We also decided to name an overall winner, and picking one proved an easier task than the high standards across all the clashes might have first suggested: Rabit takes it home and leaves the rest of the pack trailing after ending 73 votes ahead of the nearest competitor at the poll's close.
As much as it does end there, it doesn't end entirely as we've a parting gift to everyone who's found themselves listening repeatedly over the clash entries since we posted them. The whole lot, bar Rabit and Chemist's efforts, are up for free download either individually or helpfully zipped up below:
It all started with Bless Beats and an awkward attempt at something he used to be pretty good at, and from there the thinly-veiled Lord Of The Mics 5 promo stunt began to spiral with constant back-and-forths between the likes of Jammer, Wiley, JME, Preditah and Rude Kid over Twitter. Following this was a whole bundle of short, thrown-together pseudo-trap (and, admittedly, the odd banger) from not only the few producers who had started the whole thing but also, it seemed at least, anyone who's ever downloaded Fruity Loops and fancied a shot at the fast-dwindling limelight.
Severe quality control issues aside, the whole thing has had a fairly positive effect in terms of not only getting more producers back in front of their monitors again but also reigniting a debate about how grime sounds in 2013. And since we're not of the opinion that grime in 2013 sounds like trap, we were keen to see some younger blood coming through.
Wen came with a beat and arguably cleared the floor with everyone, and then wasn't included in the GrimeForum nominations. So it was that another previous guest of ours, Threnody, took it upon himself to instigate a new set of clashes, enlisting 22 of the best emerging grime producers to go head to head. Names were picked at random on Threnody's Sub.FM last week, with each producer given seven days to write a beat in their opponent's style but at a level that they could never reach.
The clashes are as follows, and will be aired live tonight, from 10-midnight GMT on Sub.FM.
1.Filter Dread vs. Dark0
2.Mella Dee vs. Arctic
3.Breen vs. Rabit
4.Chemist vs. Zha
5.Legend4ry vs. Name Pending
6.Mad EP vs. Crackatoa
7.Glot vs. Strict Face
8.Epoch vs. Underclass
9.Kakarot vs. Marcx
10.Dellity vs. College Hill
11.Majora vs. Mike Midnight
An unofficial vote will be judged from chatroom hype during the show, and an official vote will follow directly after the show right here on Hedmuk.
--- VOTING ---
The vote process is a simple one: all the clashes are available to stream in the players below, and the beat in each clash that has been favourited by the most people wins. To vote, simply click the 'Like' icon in the top right hand corner of the player.
Voting will close on Monday the 23th of September 2013.
1. Filter Dread vs. Dark0
2. Mella Dee vs. Arctic
3. Breen vs. Rabit
4. Chemist vs. Zha
5. Legend4ry vs. Name Pending
6. Mad EP vs. Crackatoa
7. Glot vs. Strict Face
8. Epoch vs. Underclass
9. Kakarot vs. Marcx
10. Dellity vs. College Hill
11. Majora vs. Mike Midnight
To listen back to the War Dubz II show in full, use the player below to stream or download from here.
Known perhaps more for his skills behind the decks than a computer, BunZer0's productions - notable for their organic, open rhythms and vivid approach to melody - have been stepped up a gear over the last year or so. To celebrate reaching two thousand followers on his Facebook Page, the Belgian maestro is giving out a free beat: 'Sunburn' is, rhythmically, in the vein of the garage-dubstep hybrids which made something of a resurgence on 2007's dancefloors, and flows with BunZer0's characteristic airy yet intricate synthlines.
BunZer0, veteran of the dubstep scene and longtime overseas ambassador, has been a tireless promoter of all things quality and bass-driven for some time now; the Belgian native has graced stages across the globe, released tunes via the likes of Orientis and L2S, was the man to first book many of the UKs dubstep pioneers for their first gigs in Belgium, held down a moderator's role on dubstepforum, and hosts one of the Sub.FM's most popular slots in the form of the FOB show.
This latest studio mix from the man is packed full of dubs and forthcomings, and put together in the characteristically flawless style that has gained BunZer0 such acclaim.
With the notable and relatively recent rise in popularity for the deeper end of the dubstep spectrum has come, of course, an increased demand for quality releases. With a small number of labels, such as Box Clever, MindStep and Deep Medi, currently working hard to meet these ever-increasing demands it seems that the time is ripe for a new, fresh label to join the ranks. With this comes the resurgence of Macabre Unit, a name that many will know for their influence in the grime scene some years ago. Headed up once more by Demon and this time coming back from a different, almost darker angle the label is set to hit a balance between digital and vinyl output that has been hard to master for many labels over recent years. We caught up with the man behind it all to find out a bit more about this new venture and managed to squeeze a free beat out of him as a little extra accompaniment to his addition to our exclusive mix series.
Hedmuk: To introduce yourself, what's your name, where do you come from and what is your label M.U.D all about? Demon / M.U.D: Hi, I'm Raff Di Renzo (aka Demon), I'm currently based in Buckinghamshire, UK and M.U.D (Macabre Unit Digital) is my own imprint which has been set up to push the darker sound of Dubstep and remind people where it's really at.
H: With confirmed releases already from D-Cult, Biome, Versa and Catacombs the label is representing a fairly specific sound: how do you go about selecting tunes/artists to sign? D/M: The music that I'm surrounded by right now is exactly the kind of stuff I've been in tune with for some years, having our two radio shows on Sub & Rood FM is a great way to test tracks out and get opinions and feedback for the artist, and I'm very broad minded when it comes to listening to tracks for playing on the radio: if I like it, I'll play it. However with the imprint it's different, if a track seems to have a bit of me living in it (in my head) then it's got my attention; I have a specific sound that attracts me and you can hear that in the tracks that are signed already and the mix that I've compiled for you guys. I think anyone who is running a label will tell you it's rare you 'um and ahh' about tracks to sign: it's an instant thing. As for signing artists, I don't really believe in it: being an artist myself I know how important it is for you to have the freedom to explore all avenues, and I'd feel like someone's dad if I signed them and they'd be hanging off my every word...I cant be arsed with that (laughs). Signing tracks and having a good ongoing business relationship with anyone involved with M.U.D is what it's about for me.
H: Tell us about your plans to run a vinyl imprint alongside the digital label. How important do you think it is for a label to have a physical arm in the music industry today? D/M: Yes I'm planning on doing vinyl runs of all the digital releases I put out, my reasons for this are simple: people want vinyl, they want something they can have and can add to a physical collection, along with spinning it in true DJ fashion on a Technics 1210. Also I find many artists are much more willing to work with an imprint if there is a vinyl side to things, so yeah, in my honest opinion it is very important for a label to have a physical arm in the music industry.
H: Do you find it difficult balancing your commitments as a DJ, producer and label owner? Which would you consider yourself most strongly to be? D/M: I find that all three of them coincide with each other: I DJ to promote the music I produce and sign and then I have the label which is the outlet for that material. I'd say, though, first and foremost I am a producer: that’s where the fire burns for me.
H: Many will know of Macabre Unit as a grime crew from Bedford: what became of this side of the collective, and will M.U.D be in any way connected to it? D/M: The Unit as a grime collective broke down as life tookover, being a huge team and being so young we were always going to lose people along the way. We were all very young and we didn’t have a clue what life had in store for us, the whole grime thing was a blur to me (laughs), I didn’t even realise how big we were until it all blew over, if that makes sense. At times I look back now and I feel we didn’t embrace it enough, didn’t get the maximum out of what we had going on, but you know everything happens the way it happens for a reason: I probably wouldn’t be sitting here now writing this if it didn’t go how it did.
M.U.D is almost like a new turning of the leaf for the Unit musically , but we will always be known for our grime days, and people are right in expecting me to have MCs spraying bars for me over sets. And yeah, half-way through a dirty dubstep set, I'll switch to ‘Dem Na Ready’ or ‘Shootin' Stars’. I'd be crazy not to...
H: Take us through how you went about putting together the mix you've recorded for us.
D/M: I think as soon as we agreed I'd do this feature I already knew what artists I was gonna feature; all of these artists (excluding myself, 'cause I don’t want to sound like I'm blowing my own horn) are in their prime at the moment and they have so much material, but I chose the tracks that represent the sound that truly makes me tick.
H: Finally, is there anything forthcoming or in the pipeline that you'd like to put the word out on? D/M: Yeah there is, of course there is: two M.U.D releases dropping together on the same day on the 17th of October (those releases consisting of D-Cult/Biome/Versa) we also have our Sub FM & Rood FM ICU & Macabre Unit shows that we do every other two week. There are a few other things in the pipeline, but they're a tad too far down the pipe to really mention right now...
Last of all, I would like to dedicate this feature & mix to my friend and fellow original Macabre Unit producer Fabio Cataldo, aka Blaze, who passed away very recently: you will never be forgotten, this one's for you bruv, all my love and rest in peace x.
A DJ who has been on the circuit since the mid-noughties, Syte has graced numerous pirate and internet radio stations as well as the decks of some of the most influential and forward-thinking clubnights in the country whilst also putting in the work running his own label, OpenEarz, and more recently joining with Rinse FM's Crises to push the label extension of MindStep. He's currently among a selection of talented DJs fully supporting the new breed of deep producers breaking into the scene with a fresh take on the classic spacious sound. We caught up with Syte to ask him about his role within the scene as a DJ, label owner and A&R and he's also laid down a mix for our exclusive series showcasing some of the artists and tunes he's feeling.
Hedmuk: For those who don't know, what's your name, where are you from, what sounds do you push and how would you describe your mixing style?
Syte: Easy, my name’s Jim and I live just outside the north west side of London in leafy South Bucks! These days I guess I’m pushing more of the deeper end of dubstep music in my DJ sets, but in general I just play tunes with a good amount of sub-bass: that’s the main criteria! My mixing style basically reflects the sort of DJ set that I’d like to hear if I was on the other side of the speakers; I try to pick tunes that work well together and I definitely treat each set a bit like a musical journey…for the listener and also for myself.
H: When did you start mixing, and what styles were you playing then?
S: Hard to remember when I started, but the first time I really got on some decks was at a mate’s who was really into hard house. When I finally got my own decks and began buying tunes I guess it would have been about 7 or 8 years ago and I started mixing dark, freeform hardcore, some breaks and a bit of drum & bass. Someone showed me 'Midnight Request Line' and I immediately went on a mission to find out and acquire as much of that sound as possible. I hadn’t really heard it called dubstep at that time, then Mary Anne Hobbs did the now legendary Dubstep Warz show on Radio 1 and I knew straight away the sound was destined for big things.
H: Over the years you've played alongside some of the biggest names in dubstep, what would go down as your most memorable gigs?
S: Yeah I’ve been blessed to play alongside some really gifted and groundbreaking producers over the last few years. There's so many different events in different places it’s hard to single them out but I gotta big up Resonance in Reading, Infraction in Milton Keynes, BASS! in Newcastle and Dubkulture in Croydon, definitely all memorable shows. More recently I really enjoyed One Love Festival last summer and I just played in Belgium last month which was amazing: anyone heading out there check out Rotation in Ghent and Midnite Run in Brussels!
H: Having appeared on numerous radio stations such as Rinse, React and Sub FM. how important do you think radio is for the more underground genres of music unlikely to get mainstream airplay?
S: I think it’s vital for underground music because there are so many people making good music and not everyone is going to get playlisted on 1Xtra, you know? It’s definitely needed for showing the average person about new music at a grass-roots level. I don’t know if I would even have got so heavily involved with dubstep if I hadn’t started doing the regular show on React FM when it was still running and I’ve always enjoyed doing radio, it’s something I hope I can always be involved with.
H: How did your label OpenEarz get started, and what was the motivation behind starting the imprint? What are you plans for the future of OpenEarz?
S: I just got to a point where I was stepping into record shops in London to check out the new releases and wasn’t always getting that inspired by what was making it onto the racks. I originally started radio playing on an internet station run by a friend based in my local area, and Synkro also started a show on the station. As soon as I heard his tunes I knew he was going to be huge when people heard them and after the station shut down we kept in contact. He supplied the tracks for 001 in the shape of 'Rudebwoy' and 'Hornz' and I was so inspired by the sounds coming from other producers in Manchester that I signed material from Indigo, xxxy and Dom Hz for the second and third releases. The fourth release has been held up with some distro issues recently but the tracks are 'Lockdown' and 'Lykasea', both produced by Phaeleh with Jut Lew featuring.
There’s lots more material ready for release, I’m not saying too much for the time being but there will also be a digital sister label launching soon which I’m very excited about. Also, a lot of people have been asking whether digital formats will be available of the first 3 releases so I can announce that should be happening soon.
H: You're also involved with the MindStep label and collective, who are making positive moves within the deeper end of the dubstep spectrum: how did this come about, and can you tell us a bit about the thinking behind MindStep?
S: I met Crises when I was playing at Dubscover in London; we got talking and connected straight away on a personal and musical level. I joined MindStep as a resident DJ which has been a great experience and I help to promote the events which have been running in East London for just over 2 years. The idea of the label is an extension of the music policy of the events: to create a deep mindful experience within the electronic underground world. It’s also an opportunity to shine the spotlight on up-and-coming producers that deserve recognition for their craft - the compilation features several artists that won’t be familiar to some people and there’s a mix of flavours for every listener. We’re holding a launch party at Gramaphone on Friday 15th and the 17 track compilation drops the following Monday on Beatport, check out MindStep on Facebook and Soundcloud for more info!
H: Tell us a bit about how you went about preparing the mix you've laid down for us.
S: I’ve been following the content here on Hedmuk for a while and really enjoyed all the mixes so far, noticing the clear emphasis on deeper, darker sounds so I really wanted this mix to reflect my interpretation of the direction that sound is heading in. Whether you want to call it 'dungeon' or something else, I really feel there’s a strong movement of deeper producers with huge talent bubbling just under the surface of the dubstep scene at the moment so I guess this mix is a showcase of some of that talent. There are so many producers whose tunes I’m feeling it could have carried on for another 2 hours!
H: Finally, is there anything forthcoming or in the pipeline that you want to put the word out on?
S: Yeah just keep your ears to the ground for announcements about upcoming OpenEarz releases, make sure you support the MindStep Music compilation and hit up my various networking pages for info about what I’m up to or to book me: big up Hedmuk!
Similarly to the way in which any adult might dread being quizzed as to the origin of children by one much younger and more innocent than themselves, most dubstep fans would rather part with their copy of BAM001 than have to try and explain to someone where their beloved genre came from. By this of course, I don't mean the geographical question (to which most will reply either Bristol or Croydon, then run away), rather where did the sound actually come from? One of the most attractive things about dubstep is that its sonic origins are difficult pin down, due largely to the fact that it has so many. Borrowing from the whole range of underground, bass-driven dance music, dubstep is a hybrid and, more to the point, one that actually works. Among the most obvious contributors to the sound of dubstep is late-'90s garage of the sort produced by Zed Bias (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljz9XYbXsUs), and this mix put together by Sub FM's United Vibes way back in 2006 is as good a guide as any to how strong an influence garage had on the sound of dubstep so popular on the rave scene today: traceable basslines, two-step rhythms, intensely catchy riffs and wicked samples.
