The Groove Thief

NagualX pushes dub forward into the realm of jazz, while keeping a strong focus on heavy riddims and basslines. With several strong tracks, including the recently released and fittingly-titled “Be Strong,” alongside a live party dub and two “Illegal Dubplates” mixes, there is a lot of fresh interesting music available from this artist. Hailing from France, NagualX captures the vibrancy of the country’s strong dub/reggae movement but wisely avoids predictable trappings of the genre and instead has forged a very unique sound, perhaps most comparable to some of the jazzier cuts from Attack Released. Well worth the listen:

PhOniAndFlOrE present Dubsteady, an electro-dub odyssey that, while clearly prioritizing modern over classic, has echo and reverb hidden amongst its heavy basslines and varied influences. Opener “Disco Dub” fuses hip-hop and electro over a pulsating beat while “Scoopy” is synth-laden and equally relentless. The title track is a bit mellower, yet Injham’s well-layered remix, with its epic intro and almost glitchy drums, pushes the musical boundaries even farther. Closer “Capture” is more heavy electro-dub, a strong final statement on the sound that this prolific producer is championing.

FREE DOWNLOAD from the French Dub Released netlabel.

Representing Cyprus, the Incredible Dub Machine drops some deep heavy dubs. With three original tracks, and a live mix showcasing the best dubs from the island, this is the work of a versatile production and DJ duo . “Ain’t Got No Dub (Melodica Cut)” is a stand-out track: it starts out slow and haunting with a powerful melody while a slow steppers beat emerges beneath. “Traffic Universal” is chaotic and frantic, yet still dubbed-out, with an isolated beat emerging late in the song. The electro-steppers cut “Infected Man” pounds amidst swirls and samples; each song definitely has its own sound.

Here’s the live recording, appropriately called “The Rising of Cyprus Dub Live Mix:”

On Superpowers, West Coast electro-futurist The Polish Ambassador decreases his trademark funkiness in order to increase his musical sex appeal. This EP is dripping with sleek, polished (haha) synths delicately laid atop chilled-out bass-lines. Ordinarily TPA drops booty-shaking anthems, here the booties are shaking for entirely different reasons and in an entirely different place: the intergalactic bedroom. This is a cohesive album, the tracks run together smoothly, and the fact that nothing stands out is a testament to the efforts of a multi-talented producer. Available as a free download, this will be playing at an alien sex party near you:

Indidginus’ Sab Kuch Milega EP takes a worldly approach to bass, featuring numerous vocal styles while letting the beats fiercely drop. The South African producer/performer starts with well-crafted claps-and-drums on the future-electro of “Arab Spring” before nicely twisting into drum-and-bass; haunting strings introduce the track, but once the beat begins, “Vajradanti” is hardly predictable tabla but rather huge subcontinental vocal hook atop thick dubstep; final full-length “Timewave Zero” is fresh-off-the-spaceship intergalactic digital-dubstep. Also available for your listening pleasure are the Friction Labs remix of “Fitteh Moo” along with several potent minimixes. Much more than Bollywood-gone-bass, this is what happens when the tribes unite:

An EP mix is also available:  

The Expanding Universe, presented by Beak Nasty, is dynamic electro riding the strength of its samples. “Cosmic Bounce” includes both the “Apache” drums and a bit from “Don’t Say Nuthin,” yet isn’t afraid to get quiet and melodic between breaks. “Systematic” takes the electro platform and adds the spirit of house, before a dubstep drop and deconstruction conclude the track. “Something Out of Nothing” is another strong track, adding layers of funkiness until the glitchy rumbles emerge. This is eclectic EDM, as the strong dub vibes initially showing up on “The Feeling” set up a thick  wall of sound. Well-influenced and well-produced, with plenty more up on Soundcloud:

The creatively-styled music of ︻╦╤─ ƱZ ─╤╦︻ presents guns, topless girls with guns, and ridiculously-crushing trap/bass beats.  If you just like your instrumental music loud, you won’t like this.  If you like your instrumental music to break things though, you will be satisfied.  The electro ripples are polished yet dirty, oppressive yet inviting, and simply masterful.  The latest and greatest, “ŤɌ∆Ҏ ᶊῌῗ† √7,” is brash and ready for the filthiest techno party you can imagine.  Six more are available on Soundcloud.

Dirrrty electro-funk band Chromeo are currently between albums, so in addition to a nice thank you video for their fans, they’ve also released a pair of older mixes up on their Soundcloud account.  Their 80s-inspired cheese-pop is so funky that any negative influences are washed away in a sea of clever lyrics, huge synths, and dancefloor beats.  Enjoy both Le Mix (2003) and Un Joli Mix Pour Toi (2005) from this fine Canadian duo: