In a year that has seen the release from some of the biggest names in the genre such as Skream, Caspa, Rusko, and Benga you’d think you could nearly swim in a two-step sea of bassey goodness, but no. It appears its mating season for the tech house sounding singers who, unable to find one of their own to reproduce with, have resorted to cross-breeding with the most dominant male sound at the moment. Here’s a look at the different directions some dubstep producers seem to be heading.
Rusko
Rusko was pretty promising when he released his Fabric live 37 mix with Caspa. His own tunes Jahova, Hammertime, and Cockney Thug all helped to propell dubstep to a wider audience. Jahova especially managed to hold onto that dub/reggae sound that dubstep sprouted from and at the same time held that fat wobble that people can’t get enough of.
But why’s it all gone wrong? His new album O.M.G is as bad as the name itself. The second track ‘Hold On Feat. Amber Coffman sums up the infection that dubstep seems to have gotten. He’s also now working with Britney Spears making some “proper hard dubstep”(his own words! http://www.clashmusic.com/news/rusko-on-britney-spears-collaboration). There is a flash of ‘old Rusko’ now and again though but its not enough. The start of Rubadub Shakedown feat. Rod Azlan is promising but then goes to muck. The track Oy feat. Crookers is probably the best there and doesn’t have anything to do with the Crookers sound at all-they might of have played a part in the production but it seems to be really just a case of slapping the Crookers label on it to get some electro heads to start going to dubstep gigs. But he can’t be forgiven for doing a dubstep remix of the song I kissed a girl by who gives a fuck. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGjeM9U-udE&feature=related
Rusko Before
Rusko After
Caspa
The head of Dub Police is back with a new mix “My Style” which is out the 7th June. From the maker of tunes such as The Terminator, Cockney Violin, and Where’s my money you might not expect to hear a remix of Deadmau5 – I Remember as the second track and then realise that it was Caspa himself who remixed it. Caspa’s own song Back for the First Time isn’t anything special either, nowhere near the type of special Cockney Violin is anyway. There is a couple of good tracks on the mix though with Benga and Skream but the mix is 23 tracks long so there would want to be at least one or two good tracks on it.
Caspa Before
Caspa After
Skream
Thankfully there’s still dubstep heavey-weights such a Skream making good music but at the same time being experimental. His new LP “Outside the Box” is due to be released on July 26th and judging from the few radio rips of his new stuff its looking good. The dubstep pioneer also shows how to use a vocal track properly in his remix of La Roux’s ‘In for the Kill’.
Skream Before
Skream After
Benga
Benga is good, really good and his new LP ‘Phaze One’ is also good, really good. His last album Diary of an Afro Warrior was pretty amazing in my book-just completly different but not too far out there that it would go over your head type amazing. The new album though does start off shakey enough with Baltimore Clap. For a second I thought he had become infected with singer-itis aswel but then his brillant track Eye Tunes comes in and makes it all okay. From there on its all good, really good.
Benga Before
Benga After
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