. In the case that it may have eluded you, you can still stream and support the release HERE on the Astro Nautico bandcamp page.
Earlier this month The Range joined fellow astronautibro Kuhn to both throw down sets at OnTheSly at The Gallery @ LPR. We recorded the sets from the night and James was gracious enough to let us share it with all you beautiful people. You can also currently DL his remix of Timewharp- yrLyf for free over on his soundcloud.
For those who haven't yet made it out to OnTheSly, our next party will be February 16th with extended sets from NJ's DJ SLiiNK, Turrbotax resident Contakt, and our boy knomad. As always there's #NOCOVER and #NOEXCUSES. Come out and support!! We're also happy to announce our continued partnership with Oaxaca Taqueria (16 Extra Pl. off Bowery) where we'll be hosting a taco happy hour from 8-10pm before the show with 2$ tacos and free beers until they're gone. Hope to see some of you there and continuing to grow the family.
To cap off 2011 and take you into 2012, we linked with the NYC transplant / wonder from down under DJ Dust to assemble our last cloudcast of the year. After propelling herself to the forefront of the DnB scene in Melbourne over a 10-year career behind the decks (and scenes!), she recently opted for a change of scenery and moved to NYC this past Spring. She continues to write for the blog weareallsorts.com along with DJ Fiend and is already busy holding down a Thursday night monthly hip hop gig down at Sutra Lounge in the East Village. You'll also be able to catch her playing a DnB set at Natural Selection on February 4th down at National Underground. Her cloudcast takes a look back at some of the standout releases from the past few months, with carefully considered blends and solid mixing that you can come to expect out of Dust, regardless of genre. Enjoy.
1. Falty DL - Atlantis - Ninja Tune
2. Space Dimension Controller - Tiraquon's Return (A New Home) - R&S
3. Radiohead - Lotus Flower (Jaques Greene rmx) - Ticker Tape
4. Throwing Snow - Shadower - Sneaker Social Club
5. Mosca - Orange Jack - 3024
6. Sully - 2 Hearts - Keysound
7. Spectr - Dance 4 Me - Roska, Kicks & Snares
8. Jon Convex - Falling Again - 3024
9. GoldFFinch - Red Mask - Numbers
10. Debruit - Nigeria What? - Civil Music
11. Ben Westbeech - Falling (Dark Sky rmx) - Brownswood
12. Sweet Exorcist - Testone - Warp Records
13. Blawan - Peaches (Freestone) - Clone
14. Fantastic Mr Fox - Sepia Song - Black Acre
15. Kentaphonic - Hiya Kaya (Rocco Deep Mix) - Stalwart
16. Anette Party/Patlac - Moreno feat. Anita Coke - Liebe Detail
17. Jamie XX - Far Nearer - Numbers
Since 2005, Dash EXP has resided in Seattle, USA, as a BASS marauder. Unsatisfied with the exposure northwest ravers had to jungle music, he founded the Seattle chapter of Konkrete Jungle, America’s original jungle/drum & bass dance party. Again, his goal was to predispose the underage crowd to the eclectic sounds that drum & bass/jungle music have to offer. In 2006 Dash was introduced to dubstep by veteran DJ, Struggle. He made it his duty to redirect his knowledge of experimental sounds and low-end infused rhythms to create his own uniquely melodic and experimental take on the genre.
Having self-released three successful dubstep mixes (Dub Assassin Series), a 19-track all original mix, and putting out a steady flow of singles, EP's and remixes for notable future-thinking indie labels like Shift. Recordings, Hot N Heavy, Brap Dem, Betamorph and Phantom Hertz, Dash has showed his versatility in genres with tunes ranging from dubstep, jungle, drum and bass, house, garage and UK funky. The eclecticism of his rhythms lends to a frenzy on the dancefloor, and has bought him continued support and play from leading DJ's, producers and labels worldwide, as well as radio play on BBC Radio 1.
With his quick mixing and keen sense for detail and precision, party people can expect sets to stir up a frenzy on the dancefloor. Be prepared for an arsenal of fresh material complimented by your favorite classic basslines, as he receives support from some leading talented producers and record labels around the world. Rest assured, Dash will come correct and set the mood for the dancefloor.
Poised to make big moves in 2011, he recently added the "Soundview" EP on Hot N Heavy Recordings and the "King of Rock" EP on Brap Dem Recordings to his catalogue of releases. Look out for the "Friends" EP coming out this summer on UK's Sounds of Sumo.
TRACKLIST:
Tony Goods - Friends (Sounds of Sumo)
Mydas - Come & Go (dub)
Milt Mortez - Lungisani (Top Billin)
Hybu - Water Planet (dub)
Astronomar - Swordfight (dub)
Goldlines - Goldman (dub)
Lokiboi - Good Morning (Car Crash Set)
Artifact - Dusty Grave (Car Crash Set)
Kid Smpl - Clarity (dub)
Sleepyhead - SawmI Baby's (dub)
HxdB - Flunk (Party Guy Records)
Canblaster - Thunderdome Got Crunk (Chaos In The CBD remix) (Sounds of Sumo)
Cardo, thanks for taking the time out to talk to us. If you wouldn't mind, could you give us a brief introduction and talk a little bit about your musical background and upbringing?
I started making music around 1999 after discovering software like Acid and ReBirth after graduating from audio engineering school. Before that I used to play in rock bands as a kid, but got tired of working with others and realized I was more comfortable just doing it on my own. Around that time most of my background was heavily influenced by stuff like Mr. Bungle, Faith No More, and Ween. During mid 90s we got a decent "independent" record shop that included a small section of electronic music where I used to dig constantly. It took me some time to be interested in electronic music, but once i listened Aphex Twin and found the Warp/Rephlex label I changed my mind completely and discovered a whole new world of music I was missing.
Did the socio-political climate of Venezuela directly impact the breakcore and more aggressive sounds that you used to produce while living there?
Definitely. Venezuela has been pretty hectic for the last 10 years. People have become aggressive because of the situation and this had a direct impact on my music. I needed to release my own anger and frustration and channeled it into breakcore. Once i moved to Barcelona I decided to move on to other sounds, so I guess it was the climate while in Caracas that was pushing me to do it.
You were a student at the Red Bull Music Academy in 2008 which took place in Barcelona. Could you talk a little bit more about that experience and it's impact on your growth as a producer? Did that experience lead to your eventual relocation to the city soon thereafter?
The first time I heard about the RBMA was around 2003-2004. I got invited to a meeting where they were explaining what it was all about it and it sounded very interesting to me, so i decided to apply but didn´t get in. After applying a couple of times, I was finally accepted in 2008 and can say it´s one of the best experiences I've had! All participants and the whole academy crew were great! You go from lectures to workshops, surrounded by studios with an opportunity to sit down and make music almost 24/7 with the people around you. Very inspiring! It was also great to do it in Barcelona as I had relocated just some months before and the city still was new to me.
What's the shape of the music scene in Barcelona like in comparison to Caracas and how have some of the larger festival crowds like Sonar responded to your music?
The music scene in Barcelona is completely different in comparison to Caracas because basically in Venezuela everything arrives late. Also in Barcelona you have international acts playing often and tons of local and foreign producers. Caracas is just starting, but it´s getting bigger and bigger everyday. Better late than never!
Festival crowds like Sonar where you see a large amount of people enjoying your music is huge. I'm not used to playing at big festivals, so those kind of experiences makes you wanna keep pushing forward with what you're doing. I'm very comfortable being here in BCN and basically Europe is great place if you want to make a living doing music. But if you happen to find yourself in Caracas anytime soon, you need to go to one of our Abstractor parties.
When did you, Pacheko, and Pocz first meet and what was it like working together in the studio down in Caracas? Do you guys still keep in touch and bounce ideas off of one another?
I met Pacheko around 2004 when he contacted me to produce some tracks of his now defunct band Todosantos. We became good friends after the whole process of producing/recording the album at a friend´s studio where I used to work. A couple of years later we worked together on what is now his own studio (that he shares with a couple of friends), called Estudio Pararrayos where we do stuff for TV/radio/film working on foley/sound design/pre-post production + more. Pocz was looking for a job and he ended up working along us. We are all still in touch like always and I'm still working with the studio via internet. They just finished a remix for my next single on Tigerbeat6 and I just finished a remix on a project they are working on.
Your latest album released on tigerbeat6 'Yr Fifteen Minutes Are Up' deviates from your earlier albums with a much more upfront 2step and garage influence. Was there a conscious effort to mix up the styles on this release and when did the majority of the material come together?
Yes. This new album is completely different and far away from the stuff I've produced in the past. But everything was a gradual progression. After some years working strictly on breakcore, I got hooked into dubstep but realized I didn´t want to be pigeonholed by just one genre. There are so many kinds of music I love and I wanted to do an album of the stuff I was feeling by that moment. The intention was to create a history with it and not just a bunch of club tracks. Making something to listen to at home was a challenge for me and it took me around 5-6 months to complete it. The goal was to release it by the end of last year, but release was delayed until May 2011.
If you relive one party from the past year, which would it be and why?
Boom Festival in Portugal just because I went with many good friends and all of us were playing there. It was an in an open air area located near a big lake/beach in a zone called Idanha-a-Nova., 3 hours away from Lisbon. We spent 3 days there hanging around, it was epic!
Lastly, would you mind breaking down your TOP 3:
Cities: 1. Tokyo 2. Athens 3. Krakow
Meals: 1. Arepas 2. Sushi 3. Mexican food in general
01. Calibre - Me, Myself, and I [Signature]
02. V.I.V.E.K - Eyes Down [Deep Medi Musik]
03. Marcus Intalex - Dusk [Soul:R]
04. Bastille - Through The Haze [dub]
05. ID - Slope [Sub Slayers]
06. Synkro - Just Say [Box Clever]
07. Kromestar - Konfuzed [Deep Heads]
08. Von D - Zhakee Bon (Distinction Remix) [Argon]
09. J:Kenzo - The Roteks [Tempa]
10. Silkie - Float [Deep Medi Musik]
11. Lennie De Ice - We Are I.E. (Caspa & Rusko Remix) [Y4K]
12. Bro Safari - Amazon Rock [Deceast]
13. Marcus Intalex - From The Ashes [Soul:R]
14. Icicle - Redemption (feat. Robert Owens) [Shogun Audio]
15. Atlantic Connection - No Explanations [Deceast]
Our latest cloudcast comes courtesy of L.A. (by way of ATL) resident Deco, founder of the Deceast record label. We had a chance to chat with him about his music and design background as well as the innerworkings of operating the label and maintaining it's distinct vibe:
First off, it seems you have worn all kinds of hats in this industry: would you mind giving us a brief introduction and lending some insight to your musical and design background over the years?
Music has always played a big part in my life, but I didn't get heavily involved in the industry side until college when I started working at my school's radio station. I first got on the air at WRAS Atlanta doing a weekly graveyard shift and eventually spent several years being heavily involved with the station all the way up until I graduated. At the same time, I had started DJing around Atlanta mostly doing locals parties and opening for the occasional headliner. Those years offered up seemingly endless musical experiences and really sealed my fate of being involved in it one way or the other for the rest of my days.
After graduation, I moved to Los Angeles for what I thought would be a short stay to finish a master's degree. Instead, I dove head first into the music scene at a time when the first dubstep parties were being thrown in LA and drum & bass events were bringing out huge crowds multiple times a week. For about three years, I worked for the promoter Insomniac while also picking up other music-related jobs on the side -- during this time is when I really learned a lot more about how the larger music industry operates.
As for design, I gained an interest in it during the 90s through a combination of graffiti and the BBS scene art groups. I had an internship at a small graphic design studio when I was in high school doing really early web stuff and things like that. I did a lot of freelance design work to support myself in college and have spent stints working at design agencies and start-ups for the better part of the past decade.
While I've done both music and design for many years, Deceast is really the first time I've had the ability to blend the two worlds in a meaningful way.
When did the idea of starting your own label first come about and what were some of the first steps you took in terms of getting the ball rolling and signing those first tunes? What was it like seeing your vision come to fruition with that first release?
I've entertained the idea of running a label for a long time, but I didn't start to act on it until just over a year ago. At the time, I was getting sent a lot of great music that, for whatever reason, other labels weren't picking up. I thought this music deserved to be out in the world and given some attention, so I took it upon myself to make that happen. I started by getting the infrastructure set up, signing a distribution agreement to get the music to retailers, creating the branding, and signing the first batch of singles. After that, a lot of the work is focused on making sure people know the music is out there!
As for the first release, it was a great step but I knew it was just the first move down a long road. However, I still get really hype when I hear a DJ play a Deceast track or see one in the tracklist for a mix! It's very satisfying to see your contributions back to music getting picked up and supported by other people.
Any reccomendations or advice for anyone looking to start up their own imprint? It seems that now more than ever, there's a huge waiting game in terms of getting records pressed if you're a new upstart label. How important are vinyl releases to you these days?
I certainly know how tough it is to press vinyl these days, as I'm still trying to get a deal for vinyl distribution worked out. However, it gives me something to strive for as I would love to hold a Deceast release in my hands! For those looking to start a label, just remember to do justice to your vision and only put out the best possible music statements that you can. A lot of people now look at music as something disposable, but I try to put out releases that are carefully curated with a lot of attention to detail.
The releases on Deceast so far have all maintained a similar deep and soulful vibe while not being pinned down or restricted to any one specific tempo. Has this always been part of the vision for Deceast or did this part come about with time? What are the advantages and if any, the disadvantages of not being tied down to any one specific genre?
The vision for the musical direction of the label has always been based on vibe; tempo and genre have been secondary. If it has the right mood to it and it fits within the overall sound of the label, then it's probably something I'll consider signing no matter what the style is. I prefer to embrace the ability to release multiple genres on Deceast rather than focusing on one. I spent a lot of time sequestered away in drum & bass, so the past few years of the genre walls coming down have been liberating. I plan to include many styles of music in the Deceast discography as long as the vibe is right!
Could you talk a little bit about what influences have played a part in achieving this overall vibe that seems to have remained a constant from release to release? For example its seems that early 90's hip hop vibes certainly play a big part in the Deceast records DNA.
90s hip-hop plays a big part, as that was a major entry point for me into the world of underground music. Same with the atmospheric drum & bass sound typified by Good Looking Records, as well as the darker mid-90s sound of labels like Metalheadz and No-U-Turn. I also count jazz, funk, and soul producers from the 1960s and 1970s among my influences as that's where a lot of the conventions of the modern deep/soulful vibe were first pioneered.
Greenthumb Funk is already in heavy rotation for me as a defining summertime anthem. How long have you been producing music and how did you and Linker first get together in the studio?
I first started dabbling in producing about 8 years ago but didn't get serious about it until recently. It took me a long time to get to a level where I felt good putting my name on the finished product. Linker and I know each other from the LA music scene, although his main musical outlet is a house music outfit known as Breakdown. He had been interested in expanding to some new musical styles, so we got in the studio and Greenthumb Funk was the second track we wrote together. We work really well together, so expect to see more from us soon.
Any crazy stories to share from your days of promoting/ being on the road as Evol Intent's Tour manager?
Those dudes read mad books. Like, more books than any other DJs I know. For real. Crazy book readers.
It seems like parties, as well as record labels run the risk of inevitably getting pigeonholed and having a hard time breaking out of what people's expectations are for a night or release to sound like. What are some of your favorite club nights and why do you think more promoters haven't taken a similar path to the label in terms of creating events with varied tempos and styles while still maintaining an overall vibe that serves as the common thread between the acts?
I don't travel much right now, so all of my favorite club nights are here in LA. For drum & bass, Respect is the weekly event for the heads. They've been going strong for over a decade and you can always expect to hear quality beats there -- they really love the music and know how to book the good artists who may not have a big reputation yet. The vibe there is quintessential LA too. For dubstep, both SMOG and Pure Filth are the two who really laid the foundation here and they still throw events that capture that early dubstep vibe that a lot of the new promoters totally miss. For more eclectic sounds, the surprise guests at the Do Over are always a treat, and the underground house parties produced by theLIFT are a favorite of mine when I want a bit of an adventure.
As for promoters not trying to vary the music of a night, I actually think things are more varied now than they have been in a while. On an average night going out, unless I know I'm going to an event that is catering to a specific genre, I hear many more styles of music than I would have even just a few years ago. Also, dubstep and a lot of the offshoot bass music genres have crept into much larger clubs typically reserved for big room house music, as well as festivals, and that's really opened things up stylistically. It's refreshing to hear different styles commingling.
You had mentioned in one of our earlier emails your experience seeing DJ Marky down in Atlanta in the mid 00s when he was just starting to blow up. Could you talk a little bit more about that experience and about Atlanta seemingly being a hotbed for DnB around that time?
DJ Marky came to Atlanta with XRS and MC Stamina in late 2003 right as The Brazilian Job and LK were blowing up. They played for a good three hours or more and it was great to see that liquid funk could drive the entire night instead of only serving as the opening soundtrack.
I think Atlanta developed a jungle / D&B scene earlier than many other cities in the Southeast, plus we had some great record stores that helped sow the seeds of the community in the 1990s. At the time, drum & bass was closely tied to the rave scene, but after raves all but vanished from Atlanta in the early 2000s it developed it's own identity. Atlanta was more receptive to the forward-thinking sub-genres than other places in the Southeast and it was a good time & place for me to come of age as a DJ. It has really helped me keep a high standard to what I do musically and with the label as a whole.
After being involved in the industry so long, are there any recurring trends you see coming back again full circle? Predictions for the future?
Music moves so fast now and new trends seem to come out of unexpected places more than they did in the past, so I'm not really sure what the future holds. With that said, I do think we're going to reach a breaking point with the relentless highest-energy-possible style a lot of DJs are pursuing these days. I hope that yields a return to hearing more dynamic sets and seeing more varied levels of energy at club nights and across the entire culture.
Lastly, on a lighter/less serious note, would you mind breaking down your TOP 3:
Cities:
1. ATLA (If only I could put ATL's food in LA's climate...)
2. Chicago (One of the greatest cities I've ever been to)
3. Denver (clean, crisp, and chill)
Activities outside of music:
1. Reading (currently The Record Players: DJ Revolutionaries by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton)
2. Technology (currently creating touchscreen interfaces for movie theaters at my day job)
3. Design (currently designing the cover of the next Deceast single!)
Eprom - Bubble [Bad Acid]
>> Master P - Who Them Boyz
Juvenile - Way I Be Leanin'
Eprom - Shoplifter [Bad Acid]
Lil Wayne - Tha Block is Hot
Skeptical - Dream Police [Ingredients]
Distal - The Kurgan [forthcoming Seclusiasis]
Acre - Ghatt [Embassy Recordings]
Boddika - You Tell Me [Nonplus]
Max Ulis - D.I.Y. [forthcoming Swing & Skip]
Addison Groove - This Is It [Tectonic]
Clicks & Whistles - Cranberry Goose [Embassy Recordings]
Little over two years ago marked the beginning of an event that helped usher in an era of bass awareness in the college town of New Paltz, NY; located just a few hours north outside of NYC. This event became known as the Watchtower Wobble and helped bring some of the brightest talents and purveyors of dubstep in North America through for an intimate performance in front of an ever receptive and rowdy audience that earned their own accolades as a truly passionate crew of kids.
This past month marked the party's 2 year anniversary and the occasion was celebrated with the Archie Pelago live trio performing their New Paltz debut alongside DJs Blind Prophet, I-Rex, and the Crown & Anchor residents Bloom & Rodan.
Coming full circle, the party ended just as it began two years ago; as an unofficial after party for the yearly Rock Against Racism event held on campus. While the party's founders will continue to pursue their own endeavours, the growth and formation of the scene in New Paltz wouldn't be where it is today without their pioneering event.
We recently chatted to Rodan from Crown & Anchor to lend more insight to the final chapter of the Wobble and what's on the horizon:
Q: When did you and Bloom first meet and what led to the eventual formation of Crown & Anchor sound in New Paltz?
A: Bloom and I first met his freshman year and my sophomore year at SUNY-NP in 2007. We were good friends right off the bat with mutual interests in jazz fusion and improvisational music as well as dub and reggae. We would always noodle around on drum machines and synths and even played out some live gigs a couple times. We started discovering some of the mainstream electro that was popular at the time and just kept going down the rabbit hole until we got to a point where we decided to share this music we had discovered with our peers through DJing at house parties. I had been DJing since high school and also had an insatiable appetite for electronics which I pursued studying Computer Science at New Paltz. We began DJing electro at house parties and bars around town and kept hearing the oddball 140bpm remixes on the releases. My girlfriend Marissa actually asked me if I had heard dubstep before at one of our electro shows before we were really familiar with it! With more investigation we discovered dubstep and the DubWar monthly down in NYC.
Q: The New Paltz road warriors always made their presence felt at NYC's longrunning DubWar monthly. What impact did the party have on you guys leading up to the first Watchtower Wobble you put on two years ago?
A: We learned so much from DubWar that it's hard to even put it into words. I learned so much about myself and how my life fits into the global community as a whole through that party. It opened my eyes to the healthy electronic music community right here in NYC, the Northeast, and further more all of the surrounding scenes here in the US and globally. Through DubWar I met so many other dedicated listeners and producers from all over the globe: England, Canada (HGLDT), the dirty South (Embassy Recordings crew), the Southwest! You were immediately connected from the start, all sharing something in common and with an open ear for conversation about the music. A tight knit gathing of people coming together for a common cause.
We also learned about the music and what it's really all about through DubWar: its roots, DJ culture & turntablism, as well as taking in the atmosphere and energy of the music and event itself.
Being a part of the dubstep scene before it diverged was also very influential to our night. We saw the music evolve in those few years and we saw how the DubWar gang reacted to it. There is always a time and place for the heavy tunes, and you would most certainly hear them at DubWar, but something deeper always happened when a tune like DMZ vs MZN came through those speakers. That's something that we really took with us.
Q; New Paltz has built it's own reputation in the bass music scene here in the Northeast, with Watchtower Wobble obviously playing a large part in building that foundation. Why do you think the college crowd in New Paltz has been so receptive to the music?
A: The electronic music scene in New Paltz before us was rather thin. Any night of the week you could go out and hear some groovy blueberry type bands, but there really wasn't any regular electronic events to attend. Once we started really listening to dubstep though, Dub War was something that we had to share with the rest of our peers. I find dubstep to reflect ourselves and New Paltz as a whole: progressive, global, and intelligent while still having lots of wiggle room for fun without being taken too seriously.
Q: As you already announced, this past month's Watchtower Wobble would also be the last installment of the event. What were some of the factors that contributed to this decision and are there any current plans for the future?
A: We've all moved to different places in the past two years: myself, Bloom, our friends, and the music itself. The producers of the dubstep of two years ago are making totally different stuff now! Dubstep opened my eyes to so much amazing underground bass music that it's impossible to share strictly minimal halfstep, which we were finding many attendees expecting to only hear. The music has evolved so far in the past two years that it has almost outgrown the event itself in a way. Of course I'll continue DJing, but I'm going to give the turntables a rest for the Summer and instead focus on production.
Q: If you could go back and relive one Wobble over the past couple years, which would it be and why?
A: Of course every single one had their own memorable moments, but I would have to say that the 1 Year birthday really sticks out. We successfully coordinated a mini-tour for our good ATL friends Mite and Distal with them headlining the 1 Year Bday. The plan was to go to DubWar the night before, when we got an unexpected phone call from Dave Q asking if Mite and Distal wanted to guest spin at DubWar that night! We were ecstatic! ATL brother Shortstack ended up taking a last minute flight up to NY to experience the night with us. After DubWar we all crammed into my car and pulled an all night drive back up to New Paltz. I invited Shortstack to share my set with me to top things off. The energy was so high that night, massive sets by all!
That and the Halloween when we invited Joe Nice, Incyde, and Pandaia to come play really stick out. Incyde played to the point of exhaustion in this rediculous ape costume that looked more like the gremlin from the classic Twilight Zone episode 'Nightmare at 20000 feet' than an actual ape. Or at least, thats how I remember it! That thing still haunts me!
Dan, thanks for taking the time out and all the best on the future!
We're happy to be bringing our Cloudcast series out of it's Winter hibernation with some fresh Spring flavors from Ill Cosby. Cosby is the Seattle based DJ/producer who also operates the bass music label Car Crash Set. The label put out over 30 stunning releases in 2010 from the likes of Cedaa, C.R.S.T., Distal, Mista Men, Hissy Fit, 214, as well as a few choice singles from Cosby himself. C/C/S is showing no signs of slowing down in 2011 with stellar releases from Gremino, Cardopusher, Pixelord and Sentinels now available in all of the usual digital outlets. His hour-long cloudcast takes you through sounds of the label's past, present, and future; featuring plenty of forthcoming material set for release in the coming months. Also be on the lookout for our full-length feature on Car Crash Set and an interview with Cosby in the near future.
Portland crew, you can catch Ill Cosby at the Various party (a personal favorite) at Branx on April 2nd alongside 31avas and residents Monkeytek and Ryan Organ. Serious sound reinforcement by HAS Systems that is sure to have the place bumpin!!
We had a moment to talk shop with DJ, producer, and label-head LionDub about his guest-mix as well as what to expect from the label in the coming months:
BF: Ez Erik. Thanks for taking the time out to talk to us.
LD: All good, thanks for taking an interest in my work and in the label.
BF: First off, could you please tell us a little about the mix you put together for us and the inspiration and creative process behind it?
LD: It was a very spontaneous mix. Ive been inspired by the deeper side of drum and bass recently and seriously felt a need to grab a dozen or so of these these 'autonomic style' vinyls out of the bin at halcyon, and string them together in a mix. Creatively speaking, mixing this type of material is always challenging because of the many different, off-tempo drum patterns, but this particular mix came together fluidly and with ease.
BF: Were there specific tunes that you knew you wanted to incorporate from the beginning or was it a general mood and vibe that you wanted to center the mix around?
LD: I knew that this mix would be deeper and more experimental, but i really wanted to build up from that slower vibe into more energetic tracks and cap it off at a peak. I chose to go from Abstract Elements' experimental, bass heavy dancehall style all the way to Wilkinson's 'Moonwalker' which maintains the experimental feel of the earlier bits, but smashes on the floor as well.
BF: Whether it be channeled through dubstep or DnB releases, your music and label have always had a strong foundation in dub and reggae music and the surrounding culture. Could you talk a little bit about your musical background growing up in NYC and it's affect on the shaping of the Liondub Int'l sound?
LD: Reggae music has inspired me since i was a child. From listening to Bob Marley Exodus and Kaya on my Moms stereo, to listening to hip hop / reggae radio dj's.. NYC DJ's like Red Alert, Chuck Chillout, Gil Bailey and David Levy, these legends provided me with the inspiration to become a dj and to this day i love to mix and have carried that early inspiration through my life.
BF: If you had to choose ONE record in your bag that goes off equally well with dubstep, DnB, and reggae crowds alike, which would it be and why?
LD: Jahdan Blakkamoore - The General. It resonates with everyone ive ever played it for. The people just respond to it no matter what type of party it is, or where I am in the world.
BF: You recently started up a new bass monthly in Brooklyn called Full Spectrum. What is the overall philosophy behind the event and how does it set itself apart from some of the other parties exploring bass music at the moment?
LD: Full Spectrum is based on the love of music and family. Its about variety and not being narrow minded or genre specific. I wanted to create a party that literally has a strong core group of diverse djs who are down for the music, for the people. ...You can hear everything from hip hop party jams, to dancehall, to dubstep, grime, UK funky, old school house, techno, jungle and more, but in a way thats never been presented before. To me, and others, its the ultimate mash-up; 10 DJ's, 30 minutes each. I'm getting the best out of everyone who performs, and asking them to bring the most solid party jams non stop. It just keeps getting better.
BF: What can we be looking forward to over the next few months from the LionDub camp?
LD: Tons of solid new releases from Ticklah, Noah D, Marcus Visionary, Bladerunner, Navigator, myself and more. We're pushing the limits of what we have done, exploring new territory and working with new talent constantly. We've just released Marcus Visionary's 2nd full length LP, a solid jungle record entitled 'Humble', as well as Noah D's Remix of Beenie Man's 'Rum and Red Bull.'
We are just about to drop the remix of Navigators' classic jungle anthem 'Inequity Worker' by Noah D which is gonna be accompanied by a video on February 1st. In addition I'm in the studio solid, working on remixes for David Boomah, Juakali, The DIrty Dubsters, Murdertronics, Jahdan & Noble Society, F-Troop and Navigator, Elephant Man and Subatomic Sound, Dubblestandart, MC Zulu, Dubmatix and more. There is a ton of new music in the pipeline for myself and the label, and I'm seriously glad to be apart of it all.
BF: and last, but certainly not least...where's the best Ital food in the city???
LD: Funny, but yeah, there's a spot out in Jamaica, Queens that cannot be beat. True ital, but unfortunately I've only been there a few times and can never remember the name. I'll have to get back at you on that one, but for solid ital vegetarian food in the city? My vote goes to Angelica Kitchen, 2nd ave and 12th street.
