SittingOvation

Nu-Urban Music – Dubstep business on the way

Posted by alex on September 9th, 2008

Nu Urban Music – the phrase on its own could be a nod to the cliched RnB scene with its bling, its rappers, soul-vocalists and its altogether rather crummy existence. (I’m not a big RnB fan) However; take ‘Nu Urban Music’ and place it in the right context, and you have the Drum & Bass behemoth distributer, store and general audio extravagansa who have just decided to expand their weighty wings to covet some serious dubstep.

I say serious, I mean basically deadly. You might already be familiar with one of the latest Caspa remixes (of TC’s Where’s My Money) and if not – let’s just say there’s some heavy-duty releases coming from Nu-Urban very soon.

Allow me to elaborate… (brace yourself this is a monster post!!)

I’ve already reviewed DOM’s forthcoming Feisty records EP – With that garden track. Let me just say that having heard the mastered version – this is going to wreck dancefloors. Fact. If you like that warped, twisted inverted bassline – get on this when it appears!

First up is the first outing from Aufect Recordings which (on the A side) sees Loetech meeting DZ in some sort of hi-tech battle for the bass. Starting like some sort of demented techno affair, with processed mid-range warping in and out, this drops rather quickly in to some subbed-out brash, metallic nonsense-bass which phases in and out all over the shop. Proper nasty sounding – this is a mix between something quite refined, and some sort of demented thrash-moster desperate to grown through in the mid-range.

The AA flip to this beast is High Deaf’s “Good Music”. An initially more delicate track. A rastafarian vocal intros the whole thing, spitting over some arped synths as they build up with this slow but solid beat. The breakdown comes with it’s vocal and before you know it the whole track drops in to this massive bass which sounds like a crack of thunder rolling across the sky then processed in to some sort of wub for the end of the bar. It’s a slower feeling track, but no less filthy than it’s A-side brother-track. The second drop provides more of the same goodness as the first. I’d have less of the vocal, but in this instance it really fits the track.

Second on our bill tonight is “Boombap records” and their debut release. In the label’s own words “Boombap is a new imprint dedicated to bringing a deeper, jazz influenced sound to the dubstep palette”. Their genesis starts with DJ MADD & Matt-U from Hungary. The track is called “Numbers” – and is by DJ MADD. The AA provides the Matt-U remix, so let’s take them one at a time.

“Numbers” is a cracking track. Let me just say this. I’m loving it. it reminds me of an EQd “Broken” by Martyn, combined with a whole host of other great tracks. There are these great warm synths which pulsate throughout the whole track, this crazy frittering beat over the top, and a long drawn out sub below the whole thing. Definately one for chilling to, and most definately a keeper for the box.

The remix provides much of the same warm vibes, with a different build up – and then this viral loop over the top. It takes the track and gives it this up-beat tech-influenced re-working, with added synth stabs and some well thought out percussion. Definitely on par with the original. Humbling in fact.

My advice is to get right on this before somebody else beats you to it. It’s got everything a great track needs, and it’s not trying to smoether you in bass either. I might have just found my new favorite producer… Somebody call a doctor.

Third on the bill tonight is another new label. I’m going to put in their own description here, as this pretty much sums it up for me…

“The sole purpose of this label is to make you dance at dubstep parties! No time for blah & bollocks, if you’re not a rudebwoy put this back in the shelves and run to the nu-jazz section! Pantsy!”

Brilliant. So with that in mind, here’s what “Grinch Records” have to offer with their first release…

Roommate’s “Rudebwoy Shuffle” is an interesting one. Combining this rather impending vocal urging you to ‘dance’ with a stripped-back hard-edged beat and a growling stop-start saw bass, there’s definately something going on here. It’s heavy, bangin’ and big – all the right terms you’d want for a dancefloor banger, yet the stop-start thing going on, gives it this juddery sort of robot-esque feel, which leaves me wondering whether i’d look like a total prick or not, were I to bother dancing to this.

ANS’s “Exchange of Fire” is another hard-hitter. With a sinister intro, throwing snares about and playing with keys – the drop presents something rather bizarre. A sub, sitting under this sort of escalating synth – which reminds me a little of something taking off. Some textbook war and gun sounds later, (it’s all in the name) this synth is back to haunt me. The second drop pumps the beat up – for some serious damage and the rest continues on this theme.

Both heavy tracks, both top notch in terms of production, and definitely ones for the dancefloor, I wouldn’t say “don’t miss it” but if you asked me if you should buy it – I’d probably say yes, just to see your reactions.

Our final Nu-Urban outing today comes from “La DUbstep Nostra” and what appears to be their second release (complete with natty artwork from Monsta – who features on the release)

Parson’s “Here’s how it goes” is a subby affair, with a sort of swaggery-drunken beat which seems to just keep its self in time by pure chance. The sub is nice and big, and the vocal sample gets a bit repetative, but It’s definately a massive outing.

Monsta’s excellent but sadly short “Gangsta Riddim” had this big beast of a kickdrum more akin to some sort of hardcore track, combined with a very Modeselektor-esque bass and rhythm. It’s a belter for sure, complete with the gun cocking sounds and the airhorns – which feel like they’ve been put in for almost comic effect. Probably my favourte from the release, this coul’d only do with being longer to be honest. If you like your hard edged electro-tinged dubstep – then you’d be gutted to miss this. Honestly, it’s a belter!

Ultrablack’s “Hate On Us” barely gives you a chance to get in to the track before unleashing this rather large and somewhat tasty bassline on you. Some sort of mid-wub combined with a filthy low-end, there’s nothing here disappoint the bass lover. There’s not much more to this than some filthy bass, a large beat and a couple of rap samples – but hell it fills the gap I had waiting for that nasty sound.

So that’s more or less the roundup for now. It’s been a bit of a hefty post if I’m honest, so hopefully you’ve had enough time to get through it.

Audio-wise, you’ll have to keep your ears to the ground on this one. All tracks are pending release through Nu-Urban Music so your best shout is to stick http://www.nu-urbanmusic.co.uk in to your browser address bar.