The ill-ec-tro-nic

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.

It is nearly here. One of the most anticipated follow-up albums of the year. I've heard a sneaky promo copy of the album and I can tell you, you will not be disappointed. The sound of "Untrue" follows on closely from Burial's debut with it's unmistakable urban paranoia soundscapes and scattershot broken beats. Early single "Ghost Hardware" gave us a tantalising glimpse of what was yet to come, utilising a sample of Christina Aguilera to amazing effect (never thought she sounded so good). This is a common theme among the new songs. There are a lot more vocal samples scattered through all the tracks. Tracks such as "Archangel" have a 2-step Garage feel, with fast beats interspersed with chopped vocals to create a urban hymn to the power of lost love. "Near Dark's" eerie voices sound like they have been put through an echo chamber in a deep-sea submarine. Elsewhere there are straight up ambient soundscapes on tracks "In McDonalds" and "Dog Shelter". However the all pervading sense of creeping darkness is still there throughout the album.

One minor criticism is that after a few listens the tracks do tend to show their similarities with each other. The beat patterns sound remarkably similar through most of the tracks. However just when you think that he has no more new drum patterns in his arsenal out comes the schaffel beat of the final track "Raver" to take you by surprise. Altogether "Untrue" is another seismic progression in the Dubstep sound.

I'm going to share a couple of gems from the album. These tracks are at 128kbps and have a lovely computer voice just to let you know that "This is Hyperdub Promo". I will not post any more from the album. Go out and buy it!

Forget the summer season. Here is more darkness for your lives. RAW and I have taken a hiatus from posting for the last 3 weeks due to our excursion to Sonar in Barcelona in which there was some serious Dubstep electronic action. There will be a full Sonar report coming shortly.

In the meantime we bring new brand new Burial.

This new release continues in the same vain as Burial's amazing debut album, sparse metallic beats with fractured vocal samples. I swear I can hear either Whitney Houston or Maria Carey in this tune. (Answers on a postcard).

Burial - Ghost Hardware // Hyperdubs

Buy the full 320 MP3 release at Boomkat.

My mood has been dark this week. Maybe it's the weather, maybe it's work. These tunes have complemented my state of mind. The Burial album is the sound of urban isolation, echos in subway underpasses. The warm glow of a halogen street lamp.

Burial - Distant Lights // Hyperdubs

Heartthrob - Baby Kate (Sascha Funke Remix) // Minus

This mix by Sascha Funke of Heartthrob is totally hypnotising. It's a dubbed out reworking which which will have you lost in the bassline and cycling synth lines. One of the best Techno records so far this year.

OST & Kjex - How Not To Be A Biscuit // Crosstown Rebels

Elektrochemie - Muck Star (Original Mix) // Get Physical

On a more dancefloor oriented tip here are a couple of tunes that are uplifting yet retain dark undercurrents. OST & Kjex released this mesmerising tune late last year that has synth elements of 'The Sky Was Pink' (yet another one) but still retains its originality and is a progression of the sound.
Mucky Star is the brand new track by Elektrochemie who were responsible for last year's Your My Kind! which utilised the vocal talents of Caitlin Devlin alongside the production work of Thomas Schumacher and one Stephan Bodzin, the man responsible for the Rekorder series and also a big fan of the production style seen on the OST & Kjex tracks, check Rekorder 5.1 and 7.1 to see what I mean. The vocal on this reminds me of Roisin Murphy of Moloko.

If you are down at Cafe 1001 Tomorrow night you may just here me play some of these out.

Buy all these records at Beatport and Boomkat