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Just finished the last track from "The Capsule Life EP." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL8tzDvNCyk
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Oct 7, 2011 19:54
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Butterz is broadcasting live from Amsterdam tonight! Elijah, Swindle, Skilliam and Royal-T. Check it out: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/butterz-tv
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Oct 8, 2011 00:34
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isomerc posted:Just finished the last track from "The Capsule Life EP." This is crazy good. Ya think of sending it to Distance? He always plays underground artists at the beginning of his Rinse mixes and this seems right up his alley. Lookin forward to the full release.
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Oct 8, 2011 05:03
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Goth Trad - Babylon Fall EP is out now on Deep Medi. Do NOT miss the title track. It's creepy, dark and haunting. It's massive - I've had it on repeat for the last few days. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6YJz-PDXO4
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Oct 8, 2011 12:53
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HatchetDown posted:This is crazy good. Ya think of sending it to Distance? He always plays underground artists at the beginning of his Rinse mixes and this seems right up his alley. Thanks a bunch man. I've got a lot more on the way. I'd love to send it in to him, but I'm having trouble finding a channel to do so. Any idea where I should go for that? El Marrow fucked around with this message at 17:44 on Oct 8, 2011 |
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Oct 8, 2011 17:36
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isomerc posted:Just finished the last track from "The Capsule Life EP." I just hope Foul Play Records isn't the same Foul Play as this guy. Reading the guys comments was hilarious at the time though. For some reason anything involving lawsuits or court is always hilarious if the other person is a retard and/or doesn't have a lawyer.
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Oct 8, 2011 17:43
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28 Gun Bad Boy posted:I just hope Foul Play Records isn't the same Foul Play as this guy. Reading the guys comments was hilarious at the time though. For some reason anything involving lawsuits or court is always hilarious if the other person is a retard and/or doesn't have a lawyer. It's the same Foul Play. I've been doing business with Prolific for a few years now without a problem. I've heard stories, but my dealings with him have always been very positive.
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Oct 8, 2011 17:45
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28 Gun Bad Boy posted:Ray Hurley There needs to be more Think break 2step tunes. Actually everything needs more Think break really.
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Oct 8, 2011 18:08
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isomerc posted:Thanks a bunch man. I've got a lot more on the way. As soon as I went and looked on his twitter someone asked him that precise question and according to him it's chestplate@hotmail.co.uk If I end up hearing you on one of his next mixes I'm gonna lose my poo poo so good luck! Oh and as a side Rinse related question, does anyone know what the track was they were using for the 17th Bday ads?
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Oct 8, 2011 21:45
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HatchetDown posted:As soon as I went and looked on his twitter someone asked him that precise question and according to him it's chestplate@hotmail.co.uk Thanks a ton man. I sent it in.
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Oct 8, 2011 23:27
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this is not a new song but it makes me flip the gently caress out everytime i hear it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrYIx2PV7qI&feature=feedrec_grec_index anyone know anything else in this grimy wicked dark vein?
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Oct 9, 2011 06:32
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thunderthief posted:this is not a new song but it makes me flip the gently caress out everytime i hear it Maybe Architect would be up your alley? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJDBwU6Jsgg And a link to download the album: http://www.mediafire.com/?00ka321i1r0txd0
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Oct 9, 2011 14:18
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Does this count as UK Bass? I don't know but it owns http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkgqlSqTnwA
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Oct 9, 2011 21:25
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Welcome to the eighth part of my UK Bass history guide. I intend this to be a rough guide to the history of the current UK dance music scene. An attempt to educate and show people what came before. It's not meant to be a completely 100% accurate in-depth report of the sound and scene at the time, but is hopefully good enough that people will be able to understand and form the links in what has turned out to be a 20+ year old musical scene.   Timescale: 1998-2003 Key Labels: Public Demand, Locked On, Nice N Ripe (and it's billion and one sub-labels), Ice Cream Records Last time we took a brief detour into Broken Beat, today we return now to the land of UK Garage. This time though we start at around 1998 and the rise of what would be called 2-Step Garage. Called so simply because it removed half the kicks from the bar, creating a slower (though in reality not actually slower) sound. The rise of 2-Step also saw the pairing back of the massive basslines that had cropped up during the reign of Speed Garage. Instead more soulful and R&B influences(RE: classic Garage influences) re-appeared in the scene, vocals were once again popular and the scene found a new lease of life. Similar to when Ska developed into Rocksteady, the slower feeling gave the music more chance to 'breath' and explore and develop the sonic landscape. This newer, stripped down sound however also appealed to the youth, and as the new millenia drew closer started to create their own versions in the likes of bedroom studios. Blending Pirate Radio/Jungle MCing with the simple yet powerful 2-Step sound, what these kids were making would in just a few years rise to become a serious (if short-lived) commercial giant that would conquer the UK charts many times, and beyond that, would form the foundation on which the modern Grime and Dubstep scenes are built upon. Of course not everyone enjoyed these new beats. Many of the older heads in the scene detested them and tried to locked them down and cut them out of the clubs and stations. But the rougher 2-Step sound was too unique, too powerful and most importantly too real, too truthful to simply be snuffed out by the moanings of a few people. Unlike other, less organic musical developments, this was an underground culture born and bred. It had solid roots which allowed it to weather anything that was thrown at it as well as expand at the usual breathtaking rate that all good dance music is able too. As usual though don't trust my spiel alone, sit back, relax and press play as you continue your underground voyage. One last thing I will say though, it might be beneficial to read/re-read the first UK Garage part, and listen to the music presented there, just before you continue on here. This will hopefully give you a more cohesive look at how UK Garage developed. Tube-Tape Playlist Link United Groove Collective "Glad U Came To Me (S Gurley Mix)" (Public Demand, 1999) We start off easy with this fairly popular, classic 2-Step tune. Here ex-Foul Play Productions member and Rogue Unit Steve Gurley twists the tune into a spring loaded, bouncy, soulful number with plenty of bass action for the boys as well. After giving up on Jungle, Gurley would become one of the key players in the UK Garage scene making some utterly classic tracks as well as being one of the best remixers in the business. And it's no wonder why he became so popular, being one of the few ex-Jungle producers to truly become successful in slowing things down and bringing in House influences, but at the same time being able to keep enough ruffness and bass pressure to keep things on edge. Many of his tunes would find that perfect balance between the highs and the lows. TJ Cases "No One Can Love You More (P. Dub)" (Cut & Play Recordings, 1999) TJ Cases is one of those producers who sadly seem to have been forgotten about as the years have rolled on. A truly talented producer who always had a real sense of soul and emotion about his work. Actually it always reminded me of what UK Garage might have sounded like if the Jungle invasion and the rise of Speed Garage never occurred. Still heavy on the bass, still a little rough but just that bit closer to the kind of early Garage/House the likes of Grant Nelson was pumping out. Soulful but with an edge, instead of the edgy with a bit of soul stuff that the ex-Junglists and the younger kids were pumping out. True Steppers Ft Top Cat "Beng Beng (Why Why Vocal Mix)" (Ice Cream Records, 1999) See didn't I tell you that you should give a bit more respect to those UK Reggae/Dancehall MCs? They get everywhere and provide support to the scene. Here we have legendary MC Top Cat providing his vocals yet again for Ice Cream Records. This time for - at the time - fairly new Ice Cream artists True Steppers. Yes the same True Steppers who would make a fortune producing for Victoria Beckham. Wait! Don't go! Seriously, ignoring that connection True Steppers were genuinely a really good and talented act. And a bit of a surprising act considering their history being comprised of former Boogie Beats Records/Happy Hardcore man Kid Andy, and Drum & Bass man Jonny L. Escaping the harsh worlds both of them came from, joining together to create a series of fantastic and well produced 2-Step beats. So groovy with just such a fantastic beat, not to mention having plenty of bass for even the most jaded of ex-Junglist. Like I said though they definitely suffered critically for their VB connection which is a shame, as outside the fact it's Victoria Beckham the songs themselves are ace. And yes they did also remix Jonny L's classic Hurt U So. It really loving rocks. DJ Trubalsom Presents Da Farsyde "Take It To The Front (Vocal Lick)" (Outlaw Records, 1999) What is - I think - a very odd sounding record on the classic (and sadly little known) Outlaw Records stable. It's 2-Step sure, but to me it just seems such a remarkably clean, minimal sounding record. I really struggle to think of anything quite as similar to it from the same time period. Almost - but not quite - like an early Grime track. Minimal percussion combined with massive low down pummelling bass. Though obviously the nice, R&B-ish vocals spoil that idea, though they definitely don't spoil the song. A nice, unheard of gem if you ask me. DJ Deekline "Fame And The Money" (Rat Records, 1999) Ah Deekline, Dee Kline, Deekline. Sadly a name tarnished due to his comedy tune "I Don't Smoke". A real shame really as he, as well as his Rat Records stable would put out a lot of excellent tunes that I don't think ever got enough credit. Such as this one. I kind of like to think this was a reply to the success of I Don't Smoke. Now maybe it wasn't, but I think it works best that way. A way for Deekline to tell the world, "Look, I'm not a joke, I'm not some bandwagon jumper. Look what I can do". Rough and energetic, it's a great example of the route 2-Step Garage would take. A simple, stripped back track with a one finger bassline but combine all that with the MCing and it has just so much power behind it. Deekline kind of shows that it's not just about musical talent, but having an idea - even a simple and straightforward one - and the willpower to back it up is just as important. Groove Chronicles "1999" (DPR Records, 1999) You didn't think I'd forget about Groove Chronicles now do you? Groove Chronicles was the partnership between Noodles and El-B, and while fairly short lived (Though it still lasted 2-3 years) it produced so many classic tracks. From the remixes of Goldie's Believe, to the truly epic Stone Cold, so many good tracks escaped from the Groove Chronicles studio. 1999 however would be one of the last they would release, if not the last (a GC album on R&S sadly never came to fruition in time). And what a send off it would be. Incapsulating all the fears of the coming millenia, as well as showing the change of direction UKG was taking at the time 1999 is one of those few tracks that can seriously wear the mantle of dark. Truly paranoia fueled, it's nothing but a big, bottomless baseline with the kind of drumbeat that only El-B can do, one that just spikes out from the bottom edge, piercing the upper freqencies like a knife. Ghost "2000" (Ghost, 2000) Following the split of Groove Chronicles, El-B would found the Ghost collective and label, gathering a small host of like minded artists under one banner. And their first release was a maxi-single which contained this track, a kind of counter-piece to the earlier 1999. The millennium had been and gone and despite everyone's fears about Y2K bugs and end of the world scenarios, nothing much had changed and the Ghost camp was there to welcome the world to the new/old reality. Again a simply dark as gently caress track. Massive bassline, though by now El-B was flexing his percussion skills even more, creating a more active - but still just as startling and hard hitting - drumbeat. El-B and Ghost would go on to become a very, very important part in the early FWD dances which would eventually form the cornerstone of the early Dubstep universe. Osmosis "Bass Stomp" (Harry Lime, 2000) My favourite record from the underappreciated Harry Lime camp, a producer/label that would create some amazing tunes and play a part in the creation and popularisation of what would some be known as Breakbeat Garage. Here's a prime example of that style. Breaks based 2-Step sound with a big, warping bassline that could be taken straight from your favourite Jungle/Speed Garage tune. Bass to make the place shake like an earthquake. Here though you're starting to lose the R&B qualities that had shuffled back into place during the course of 98. You could blame it on maybe inexperience, or youthfulness or whatever, but I think looking back it may have just been a reaction to the success 2-Step was having in the charts. Of course that stuff was all mostly vocal based and fairly light hearted, so it'd make sense that people would push back against that mainstream pull. Or maybe it could be due to an influx of even more ex-Jungleheads, who finally getting sick of that scene at the ever harder and faster route that had taken, finally followed the flow and landed in the Garage scene. Who knows? JJ Louis & J Lion "Insincere" (Southside Recordings, 2000) Southside Recordings has proven to be a very hard wearing and long lasting label, continuing to this day as a popular Dubstep label having released many early works by the likes of Skream and Benga, as well as seemingly 90% of Kromestar's back catalogue. But it started by JJ Louis as a means to release his own material. Here we see the old Bleep 'n' Bass/Hardcore gene of sampling current tunes hasn't left us yet, as the central sample of this belongs to MJ Cole's classic track Sincere. But while MJ's original is a highly technical piece muscially, here we have a more youthful, energetic if simpler (and I mean no offense with that) reply to it. Well if you can't join 'em, might as well dirty it up and increase the pressure eh? Simple, elegant, powerful and well made 2-Step here. Beats the gently caress outta Nero's terrible official remix in every way. MJ Cole "Bandelero Desperado" (Talkin' Loud, 2000) And hey while we're on the subject, why not have a bit of the man himself? Cole's album Sincere dropped in 2000 to critical and commercial success. And how could it not have? A simply wonderful album that doesn't suffer from the classic dance music albums problem. It is genuinely a great and coherent album that works on it's own, showcasing the wide range of talent MJ Cole has. One stand out tune from the album is this track, which is one of the more darker sounding pieces off the LP. Almost El-B sounding (and he did do the remixes of the track actually) it's a gem of a track with haunting, primitive sounding trumpets that roll over the landscape like some ancient armies marching call while the woodblock snare pops out, keeping the MC in check. Seriously if you haven't already got a copy of Sincere, go buy it. Talkin' Loud released it in a 2CD set a few years ago that you really need to have. David Howard "Journey Through Time" (Sidestepper Recordings, 2000) David Howard is a sadly little known name, despite a nice release on the high profile Locked On Records. He was one of those people in the general gravity well of Dave Jones, aka Zed Bias, a man who we'll be looking at more closely in just a short while. Of course I don't mean that's a bad thing, there are few better people you'd rather be associated with. And with additional production by Zed Bias himself, Howard release this excellent single (strangely called an EP on the label despite the fact it only actually has a single A and B side) on Bias' own Sidestepper Recordings label. A great workout that while fitting in easily with the rougher 2-Step elements, is also just that bit more fuller, that bit more 'advanced' which gives it a much more modern flavour, even more than 10 years after it was released. Pads rise and fall in the background while a kind of woodblock/xylophone-esque thing pings away a nice tribal beat. Definitely a more - I'd hesitate to say laid back - roller of a track rather than a massive jump-up anthem. Ruff Cut Bias "Down (Original Vocal)" (Locked On, 2000) What happens when you mix together one of the hottest producers in the Garage scene and one of the hottest DJs in the Garage scene? The answer is Ruff Cut Bias, the combination of Zed Bias and Mike "Ruff Cut" Lloyd. And this track is truly more than the sum of its parts. A true dance floor anthem that found it's way onto more than one compilation or mix album on young 28 Gun Bad Boy's CD collection at the time. Again a true Zed Bias piece, ruff enough for the kids and their dancefloor, but smooth enough for the older heads, the ladies and their dancefloor. And let's be honest this features one of the best vocals in any Garage tune. Now don't tell me you don't shake yer arse when the lyrics come in with "shake your body down/body-body-down". Don't lie to me, I know you do it. And if you don't do it seriously man, just relax and just shake your body down. Trust me, you'll feel a lot better if you do. Sovereign, JJ Louis & Fuze "License To Kill 007" (Southside Recordings, 2000) We go back down to the Southside this time, with another classic, if more underground, anthem. We'll focus on Sovereign here, who's probably one of the most well known of those new breed of producers who were producing UKG at the time. Keeping things hard and rough, Sovereign along with Southside boss JJ Louis and Fuze created this 2-Step take on James Bond. Definitely of it's time, with it's massive warping bass (can you see how it would develop into the stereotypical 'Dubstep' wobble?), simple, skippy beats and classic Garage MC over the top. Really this was an anthem for the kids, and those older heads who understood what it was all about - which sadly wasn't too many. Again another great example of seeing one of the building blocks of Grime/Dubstep in action. So Solid Crew "Dilema (Vocal)" (Paper Money Recordings, 2000) I'm not going to deny it, despite their mass appeal and commercial success, So Solid were one of the biggest reasons why I jumped whole heartedly into the world of Garage. But it almost didn't end up that way. I first saw the terrible video for 21 Seconds when it was released and I hated it. My usual youthful rebellion fuelled "oh commercialism gently caress the man!" attitude made me hate the video for all it's guys with no shirts on and flashy effects. I hated it. But in all honesty looking back, I had no opinion on the song. But shortly after that someone played me the record by itself without telling me who it was and I was amazed. It was everything I was after, raw and powerful. And Dilema was a track that really stuck out at me. So minimal, but it said so much with what little it had. In a world were Shanks and Bigfoot (who themselves I found out were actually good producers, just with a terrible and very popular song) and Daniel Beddingfield ruled, I figured out that was nothing. Behind the curtain were the true wizards, and as popular as So Solid were(and let's remember they were really popular) they were popular because they were genuinely good and were pushing boundaries and exploring new areas. Pay As U Go "Be Real (Street Edit)" (Relentless Records, 2000) PAYG are probably more famous for the amount of future stars in their ranks than anything they did themselves. Geeneus, Target, Slimzee, Wiley, God's Gift. So many future stars of Grime were attached to Pay As U Go, is it any wonder they had such a fairly short shelflife with all the greatness packed in so tight? Not that they weren't popular at the time with the Champagne Dance cutting fairly deep into the Top 20. But really Be Real is my favourite track of theirs, with Know We riding right up behind it. It's still not Grime yet despite the great MCing, but it is getting there. Everything just sustains a bit too much, everything is just a bit too 'fluffy' and airy. It's not just a sheer aural attack like you'd find in Grime. And we have some lovely female vocals as well to round off any sharp edges. Female vocals would in the future generally be relegated to the 'bitch track' as our younger selves kinda non-PCly named them. The last track on the mixtape, something for the ladies. But this tune isn't relegated at all, far from it, it's scored the winning goal and ended up top of the table. Oxide & Neutrino "Execute" (EastWest, 2001) It wasn't only PAYG who had an over-abundance of talent. So Solid had just as much, though none really made it off the good ship HMS UK Garage when it started to go under. One of the first and most famous was Oxide & Neutrino, probably better known for their soap opera/drama sampling tune "Casualty" a song hated by many, many people all over the country. Okay so that's truthfully not very good. But this cut off their debut album though was something else. Listening to this on the headphones of my dodgy Aiwa discman, walking around the east end really gave this track and the album it's impact. Buzzing, booming basslines, battered metallic hi-hats ghostly synth stabs it was the British city in audio form. Cold, sterile, monolithic and decrepit, with such a force of anger and fear. It was just perfect for a younger me. Sticky Ft Ms Dynamite "Booo! (Medieval Hooligans Vocal Mix)" (Public Demand, 2001) By now everyone knows who Ms Dynamite is, and everything has heard the original Booo! But I bet not many of you have heard this Medieval Hooligans version. Medieval Hooligans was just another alias for Garage dons and future Bassline kingpins Wide Boys. Giving Sticky's original a much more obviously 'danceable' (not that the original wasn't) feeling, shaking it up with a more powering, skippy beat while retaining the power of the original. I remember being disappointed in Ms Dynamites first album. It just seemed to commercial compared to tracks like this and Ramp. Sure it worked chart-wise(and financially no-doubt), but like the Grime artists who've delved into the world of pop, it makes you wonder if she kept a bit truer to her roots if it would've worked just as well. Look at her nowadays with tracks like Neva Soft. Streets beats but also fairly commercially successful. Of course the world is a much different place in 2011 compared to 2001. Allstars "Tear The Roof Off" (Allstars, 2001) Steve Gurley back in action with his bootleg/remix label Allstars, which I believe was actually a cheeky Vinyl Distribution thing. Most people are probably aware of one of the other tunes on the label, the infamous "Hot Boys" which was featured on The Roots Of Dubstep compilation album (at least the instrumental was, the vocal side is sadly not as well known), but this is the last release the label had an it's a great send off. Really words can not describe how great Steve Gurley really is, all you need to do is listen to how fantastic this is. E.S. Dubs "Soul Drain (Original)" (Locked On, 2001) Aka the curious case of the alias that was revived 2 years after the last single release under it. E.S. Dubs was one of the lesser known Zed Bias alias, and originally provided the world with the utterly majestic "Standard Hoodlum Issue". Here though it's got a slightly different flavour. Taken during the period where Zed Bias was getting a bit disillusioned with UK Garage, he began to bring in more soul and funk influences as you can hear here. Eventually he'd make one last parting shot at Garage with the appropriately named "Time Out" before concentrating full time on his musical partnership with Injekta as Phuturistix. Of course the Zed Bias name would still be trotted out now and then for the mortgage paying remix jobs as we'll see later. Horsepower Productions "Givin' Up On Love" (Turn U On, 2001) Nowadays you can't talk about 2-Step with including Horsepower Productions. Back in the day you could, but not now. Not after a decade has shown how influential they were. And this is probably my favourite track ever of theirs. It came out on the sadly short lived No U Turn Records sublabel Turn U On (which if you ask me is a fantastic twist of a name) which released only 2 singles, this one and another Horsepower single Electro-Bass. While vocalised (something sadly missing in a lot of early Dubstep) it still contained that influential Horsepower beat, shuffley, complex percussion and deep, sub-bass hits. No denying it, without these early Horsepower singles Dubstep would have evolved quite differently, and the whole of the current UK dance scene would be drastically different. J Da Flex "Choosdays Night" (Southwest Records, 2001) J Da Flex is another influential person. Not only because he was in the Ghost sphere with El-B, but more importantly he had a radio show on BBC 1xtra, that showed off the evolving dark Garage sounds that would form the basis for Dubstep. This was especially important for those of us outside of London, before streaming internet stations were truly reliable. And he wasn't that bad of a producer 'neither. Exemen "Far East" (Manchu Recordings, 2001) Exemen was an alias of the legendary Wookie. I think it may have originally meant to have been for the more darker stuff Wookie did, but don't quote me on that. Far East meanwhile is probably my most favourite tune Wookie ever did. There is just something about that piercing synth line that just does my head in. Sit it on top of that thunderous breakbeat and man oh man I just spazz the gently caress out. It's in 2001 you really start to really see the development of what is nowadays called Dubstep. Seriously that bassline, turn it into an LFO-synced wobble bass and you'd have some that would have sat comfortably in the early Storming Records or Hotflush Records catalogue. Agent X "Decoy" (Public Demand/Heatseeker, 2001) An early classic of the Breakbeat Garage-era. Something Slimzee no doubt had in his bag for a long time as I know he rinsed a lot of later Agent X plates. With the Breakbeat stuff you started to get the feeling of an increase in speed compared to the 2-Step stuff. Not that it's really different, but that extra business in the drums really makes it feel faster. Of course over the next few years tempo's would rise another couple of bpm up to around 140, but nothing really crazy. Double 99 "Freekazoid (DJ Hype's Naughty Vocal)" (Satellite Records, 2001) Another thing orbiting the Ice Cream Records world, here we have R.I.P. Productions most famous alias, on big label backed Satellite Records. This mix though in the interesting one though. See DJ Zinc really pioneered the whole Breakbeat Garage thing with 138 Trek. But he'd also drag along True Playaz labelmate DJ Hype, who'd dip his toe in the Garage world under the alias Naughty. He wouldn't stay for long though, unlike Zinc who'd hang in there for a good while. But luckily while he was there he did such remixes as this blinder. It really is a shame he didn't switch full time as this is just incredible with it's bulging bassline that just fits perfectly with the silly ( in a good way) tinkling piano. The vocal is presented here because quote frankly it's fantastic, Midnight Star needs more love. The Streets "Let's Push Things Forward (Zed Bias Vocal)" (Locked On/679, 2002) It's definitely easy to underestimate how out of this world Original Pirate Material was when it first dropped, especially if you weren't around when it first came out. The album was so unique, it was UK Garage, but the Mike Skinner and his MCing (if you could call it that) was just so utterly weird. I mean you had PAYG, So Solid etc to kind of prepare you for MCing, but this was just a total blindside. Like William Shatner covering Bob Dylan, it shouldn't work, you should hate it, but it works. Somehow it works. I guess it was one of the most original ways to actually proclaim,"look, we're not from America, we're not 'rappers' we're doing it our way, we're pushing it our way, don't confuse us". This is something Grime would really push even harder, taking MCing in a way that no American had ever thought of, and at tempos no American MC could ever comprehend himself. No matter what you think of Mike Skinner, OPM (and also A Grand Don't Come For Free) was a fantastic and original album that I think really bookended this period in UK Garages life. London Dodgers "Down Down Bizness (Darqwan Remix)" (Locked On, 2002) The later Locked On Records releases are sadly overshadowed I think. It's no wonder, as their back catalogue pretty much a list of what the biggest tune in any given month/year was. Sadly come 2002 when Garage's star started to wane, Locked On's releases became kinda forgotten about. Like this one by DJ Ras Kwame, who also had a great release on early Tempa sister label Soulja. This is taken off the remix single that features another early FWD/Ammunition fixture Darqwan. Like a lot of tracks from this time, it's a really clean and minimal mix. With a spartan breakbeat 2-Step slotted neatly under a big warping bassline. Shut Up & Dance "4th Floor" (Shut Up & Dance Records, 2002) Of course it wasn't just the youth who were doing this more rougher Garage. No, you also had long time kings such as Shut Up & Dance doing it as well. The true breakbeat pioneers they had ignored the more Housey Garage scene, probably for the same reasons they ignored the original House scene. It just wasn't what they were about. For them it was the breakbeat, so when Jungle came along they did that, and when breaks started being incorporated in Garage, well of course like a shark sniffing out a drop of blood from 7 miles away, they'd come swimming to investigate. And like the shark they'd leave with their pound of flesh, putting out such great tracks such as this one. These kind of tracks probably were very influential to the mid-00s breakbeat scene (what were they calling it then again? Nu-Breaks or something? I forget), that was the scene where SUAD would move into after this, along with Deekline who would also fall into the whole breaks scene, rather than continuing on with the darker Garage stuff that would lead to Dubstep. Jammin "Tonka (Bingo Beats, 2002) Without a doubt however, the originator and the king of Breakbeat Garage was DJ Zinc, who under his Jammin alias, and on his newly former Bingo Beats label put out smash after smash of steppin' breakbeat bass pressure. And without a shadow of a doubt Tonka is the one that does it for me everytime. It's just that synth, it's just incredible. Meld it together with the earth shaking bassline and oof, it's just too much, it really is. I always felt it a shame when Zinc started making D&B again. Sure his album Faster was great, and explored many different tempos. But compared to his 130-140bpm stuff his D&B work just lacked something. He must've thought so as when Funky came along he quickly became a major player, doing what so many have struggled to do before. Pick up the phone and tell his agent to take no more Drum & Bass bookings, he's own a House ting now. Menta "Sounds Of Da Future" (Sounds Of Da Future, 2002) Okay I know, I know. This tune really made an appearence in 2001. But dammit the full release stickered version came out in 2002, and it works so well next to the Zinc entry who took it upon himself to remix it while Menta took it upon themself to remix Tonka in return, so it goes around. Menta were also forward thinkers, as under the D'n'D name they proved to be one of the leading stars in the Garage scene. Unlike many they'd stick on, riding the wave and seeing what new stretch of beach they'd land on. And that just happened to be dark Garage. I remember one great name some people used to call this kind of stuff. Nu-Dark Swing. Really I should hate anything with the word Nu in it, but for once it was a really accurate description and worked so well with the sound and the feeling of the music. Incidently one half of Menta/D'n'D was Arthur Smith aka Artwork aka the other guy in Magnetic Man alongside Skream and Benga. With the combined talent of those 3 is it any wonder the Magnetic Man project really took off the way it did? Heartless Crew "Why? (Looking Back) (Sticky Refix Vocal)" (EastWest, 2003) Three cheers for the Heartless Crew, who at the time were my favourite Garage crew. Yes I liked them even more than PAYG. Heartless just seemed to take things with more fun, they always seemed a bit more 'mature' (but not in a boring way) combining a lot of different elements and attitudes. Of course everyone probably knows by now of the big beef between Heartless and Pay As U Go. At the time I have to admit I thought it was kinda silly, but whatever. A bit of banter has never hurt sales. It has of course ruined careers as Heartless' complete demolishing of PAYG proved. Well it wasn't entirely up to them, but it certainly didn't help. But you know I think it's fitting Heartless ended up as the last track, they really kept that Garage spirit going while a lot of other crews had broken up or moved onto the Grime thing. But they kept it up, kept it going, one of the few keeping it on life support as what was once such a vibrant scene found itself the victim of it's own success. It came tumbling off the top of the tower, splitting it into a variety of different, smaller scenes that would take a long time to come up to the strength Garage had in it's heyday. Next time we'll start to visit the biggest offshoots of Garage: Grime and Dubstep. Additional & Recommended Listening: Luckily 2-Step Garage was blessed with many, many commercial compilations. You couldn't chuck a stone without hitting something Warner or Telstar released. And you know a lot of them aren't even half bad. Certainly worth it if you don't really know much about Garage at all. There are however some really good ones about. Locked On had 2 volumes called Sound Of The Pirates. One mixed by Zed Bias, and the other by Ed Case. Both are cheap and easy to find and I recommend them. The Artful Dodger also had 2 compilations Rewind - The Sound Of UK Garage and Re-Rewind - Back By Public Demand. Both are on the more predictable side, but both are still nice. Azuli Records also had out 2 volumes of their great Blackmarket Presents 2-Step, with the second one selected by Groove Chronicles. Finally for the Breakbeat Garage stuff, the only real thing out there is the 3 volumes of Bingo Beats. Utterly fantastic those 3 CDs are and I highly recommend the 3rd one which also has a guest appearence by then about to blow up, Dizzee Rascal. And in terms of round black plastic discs. Cheap. It's all cheap. I honestly can't think of anything that goes for more than a couple of pounds, maybe a fiver at most. So you have no excuse not to expand your vinyl collection. 28 Gun Bad Boy fucked around with this message at 02:27 on Jul 4, 2016 |
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Oct 9, 2011 23:40
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Sounds like a big Timbaland influence in that J Da Flex tune! 2step always seemed like the UK response to that late-90s brand of Timbaland-influenced R&B typified by producers such as Rodney Jerkins and Kevin Briggs. And of course there were an absolute ton of 2step remixes of USA R&B artists. I'm partial to this one...
Gamest Mook fucked around with this message at 00:40 on Oct 10, 2011 |
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Oct 10, 2011 00:37
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Gamest Mook posted:Sounds like a big Timbaland influence in that J Da Flex tune! 2step always seemed like the UK response to that late-90s brand of Timbaland-influenced R&B typified by producers such as Rodney Jerkins and Kevin Briggs. And of course there were an absolute ton of 2step remixes of USA R&B artists. I'm partial to this one... That late-90s American R&B thing was definitely a big influence yeah. Absolutely crazy the amount of remixes and bootlegs. I actually dug out of the shelves a good couple of mixes of Bills, Bills, Bills just for starters (the Groove Chronicles one and a set of D'n'D mixes) and I know more were done. And then you've got the rest of the Allstars series. God knows what else is floating out there on odd white labels that producers pressed and dropped the whole lot into places like Rhythm Division. e: Always loved Reservoir Dogs 702 remix. Nice and laid back. They had a couple of other remixes like that on their Planet series. 28 Gun Bad Boy fucked around with this message at 00:52 on Oct 10, 2011 |
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Oct 10, 2011 00:45
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Oh man, now we're talking.
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Oct 10, 2011 01:28
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Awesome guide as always. I just wanted to point out to all the DJs in this thread that these two tunes mix together PERFECTLY, and you can get it to where the vocals sync up in a heavenly way. "1999...2000!" I might upload one of my old live mixes just to show off this blend hahah, I can't be the first one to do it though.
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Oct 10, 2011 03:20
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28 Gun Bad Boy posted:
yo, sick guide as always man Do you know what the sample is in this tune that comes in at like 1min30 ? I've heard it in a couple of jungle tunes before. I want to say Nightmare Before Christmas but I don't know.
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Oct 10, 2011 11:03
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An0 posted:yo, sick guide as always man It's an Ennio Morricone score from one of those old Clint Eastwood cowboy movies, For A Few Dollars More. It's also sampled on 187 Lockdown's classic track Gunman. When in doubt for a sample, always check a Morricone score.
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Oct 10, 2011 11:15
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As always, great, great work. For whatever reason it seems like the history of EDM isn't paid the heed that rock's has always received. Knowing the lineage makes the whole thing easier to appreciate. Went to see Chrissy Murderbot / Machinedrum / Ital Tek show in Denver last night. At peak time I was one of 25 people in attendance, give or take. By the end of Ital Tek's set (which was cut off by the house, as if we hadn't suffered enough indignities) Machinedrum and I were a full quarter of the dancefloor. IT was really into it, though, and I had to dance like the goony motherfucker I am. Surprised nobody called the paramedics on my clearly convulsing self. It's a real shame. I would attribute it to the show being presented and promoted by the weaker of the local bass music collectives or the general Midwest affinity for buzzsaw midranges and all that (Skrillex and Pretty Lights sell out thousands-capacity venues in hours) but if Zed Bias and Silkie are esoteric by our standards then the Planet Mu stable is practically avant-garde. It was a juke-heavy bill and Ital Tek played 1-2 AM. Disaster waiting to happen. Machinedrum was a real rear end in a top hat, too, which was the worst thing. I don't begrudge the guy a certain measure of anger at how stiff and blase the audience was (half of them were sitting down despite repeated entreaties to dance) but I did pay to see him. His set was great but he ended it with a "see you later guys, I'm going back to Europe" in a really obnoxious way. Even tweeted it for good measure. Not very punk rock of him. Chatted up Ital Tek a teensy bit and he was really nice. The guy after me wanted to hear something from the Terminator 3 EP and I felt enough embarrassment for the both of us. Sent him apologies on behalf of Denver afterwards. They deserved a full house.
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Oct 10, 2011 11:50
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I don't even understand the American audience in regards to dance music. Previously the complaint heard the most that 'techno is all repetitive', then of all the possibilities midrange dubstep, electro-house and Deadmau5 is the only thing that gains any popularity? Marketing/exposure must be the problem, if you introduce fans of this stuff to other things i find people generally receptive; they just have no will to go out of their way and find anything else on their own.
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Oct 10, 2011 14:26
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Here's the latest Big Narstie track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-uQssbv3dI D'Explicit on the buttons and I really like the beat. Or, as Gamest Mook notes, it sounds like a 2007 dubstep beat. As a side note, I don't notice a whole lot of fat dudes in grime
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Oct 10, 2011 18:30
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infinity2005 posted:I don't even understand the American audience in regards to dance music. Previously the complaint heard the most that 'techno is all repetitive', then of all the possibilities midrange dubstep, electro-house and Deadmau5 is the only thing that gains any popularity? Marketing/exposure must be the problem, if you introduce fans of this stuff to other things i find people generally receptive; they just have no will to go out of their way and find anything else on their own. You're spittin' so much truth here, it's kinda ridiculous.
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Oct 10, 2011 18:32
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Mike_V posted:Here's the latest Big Narstie track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-uQssbv3dI Narstie's the only big guy I can think of off the top of my head. I still really loved that mixtape he put out a good few years ago now. More for the great DVD came with it that was pretty much him in a car chatting shite. And to be fair as fat as a lot of people are here, it's not the states. Not many are Narstie size.
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Oct 10, 2011 18:39
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Riot.EXE posted:You're spittin' so much truth here, it's kinda ridiculous. Preach it, jive brother!
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Oct 10, 2011 18:44
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Thanks for the posts 28gbb. This really is the first guide I felt even remotely involved in, the horsepower, so solid crew and exemen tracks are favorites. Here's a mix by 'nervous' on sounds of da future I've always preferred but I cant say I know anything else about him? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29LMg8bJyRA
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Oct 10, 2011 19:15
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vicky thump posted:Maybe Architect would be up your alley? yo thanks just saw this
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Oct 10, 2011 19:53
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Not gonna lie from what i hear of the american electronic music scene from the internet/americans i come across it sounds dire north americans i rate are falty dl, starkey, flying lotus, venetian snares, edit and someone else i cant remember loving the latest installment too
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Oct 10, 2011 20:03
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JimmyJazz posted:Thanks for the posts 28gbb. This really is the first guide I felt even remotely involved in, the horsepower, so solid crew and exemen tracks are favorites. Here's a mix by 'nervous' on sounds of da future I've always preferred but I cant say I know anything else about him? I think it's just another version by Menta themself, but like the comments say on the video, the pads and stuff are definitely sampled from Nuyorican Soul's(aka Masters At Work) Nervous Track, which is a real old House classic. So it would explain the name. And just to put it out there as it's a great album, like the MJ Cole album, Nuyorican Soul's classic self-titled album was re-released with a bonus CD a few years back. Along with a couple of other classic Talkin Loud albums. And regarding the whole lack of crowd in the States etc. It's worth mentioning here that the first 6 months-1 year of Dubstep dances here were very, very sparsely attended. I could count the regular crowd on both hands. I think all that's really needed to get some semblance of a scene is some basic advertising(even just a simple Facebook thing together with flyering every show in town every week for the month before your dance. No one can go to what they don't know about), having regular nights(i.e. not only every random month that has a P in it but once a month solid) and some decent 'name' DJs(and I don't even mean like Skream every week, but someone who's got at least some profile. And if they're cheap then double bonus!). Now obviously it's hard, and it's hard to lose money. But I know it's how the Fortified Crew and others did it here, but if you're sensible about it hopefully the nights that lose the money will be building a solid foundation to allow a real scene to develop. Starting things as a group can help to lessen risks as well, so can using student union halls or whatever if you're a student. Flavour of the month acts filling thousand seat arenas is bullshit and so out of touch with what's actually needed. You need poo poo at grassroots to develop, for people to get used to it, to accept it and most of all for it to always be there and always be valid. And also with the States there isn't any excuse nowadays as there are a lot of good producers and DJs over there now, qwako just mentioned a few and there are a lot more. So no expensive Transatlantic flights. get them on whatever the US equivilant of Ryanair is on a ten bob fair, pay them cash and let them sleep on your couch. I bet you the majority will be happy to do it.
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Oct 10, 2011 20:20
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thepopstalinist posted:
Not going to comment on this actual event because I wasn't there. But I do know Travis quite well and he's the furthest thing from an rear end in a top hat, usually. In fact, he is one of the nicest guys I know. I'm not defending his actions but I just wanted to throw that out there because you obviously caught him on a really bad night. Also, hello, I am new here. (kind of)
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Oct 10, 2011 20:33
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28 Gun Bad Boy posted:But I know it's how the Fortified Crew and others did it here, but if you're sensible about it hopefully the nights that lose the money will be building a solid foundation to allow a real scene to develop. Let's not forget this is called the UK bass thread. You can try and start up a night like this if you want to but around here at least you're really only going to find success by going in to that other thread and picking out those types. I've seen these sort of guys fall hard a good number of times now at least. Zed Bias playing to almost nobody at all. Roska playing to a thin room at Steve Aoki's weekly when the place would otherwise be packed for any random electro house no name. Ramadanman playing to a small crowd of people mostly stuck wondering to themselves who the hell this weirdo Ramadanman is. I'm not sure if it's exactly right just to compare it to the early dubstep nights over there, Americans have real trouble following along with this as far as I've seen. They want that hypercompressed almost purely static noise pop sound and this might as well be its opposite. Songs that are on the brink of being stadium rock anthems do very well. There are local 'bass music' nights that spring up even but they are all chasing that breakout dubstep and justice mashups sound to its very end. I think the butterz sound has a shot of going over well here only because of how closely they walk that agro line but the grime MC thing also goes totally lost on a lot of people. JimmyJazz fucked around with this message at 22:57 on Oct 10, 2011 |
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Oct 10, 2011 22:45
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Yep it's pretty much poo poo. The best parties always have the worst attendance and vice versa. If it's a forward-thinking or otherwise interesting act the vast majority of the audience will be local DJs/producers. And don't feel too bad thepopstalinist, when chrissy muderbot played here the dancefloor dwindled super early and like an hour into his set the promoter told him he could stop playing because the only people on the floor were my girlfriend and I. He spun a great set though.
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Oct 10, 2011 23:03
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JimmyJazz posted:Let's not forget this is called the UK bass thread. You can try and start up a night like this if you want to but around here at least you're really only going to find success by going in to that other thread and picking out those types. I've seen these sort of guys fall hard a good number of times now at least. Zed Bias playing to almost nobody at all. Roska playing to a thin room at Steve Aoki's weekly when the place would otherwise be packed for any random electro house no name. Ramadanman playing to a small crowd of people mostly stuck wondering to themselves who the hell this weirdo Ramadanman is. I'm not sure if it's exactly right just to compare it to the early dubstep nights over there, Americans have real trouble following along with this as far as I've seen. They want that hypercompressed almost pure static noise pop sound and this is might as well be its opposite. There are local 'bass music' nights that spring up even but they are all chasing that breakout dubstep and justice mashups sound to its very end. Oh sure, but I like to be naive and believe it isn't just an American's don't get it thing. I think it can become a thing over there. I genuinely do. I think if the grassroots can keep it up, if the true and passionate fans can keep pounding and grinding away, can keep showing people the alternative, it'll end up becoming more accepted and more popular and in turn a viable and healthy scene. I think it'll take a while but I like to think it's not a hopeless case. And I doubt it'd be like Tiesto or something where you can bring a crowd of 5000 or whatever, but I don't see why lots of dances couldn't bring in 150/200 maybe 300 people. 2-300 people, man, then you've got a solid fanbase that'll bring in the money that'll keep the dances going, and keep the artists wanting to play your town. I mean if there was 25 people are Machinedrum last night, if they each brought a single friend to the one next month, you're talking 50 people and so on and so on. That's why I say having something regular can really help, people have a short attention span and having your next show be in like 10 months isn't going to build an audience. I just think now is the moment the folks over there could really build something. There's plenty of good DJs and producers coming out of the States now compared to just 5 years ago, and you see a lot of guys playing over there in places that isn't just New York or LA. No I think if folks over there keep at it they can get some people looking at them, make them more aware of it all, and they could really start something. Of course maybe I'm being too optimistic, and I know I'm not over there so I don't know the exact state of affairs, but that's what I think. If some dedicated folk can put in the hard graft now (and it's very hard graft for sure) it'll pay dividends in the future.
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Oct 10, 2011 23:04
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What's kinda funny is that it seems like the best way to be able to throw decent parties is to throw like a half dozen super lovely generic wobble parties and then use the proceeds to bring in someone cool. There is a local promoter over here who brings in Cookie Monsta, Bogore, etc, but he also runs the crew that brings in acts like Mt. Kimbie and Chrissy Murderbot.
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Oct 10, 2011 23:12
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infinity2005 posted:I don't even understand the American audience in regards to dance music. Previously the complaint heard the most that 'techno is all repetitive', then of all the possibilities midrange dubstep, electro-house and Deadmau5 is the only thing that gains any popularity? In my view, a lot of American music is aggressive. Over the past two or three decades, both metal and hip-hop gained huge popularity. Meanwhile, soulful groovy dance music...didn't. But hey, throw in some hip-hop vibes and heavy/"epic" sounds, combine with a 21st century resurgence of drug culture, and we are now ready for dance music in America. But we have to start from scratch, so it's going to be poo poo for a while. It's not like London where you've got 8000 clubs and a vibrant scene where you can hear almost anything on any given weekend, and there are tons of artists in the area mixing and collaborating and bouncing ideas off each other. Until a few years ago, clubbing in America was almost entirely Top 40 and mainstream rap. Now we're seeing a lot more dance music clubs, but it's all spread out. Like you said, it does have a lot to do with marketing and exposure, and it's really hard to market unknown names to a massive country with small pockets of interested people. On that note, I think the Bay Area is doing pretty well at forming a bass music scene. It's definitely got that psychedelic/burner/hippy vibe but I'm into that anyway. The label Frite Nite just put out a comp, Surreal Estate, with tracks from Starkey, Distal, and DJG among others. And, in a shocking move from a US label, there's a 12" sampler with 6 tracks. You can listen here: http://www.fritenite.com/2011/10/04/ftnt013-surreal-estate-compiled-mixed-by-ana-sia/ nibe fucked around with this message at 05:16 on Oct 11, 2011 |
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Oct 10, 2011 23:16
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28 Gun Bad Boy posted:get them on whatever the US equivilant of Ryanair is on a ten bob fair Sadly, there is none. Southwest is the cheapest and it's usually at least $100 for a one-way. America's infrastructure (as well as the sheer size) isn't set up to allow people to travel quickly around the country (unless you're rich of course). Whereas someone can tour around Europe, and especially the UK, fairly easily (correct me if I'm wrong), making a US tour is a lot of effort and logistics. JimmyJazz posted:I think the butterz sound has a shot of going over well here only because of how closely they walk that agro line but the grime MC thing also goes totally lost on a lot of people. nibe fucked around with this message at 23:38 on Oct 10, 2011 |
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Oct 10, 2011 23:31
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nibe posted:Sadly, there is none. Southwest is the cheapest and it's usually at least $100 for a one-way. America's infrastructure isn't set up to allow people to travel quickly around the country (unless you're rich of course). Whereas someone can tour around the Europe, and especially the UK, fairly easily (correct me if I'm wrong), making a US tour is a lot of effort and logistics. Wow I'm shocked at that. I figured airlines like JetBlue were just the same as Ryanair/Easyjet. gently caress all in tickets, but $5 for a can of ginger on the plane and coin operated toilets. Oh America I thought you were supposed to be the pinnacle of Capitalism. I am disappointed.
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Oct 10, 2011 23:38
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28 Gun Bad Boy posted:And also with the States there isn't any excuse nowadays as there are a lot of good producers and DJs over there now, qwako just mentioned a few and there are a lot more. So no expensive Transatlantic flights. get them on whatever the US equivilant of Ryanair is on a ten bob fair, pay them cash and let them sleep on your couch. I bet you the majority will be happy to do it. I can give some insight on this sort of scenario, if people are interested. I used to throw (mainly) drum'n'bass events in DC from 1999 until 2003, which was about the time that US dnb producers were getting some recognition from other pockets of the international scene. Lots of stories about offering up my couch (UFO! was a fairly frequent house guest in 2002), crashing on couches myself, road trips from DC to NY, even TeeBee sleeping on the couch in my mom's basement one weekend, just to help out a booking agent friend. And then the whole event production & promotion side of it.
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Oct 11, 2011 00:04
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28 Gun Bad Boy posted:Oh sure, but I like to be naive and believe it isn't just an American's don't get it thing. I think it can become a thing over there. I genuinely do. I think if the grassroots can keep it up, if the true and passionate fans can keep pounding and grinding away, can keep showing people the alternative, it'll end up becoming more accepted and more popular and in turn a viable and healthy scene. I think the problem is that there just isn't as much of a fan base to which uk bass is a natural transition, if that makes sense. I mean in NY I don't mean to minimize uk bass's impact, but it's quite small compared to the say the house, hip hop or dancehall scenes. I see little reason for mass migration from these scenes to dubstep. In New York, we don't have the history of transition of garage-2step-dubstep to rationalize the integration of dubstep into existing narratives. Likewise, many of the emerging dubstep fans have little time for house, hip hop, and dancehall as they are coming from a rave background or from reading dissensus and pitchfork or something. This is something of a generalization, as I can give lots of anecdotal evidence contrary to this thesis, but in aggregate I think it holds true, and uk bass has not made a particularly large impact on dubstep/dancehall/hiphop. Really, I think drum and bass is the perfect analogy, an imported genre that gained moderate popularity, but never became a dominating influence like hip hop or disco. Or another example would be a simon reynold's article on the Body & Soul parties where he suggests they might include 2-step along with house and disco, which clearly was never going to happen for the reasons I've outlined above.
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Oct 11, 2011 03:50
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