Title: Elephant Bass Vol. 1 & 2
Artist: Various
Release Date: 2013 Nov 20
Genre: Dub / Jungle / Stepper
License: CC BY-NC-SA
Label: Elephant Bass Lab
If I had been asked when I started writing reviews again earlier this year what genre I would have the least likelihood to write about on the site I would have said dub / dubstep. Why? Well, I had spent a lot of time on the now defunct Turntable.fm, and most of the dub-style music I heard there was in the dubstep genre, and honestly, I found most of it to be quite agonizingly annoying (and that is begin charitable). So, when I started writing reviews, and was asked to revive my music show, I figured that I wouldn’t have a lot of dub.
So, as we are rounding out the year, imagine my surprise to realize that I’ve written about more dub, dubplate, reggae, drum-n-bass, and jungle music than I thought was being produced. I realize that the relationship between dub and dubstep is tenuous at best, however the relationship is still there. However, I stated in an earlier release that the scope of dub and reggae has become truly global, and I am more than happy that it has. Reggae may have originated in Jamaica, and dub originated in New York and Jamaica but what the global community has done with these styles is truly wonderful.
Cover: Elephant Bass Vol 2
Take, for example, the new dub netlabel Elephant Bass Lab. They describe themselves as begin a label “where the passion and love for the good vibes is the only constant assured, from dub to jungle, from drum and bass to dubstep with a selections of producers (also members of the homonymous group on facebook) as web soundlab for share always positive vibes.” And, for their first release the put out not one, but two volumes of those vibes to back it up.
The two volumes of music collect together recordings from over a dozen artists, inlcuding: Dubsalon, Phoniandflore, Injham, Dr.Dubious, No Finger Nails, Ncomfortable, Sin, Mexican stepper, Dziga, A Man called Pj, Yayoland, Du3normal, Sensi T, Etrurian electronics, Dub.versif, Maïs, Recyclesound, and U.stone.
And the positive, smooth vibes flow throughout both volumes, setting the stage for what is likely to be a highly successful dub label. So check these releases out. If you love dub, electro dub, stepper, dubstep and jungle sounds you are sure to find tracks on these releases that you will love. I’m definitely looking forward to hearing more from each of these artists.
Elephant Bass Vol. 1 & 2
Free
8.5
