The ill-ec-tro-nic

Luis Flores - Bajando // Hidden Agenda buy

Keeping with the dark warehouse vibe, we move onto the latest installment of goodness from the Stroboscopic Artefacts camp. Back in March, fresh remixes of Lucy & Ercolino's Gmork & So The Nothing Grows Stronger came out; this time with Luke Slater & Dadub at the controls. Both deliver strong, reverb-heavy slabs of techno perfect for the rave although the Dadub one works it's way up to the pounding techno structure by taking in some dubstep influences prior to the breakdown so for me, provides the most interesting home listening - I suspect the Slater mix would nail it in a club environment though.

The next installment of Stroboscopic's digital only sampler EP is due out this week and once again offers a bit more variety that the typically heads-down fodder of their 12"s. That said, the killer on 'Gamma' is Abstract Souls' Abstract Subway which is a deep and heavy dancefloor workout with another well placed nod towards Basic-Channel. Given that Discogs suggests this is this artist's first release, they're certainly out of the gates on a flyer so lets hope they can maintain this quality on subsequent outings. The rest of the sampler contains some nice cuts too: Modern Head's 1969 is mesmerizing in its simplicity and sure to find dancers shuffling along in contended bliss while Donor strips things down to a sparse and cavernous kickdrum and modulating bassline formula that takes in a variety of sonic effects as it meanders along while Claudio PRC finishes things off with a slab of dark sci-fi ambiance.

One thing that's currently puzzling me about this label is why neither Boomkat nor Phonica are currently stocking it in the UK - come on guys you're really missing a trick here - get on it!

In respecting the label's wishes, we're only going to put snippets from these releases up again. You can also check out previews from Juno / Juno Download & Zero" who clearly have the good sense to have the full SA catalogue online.

Lucy & Ercolino - So The Nothing Grows Stronger (Dadub Remix) (SAMPLE) // Stroboscopic Artefacts

Keeping with the dubby vibe but moving into stepper's territory is a promo mix we were sent a while back for last Friday's FWD night at Matter - I meant to post ahead of the event but kind of got sidetracked! The mix takes its time to work all the way up to full dancefloor strength, starting off with tracks from across a variety of genres with some of the early selections not being the kind of thing you'd typically expect to hear on a mix from one of the big names in Dubstep. However, fans of Appleblim will know what to expect as the showcasing of his eclectic side is something he's done previously, particularly on his excellent Rinse FM mixes from last year.

Rounding things up for today is a tasty little freebie sent to us to promote Mount Kimbie's latest release - a collection of remixes out on Hotflush that comes in 2 parts. Part 1 is out now (actually sold out in a few places) and features the Falty DL version below plus remixes by James Blake & Instra:mental. I've not heard the second remix package yet but it features Tama Sumo & Prosumer and label boss Paul Rose in his SCB guise. Part 2 was originally due out at the end of April but doesn't appear to be in the shops yet so I'm guessing it's slightly delayed but due to drop imminently.

Mount Kimbie - Serged (Falty DL Remix) // Hotflush buy

I've been busy purchasing some brand new Dub Techno and Future Dubstep releases of late and there seems no let up in the quality of new material that is springing up out of these merging scenes. It really is a fertile time for the 'Dubtec' genre at the moment with superb releases from the likes of Scuba, STP (Shed) and T++ all gracing my stereo of late.

For this post I'm going to focus on 4 releases that have really hit it big with me.

Intrusion is one of the many aliases for Stephen Hitchell who co-runs the Echospace label out of Detroit which is the American home of all things Dub Techno. 'The Seduction of Silence' is the new album and as you'd expect it is full of classic Basic Channel inspired Dub excursions. 'Little Angel' featuring the unstoppable Paul St Hilaire is the highlight for me.

Intrusion - Little Angel feat Paul St Hilaire // Echospace [Detroit]
The CD is a strictly limited edition of 300 copies but you can buy the high quality MP3s at Beatport

Next we move into more familiar Dubstep territory and some tracks which you may have heard a lot of lately, Bad/2 Bad by Kode 9 Vs LD. This release has been getting lots of attention recently and showcases Kode 9's newer influences from the crossover Techno sound on 'Bad' and also the 'Funky' sound currently sweeping the British underground. (2 Bad)

Kode 9 Vs LD - Bad // Hyperdub Buy

Martyn was one of a handful of producers that really broke through last year and his new album released this month has many people salivating with anticipation. Martyn's metallic synth sound is very distinctive, so I was quite surprised when I heard this next track. I initially thought 'The Untitled Dub' by F could be one of his productions. However 'F' is the rather minimal moniker of one F. Aupetit, who releases material through the French label 7even

The Martyn comparisons aside, this is a seriously good slice of Techno Dubstep.

F - The Untitled Dub // 7even Recordings Buy

7even were featured on Mary Anne Hobbs' Radio 1 experimental show on Jan 13th. You can download a 30 min mix of fresh upfront 7even releases through their myspace

And saving the best til last we have a seriously good remix package that has just been released on Aus Music. 'If Alone' feat Paul St Hilaire (yes him again) by Sideshow has been given the remix treatment from Chateau Flight plus Appleblim and Komonazmuk. The very chilled out original has been transformed into a beautiful dubbed out slice of Tech House on the Chateau Flight mix but it is the Appleblim and Komonasmuk remix which is gathering much attention as they have transformed it into a straight up 140 bpm Techno track complete deep subs and a breakdown of Balearic style guitars lifted from the original.

However it is after the second breakdown about 5 mins in that this track really takes off when in comes the classic 2 step 'swing' of stuttering beats along with the metallic Techno shards, elevating this track to instant future classic status. Essential.

Sideshow - If Alone feat Paul St Hilaire (Appleblim and Komonazmuk Remix) // Aus Music Buy

One other special mention goes out to the new release from Scuba. 'Tense' is a brilliant slice of future Dubstep and follows on very nicely from the remix packages that were released at the end of last year. Scuba has done an exclusive hour long podcast for XLR8R magazine, where you can capture glimpses of his own productions plus Techno and future dub. It is one of the best mixes out there to showcase this sound.

The amalgamation of two genres and two sounds, both with very different origins has started to materialise. The Berlin Dub Techno scene has been around for over 15 years now, with the godfathers of the metallic Techno sound, Basic Channel, (Pictured) having influenced everyone in the electronic scene since their inception in 1993. Since then they have created era defining Techno, dubbed out House and Electronic Reggae all with the metallic shards of sound that became their signature and which has been imitated by so many.

Dubstep has its origins in a very different place. Out of the UK Garage/2 Step scene in the late Nineties emerged two separate genres. Grime, with its influences from Hip Hop and its utilisation of the MC as the main focus for the music and Dubstep, with its influences coming from Drum 'n' Bass and Dub Reggae. The commercial strains of 2 Step have been totally bred out from Dubstep's genetic structure, this has led to innovation and exploration of Bass and rhythm that now shares Techno's passion for innovation and pushing boundaries of sonic exploration.

Recently however a divide in the genre has become more evident. like Drum 'n' Bass a decade ago, Dubstep is becoming fractured between the heavy sounds and punishing bass for the dancefloor and the deeper strains which which are starting to be influenced by the Techno scene. One could argue that it all started with Ricardo Villalobos' remix of 'Blood On My Hands' by Shackleton, a tune which was already heading into deeper sonic territory than previous Dubstep offerings.

There are a new crop of artists emerging that are taking the Dub Techno influences to produce music that now seems a logical merger between the two sounds. Artists from the Bristol scene including Shackleton himself, Skull Disko co-founder Appleblim, and artists Peverelist and (dutch producer) 2562, both on Pinch's Tectonic label are merging Techno influences to create a new hybrid of Dubstep. I like to call it Dubtec.

Shackleton and Appleblim have always cited Basic Channel as a big influence and now what with Shackleton moving to Berlin and Appleblim being shown the 'secrets' to the Basic Channel sound from the Hardwax crew, and remixes by both camps now doing the rounds, this amalgamation of sound is set for a very interesting future.

Check the following releases to hear what I'm talking about.