Dubquixote
Monday, December 13, 2004
DJ/RUPTURE RESONANCE FM POST-ELECTION SPECIAL
Hot dang, has anybody not downloaded this mix yet? Ruff rugged & raw from start to finish, DJ/Rupture works his usual cut & paste voodoo on recent hip hop, dancehall, and grime favorites...
DJ/Rupture Post Election Special ¶ 1:59 PM 0 Comments
Hot dang, has anybody not downloaded this mix yet? Ruff rugged & raw from start to finish, DJ/Rupture works his usual cut & paste voodoo on recent hip hop, dancehall, and grime favorites...
DJ/Rupture Post Election Special ¶ 1:59 PM 0 Comments
Saturday, December 11, 2004
DECONSTRUCTING DUBSTEP
This thread from Baltimore's GourmetBeats forum looks at dubstep's relationship to grime, and some of the strengths and weaknesses and intersections of both sounds. A pretty interesting discussion, for all music geek massive!...
Light Touch: I know dubstep, and generally, I like it. My problems with dubstep are that it's generally a very "hands off" sound - it doesn't engage the crowd. (There are certainly some heads that get into it -- I'm talking about the average person in the club.) It has a way of being there but not really being there; it's almost masturbatory in its self-obsession.
Grime is clearly the flipside of dubstep - it fully engages the crowd, it's all up in your face, and brings everyone into the experience. The music gold, to me, would be a merging of dubstep complexities with grime assertiveness. In the meantime, I'll play the handful of decent grime MC tracks and the handful of engaging dubstep tracks.
daveq: PLASTICMAN - the best of both worlds, nahmeen? Very upfront like grime but deep like dubstep.
Light Touch: I like a lot of Chris' (Plasticman's) stuff, but some of it still meanders a bit. He's clearly ahead of the pack on accessibility, tho. SLT Mob is up there, too. And Mark One, tho I'm not feeling his 3xLP.
I think a lot of those in-between guys are splitting the difference, but not really pushing the limits and building dancefloor tracks. A good start, but I'm itching for more.
joenice: I have this discussion with anyone that's been willing to listen....Plasticman's beats are neither grime nor dubstep. He's more "techy" sounding than all the rest. He's different from SLT Mob and Mark One because those guys are closer to one sound/genre than another.
- MarkOne, more grime than dubstep.
- SLT Mob, more dubstep than grime.
Additionally, there's a part of be that believes Plastiq is moving away from his music being referred to as dubstep for marketing reasons. More people know the word "grime"; many less know the word "dubstep". Rephlex knows the deal - they couldnt call Grime 2 (a 3 LP pack with the best dubstep has to offer) "dubstep" because they're not sure if the people that bought Grime I would have been receptive. You know how closed-minded people can be. It's not right, but that's the way it is. People found Grime II wasnt "grime" per se, and either loved it or hated it, not much of an in-between. If it was called "dubstep", i'm not sure the same number of people would have jumped on board and made the buy.
daveq: that thread on the rinse fm forum w/ plastic wonderin why people classify him as dubstep was interestin, but it also struck me as slightly suspect (eg more marketing than substance) considering that dubstep is a much broader thing than just the mystikz sound. the 'croydon sound' if there is such a thing always seemed to me to pull from both dubstep and grime and plastiq definitely falls into that category for me. but i'd have to say dubstep is more an approach than a particular sound - sorta like how dub was the instrumental/abstracted alter-ego of reggae, i see dubstep as the same thing for grime.
Light Touch: Grime, to me, is shit like Wiley, Oddz, Eastwood, ALIAS, Target, and that vibe. Chris and Mark are rarely anywhere near that vibe, and their tunes tend to have a deliberate feel that reminds me more of dubstep, even tho the sounds don't. Grime is about upfront beats, and I'm not sure that Chris and Mark work with upfront beats.
Finally, calling dubsteppy stuff "grime" is just stupid. It may sell records, but it's really confusing one subgenre with another. That Rephlex jumped on it will just make them look stupid in the music industry, IMHO.
joenice: I agree, but if you had to say which one was closer to "grime", clearly the answer would be Grime I.
Hmmmm....Granted - Wiley, Oddz, Eastwood, ALIAS and Target are grime in the purest sense of the word. Plastiq & Mark1's tunes are closer to grime than dubstep. I think Plastic's earlier tunes (Hard Graft, Shockwave, Venom, Life on A String) were definitely more 8-bar than grime, but Plastic's sound has evolved into something that you really cant pigeonhole.
I agree. Call it what it is. It is what it is and that's what it's gonna be. No more no less. It's tough enough figuring out what "dubstep" is, let alone calling dubstep, "grime" ¶ 5:42 PM 0 Comments
This thread from Baltimore's GourmetBeats forum looks at dubstep's relationship to grime, and some of the strengths and weaknesses and intersections of both sounds. A pretty interesting discussion, for all music geek massive!...
Light Touch: I know dubstep, and generally, I like it. My problems with dubstep are that it's generally a very "hands off" sound - it doesn't engage the crowd. (There are certainly some heads that get into it -- I'm talking about the average person in the club.) It has a way of being there but not really being there; it's almost masturbatory in its self-obsession.
Grime is clearly the flipside of dubstep - it fully engages the crowd, it's all up in your face, and brings everyone into the experience. The music gold, to me, would be a merging of dubstep complexities with grime assertiveness. In the meantime, I'll play the handful of decent grime MC tracks and the handful of engaging dubstep tracks.
daveq: PLASTICMAN - the best of both worlds, nahmeen? Very upfront like grime but deep like dubstep.
Light Touch: I like a lot of Chris' (Plasticman's) stuff, but some of it still meanders a bit. He's clearly ahead of the pack on accessibility, tho. SLT Mob is up there, too. And Mark One, tho I'm not feeling his 3xLP.
I think a lot of those in-between guys are splitting the difference, but not really pushing the limits and building dancefloor tracks. A good start, but I'm itching for more.
joenice: I have this discussion with anyone that's been willing to listen....Plasticman's beats are neither grime nor dubstep. He's more "techy" sounding than all the rest. He's different from SLT Mob and Mark One because those guys are closer to one sound/genre than another.
- MarkOne, more grime than dubstep.
- SLT Mob, more dubstep than grime.
Additionally, there's a part of be that believes Plastiq is moving away from his music being referred to as dubstep for marketing reasons. More people know the word "grime"; many less know the word "dubstep". Rephlex knows the deal - they couldnt call Grime 2 (a 3 LP pack with the best dubstep has to offer) "dubstep" because they're not sure if the people that bought Grime I would have been receptive. You know how closed-minded people can be. It's not right, but that's the way it is. People found Grime II wasnt "grime" per se, and either loved it or hated it, not much of an in-between. If it was called "dubstep", i'm not sure the same number of people would have jumped on board and made the buy.
daveq: that thread on the rinse fm forum w/ plastic wonderin why people classify him as dubstep was interestin, but it also struck me as slightly suspect (eg more marketing than substance) considering that dubstep is a much broader thing than just the mystikz sound. the 'croydon sound' if there is such a thing always seemed to me to pull from both dubstep and grime and plastiq definitely falls into that category for me. but i'd have to say dubstep is more an approach than a particular sound - sorta like how dub was the instrumental/abstracted alter-ego of reggae, i see dubstep as the same thing for grime.
Light Touch: Grime, to me, is shit like Wiley, Oddz, Eastwood, ALIAS, Target, and that vibe. Chris and Mark are rarely anywhere near that vibe, and their tunes tend to have a deliberate feel that reminds me more of dubstep, even tho the sounds don't. Grime is about upfront beats, and I'm not sure that Chris and Mark work with upfront beats.
Finally, calling dubsteppy stuff "grime" is just stupid. It may sell records, but it's really confusing one subgenre with another. That Rephlex jumped on it will just make them look stupid in the music industry, IMHO.
joenice: I agree, but if you had to say which one was closer to "grime", clearly the answer would be Grime I.
Hmmmm....Granted - Wiley, Oddz, Eastwood, ALIAS and Target are grime in the purest sense of the word. Plastiq & Mark1's tunes are closer to grime than dubstep. I think Plastic's earlier tunes (Hard Graft, Shockwave, Venom, Life on A String) were definitely more 8-bar than grime, but Plastic's sound has evolved into something that you really cant pigeonhole.
I agree. Call it what it is. It is what it is and that's what it's gonna be. No more no less. It's tough enough figuring out what "dubstep" is, let alone calling dubstep, "grime" ¶ 5:42 PM 0 Comments
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
DO YOURSELF A FAVOR,
Download this fantastic, raggafied, mashed up mix in 2 parts courtesy of kid kameleon from the rising Shocking label. Big!
Part 1 (Absolutely Shocking)
Part 2 (Even More Shocking) ¶ 1:39 AM 0 Comments
Download this fantastic, raggafied, mashed up mix in 2 parts courtesy of kid kameleon from the rising Shocking label. Big!
Part 1 (Absolutely Shocking)
Part 2 (Even More Shocking) ¶ 1:39 AM 0 Comments
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
TECHNO-HIPPY REFLUX
I had a revelation today while surfing the dubplate.net forum and noticing a new poster from the Czech Republic going by the name "BOHEMIAN." Like, it's totally time to bring back the crunchy, bearded, holey-jeans, semi-rasta, techno-hippy figure that used to be a staple of the earlier days of rave, before he was relegated to the ghetto of goa trance. I'm talking about the guy who used to be into the Dead or Ornette Coleman but went to the techno parties for the good drugs and general peace and love vibe. Or in the UK, the guy (or girl, duh) who identified with the Spiral Tribe and travelled the countryside to reach outdoor raves under the stars with names like "Solstice." Screw all this cold steely futurism. It's time for Babylon to fall and the weak to inherit the earth and all that stuff.
Ok, I'm not actually trying to bring back 1989, but I have been thinking lately that one thing I find really refreshing about the current state of dubstep music is it's dreadness - it's earthy hippyness and fondness for organic sounds - without failing to also be as futuristic as anything else out there. All the hand percussion, Middle-Eastern samples, and titles like "Give Jah Glory" and "Amazon" suggest a welcome return of the techno-hippy-mystic. ¶ 1:42 PM 0 Comments
I had a revelation today while surfing the dubplate.net forum and noticing a new poster from the Czech Republic going by the name "BOHEMIAN." Like, it's totally time to bring back the crunchy, bearded, holey-jeans, semi-rasta, techno-hippy figure that used to be a staple of the earlier days of rave, before he was relegated to the ghetto of goa trance. I'm talking about the guy who used to be into the Dead or Ornette Coleman but went to the techno parties for the good drugs and general peace and love vibe. Or in the UK, the guy (or girl, duh) who identified with the Spiral Tribe and travelled the countryside to reach outdoor raves under the stars with names like "Solstice." Screw all this cold steely futurism. It's time for Babylon to fall and the weak to inherit the earth and all that stuff.
Ok, I'm not actually trying to bring back 1989, but I have been thinking lately that one thing I find really refreshing about the current state of dubstep music is it's dreadness - it's earthy hippyness and fondness for organic sounds - without failing to also be as futuristic as anything else out there. All the hand percussion, Middle-Eastern samples, and titles like "Give Jah Glory" and "Amazon" suggest a welcome return of the techno-hippy-mystic. ¶ 1:42 PM 0 Comments
Monday, December 06, 2004
REGGAE-HIP HOP: THIS MAGIC MOMENT...
The early to mid-90's (hip hop's golden years in my opinion) produced a number of amazing remixes in which dancehall MC's threw down over hip hop riddims, collaborated with hip hop MC's, or mashed up familiar hip hop hooks w/ dancehall stylee production. Long before mainstream hip hop's current infatuation with all things Jamaican, the two worlds hooked up to bring us this blip in hip hop history. Yet the little remembered tunes that resulted still sound totally badass, as evidenced by this amazing throwdown I taped off the radio then forgot about until recently...
Mr. Cee Reggae-Hip Hop Throwback Mix
Save bandwidth: please download, don't stream. Thanks! ¶ 5:57 PM 0 Comments
The early to mid-90's (hip hop's golden years in my opinion) produced a number of amazing remixes in which dancehall MC's threw down over hip hop riddims, collaborated with hip hop MC's, or mashed up familiar hip hop hooks w/ dancehall stylee production. Long before mainstream hip hop's current infatuation with all things Jamaican, the two worlds hooked up to bring us this blip in hip hop history. Yet the little remembered tunes that resulted still sound totally badass, as evidenced by this amazing throwdown I taped off the radio then forgot about until recently...
Mr. Cee Reggae-Hip Hop Throwback Mix
Save bandwidth: please download, don't stream. Thanks! ¶ 5:57 PM 0 Comments
Thursday, December 02, 2004
ROCK BE HURTIN'
So my latest issue of Spin arrived in the mail today - despite my having wished that subscription out of existence years ago - and somewhere between the revelatory U2 feature and the 10 Most Influential Albums of All Time According to The Moody Blues' Keyboard Player, I resign myself to a profile of New York's Most In-Demand Rock Club Door Man (I joke not). The photo shows an expensively trashy Robert Smith-esque Williamsburg hipster type (though with much flatter hair and overweight) whose skill at working the velvet rope is apparently legendary in New York rock circles.
That velvet ropes and highly discriminatory door policies have instituted themselves at trashy rock venues may strike some of you who have been broke at home watching Six Feet Under repeats for the past two years as slightly queer, and I count myself among you. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it has always been my understanding (am I dating myself here?) that those who gravitate to the underground rock scene tend to do so as a reaction against the slickness and snobbery (and expense) of exclusive clubs with velvet ropes and stringent door policies. Now I've never cared for the whole Williamsburg electroclash movement because it always struck me as too retro and lacking originality. I did however respect the rediscovery of fun and dance-ability within rock, and welcomed the long-overdue reconciliation with the ghost of disco. It even seemed like a great idea rediscovering the post-punk moment's synthesis of punk and disco. How disappointingly obvious then that the current rock movement would continue in the early-80's trajectory toward new wave slickness and all the baggage that it carries with it. Said Rock Club Door Man even snuck into Michael Alig's Disco 2000 at the Limelight as a teenager growing up in Jersey!
Dolly Pardon once said that "It takes a lot of money to look this cheap." These words are not wasted on today's trendy rock club scene. Just go to Lit or Trash or wherever to see for yourself. ¶ 1:22 AM 0 Comments
So my latest issue of Spin arrived in the mail today - despite my having wished that subscription out of existence years ago - and somewhere between the revelatory U2 feature and the 10 Most Influential Albums of All Time According to The Moody Blues' Keyboard Player, I resign myself to a profile of New York's Most In-Demand Rock Club Door Man (I joke not). The photo shows an expensively trashy Robert Smith-esque Williamsburg hipster type (though with much flatter hair and overweight) whose skill at working the velvet rope is apparently legendary in New York rock circles.
That velvet ropes and highly discriminatory door policies have instituted themselves at trashy rock venues may strike some of you who have been broke at home watching Six Feet Under repeats for the past two years as slightly queer, and I count myself among you. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it has always been my understanding (am I dating myself here?) that those who gravitate to the underground rock scene tend to do so as a reaction against the slickness and snobbery (and expense) of exclusive clubs with velvet ropes and stringent door policies. Now I've never cared for the whole Williamsburg electroclash movement because it always struck me as too retro and lacking originality. I did however respect the rediscovery of fun and dance-ability within rock, and welcomed the long-overdue reconciliation with the ghost of disco. It even seemed like a great idea rediscovering the post-punk moment's synthesis of punk and disco. How disappointingly obvious then that the current rock movement would continue in the early-80's trajectory toward new wave slickness and all the baggage that it carries with it. Said Rock Club Door Man even snuck into Michael Alig's Disco 2000 at the Limelight as a teenager growing up in Jersey!
Dolly Pardon once said that "It takes a lot of money to look this cheap." These words are not wasted on today's trendy rock club scene. Just go to Lit or Trash or wherever to see for yourself. ¶ 1:22 AM 0 Comments
