Through my dealings on soundcloud.com, I've come in contact with many awesome people. One of these groups/labels has been Monkey Dub Recording. I've been privileged to use a few of their songs on my Dubstep Directive podcast. When I found out they had a song called "Dr. Pepper" on one of their compilation EPs, I had to find out more.
And in that I wound up buying the album entitled
Primate.
Here's how to describe it - if you wanted to introduce someone to the world of Dubstep, this would be a nice way to do it.
The album starts off with the hard steppin' dub sounds of Lady Snake. Big cuts, skanking lines, hard wobble, and grimey vocals mixed with charming lyrics.
... and bass - can't forget the bass!
B. Riddim is up next with the song Wake Up Dude! Here we go into the borderline chillstep territory. We're bringing dubstep back to the dub roots. The vibes are killin' it.
I hope I get the terms correct for VRS's song Step In To Dub. This takes me back to first wave ska/rocksteady sounds mixed with heavy dropping bass and drum and bass which is held back a notch to keep you skanking along with some steady steppin'. "Step In To Dub" to me is a middle ground between Lady Snake and B. Riddim. It definitely keeps the head noddin'!
Then comes my favorite song of the compilation - Hangman's "Dr. Pepper". Wobble, Laser, High Hats, Bass, stomping drum lines, infectious melody and grooves. There aren't any lyrics to the song, but I've found myself singing along to the instrumentation. It is just as addictive as my favorite soft drink.
The album finishes up with some laid back atmospheric dubstep from Accomplice. We're talking a few BPMs faster than the ambient dub sounds of Deep in Dub netlabel. I mean, this is just straight chillin' - the deep soothing bass, the flute, the nice dub guitar and keys and maybe some UK Garage influences to go alongside it all.
So, what is my verdict -
get this album! It's not only a good intro into dubstep, but also into the Monkey Dub Recording's catalog on a whole.
So, I decided to end the new year right with some good ole drum and bass! We're gonna hit 175+ BPMs for 45 minutes plus.
"Kiss the Cobra"
Buy at