Stained Glass- Some Dubstep Favorites

Ever since dubstep rose from the ashes of rave culture and the dark, wet crevices of East London in the late 90s, the genre has grown a considerable following, as the internet continues to expose its wonky tunes to the world. Meanwhile, venerable producers like Starkey, Flying Lotus, and Samiyam (USA) are cropping up outside of dubstep's UK homebase.

And it seems more and more like summer every day here on the east coast, so conditions are not exactly prime for listening to the dark cousin of two-step and grime, but every now and then the wind blows chilly against your bedroom window late at night, and you curl up with that familiar friend that is dubstep. And the fear should leave you cold and dark, but the music knows your pain, and it takes you away to the light.

Burial- Untrue (2007)

Flying Lotus- Los Angeles (2008)

King Midas Sound (same guy from the Bug) - Cool Out EP (2008)

5: Five Years of Hyperdub (2009) PART1 PART 2
Kode9's Hyperdub label celebrated their 5 year anniversary last year and to celebrate released this compilation that serves as a perfect crash course in Dubology.

King Tuff- Was Dead

Listening to the fuzzy, revivalist pop of King Tuff, you kind of get the sense that the Vermont band has no intentions other than to rock the fuck out. Which is perfectly fine as far as I'm concerned. Complete with zany, sun-dried lyrics, "Was Dead" clocks in as one of the best releases of 2008. Play this one loud.

LINK: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VHDLM9P1

image cred. Jeffrey Meyer

Mixtape #2- Seven Years of Bad Luck

01 Hey Tiger- Dear Nora
02 Rainydayz (from the in rainbows remixes)-Amplive
03 C.R.E.A.M - El Michels Affair
04 Hell (ft. Canibus)-Pharoahe Monch
05 The Burning Spear-Sonic Youth
06 Help Me, Rhonda-Beach Boys
07 I Lost Something in the Hills-Sibylle Baier
08 Bluebird-Bukowski
09 Interview with the Chain Gang- Chain and the Gang
10 Wizard of Oz sample
11 Country Man-Digital Mystikz
12 It Covers the Hillsides-Midlake
13 Clan in Da Front- Wu Tang
14 "Rap Music"-Chris Rock
15 Bjork Remix of Stressed Out-Tribe Called Quest
16 Headless Horseman-Microphones

LINK: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WCE8MV9M

Karl Blau- The Coconutcracker

Karl Blau's re-imagining of Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite" with xylophones, steel drums, and copious amounts of dub. Genius.

Download it here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=I3J9H2AL

My Estrogeneration- VA

This comp. disc from one of the most promising labels putting out drone/tribal/psych music right now, Not Not Fun Records (http://www.notnotfun.com), is pretty special. As the name suggests, all 11 artists found on this record are female. And all 11 tracks are pretty rad. None of the haunting tracks on the compilation stick out too far sonically from the others causing the disc to flow and sound almost as though it was produced by a single artist at times. The chanting of Pocahaunted and U.S. Girls or Zola Jesus (standout track "Heaven Sold You Back to Earth") have a tendency to sort of morph together until something from somewhere or sometime is definitely summoned and your stereo starts to make weird noises that you can't clearly differentiate from the music. And before your know it, the sound cuts out altogether to return halfway through L.A. Vampires' "Keep it Turn it Bump it" . When this happened to me three or four times I couldn't fall asleep as I weighed the possibilities of the existence of ancient turntable-breaking spirits against standard shitty-stereo quirks. We may never know. Anyway, NNF still has a few of these available on their website so grab yourself one while you still can.

Download: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VCOQZ1UV

Image Credit Richard Coleman

MIX #1: Start as a Drop, End as Dust

1 D.I.T.C. - Da Enemy
2 Graffiti Island -Demonic Cat
3 Karl Blau -Apology to Pollinateurs
4 Nobunny - I Am a Girlfriend
5 Nico -These Days
6 Sebadoh -Two Years Two Days
7 David Lynch and RJD2
8 Satanstompingcaterpillars -I think it's beautiful that you are 256 colors too
9 Misfits -Static Age
10 Radiohead -Kid A
11 Giorgio Moroder -Mah Na Mah Na
12 Caethua - In the Long Afternoon
13 James Brown - Please, Please, Please
14 Xiu Xiu - Clowne Towne
15 Amadou & Mariam - Sabali
16 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps
17 Karl Blau - Dance of the Rainclouds
18 Cut Chemist - Drums of Fire
19 Bill Callahan - The Wind and the Dove
20 Digital Mystikz - Haunted
21 Grouper -Make Me Over

LINK: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WCZ8IEU0

Grouper

Portlander Liz Harris and her spectacular project Grouper first entered my universe in the summer of 2008 with her well-received full-length Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill. Subsequently of course I was swallowed by her universe. Harris' music contains elements of the psychedelic and the angelic, now delicate and affecting, now all-encompassing and heart-breaking. With lyrics and sounds oceanic both, the listener at times feels as though he or she is swimming in delicious drone and feathery vocals. It is not an unpleasant sensation. Grouper's oeuvre is dripping with perfection, and below you will find a few selections from her discography. If you're looking for something particular from Grouper that's not below leave me a message I probably have it and I'l put it up for you.




Cover the Windows and the Walls (2007) http://www.megaupload.com/?d=A6NF8L6P



Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill (2008) http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PZDX8QCS



Wide (2006) http://www.megaupload.com/?d=W4F2UAM7



S/T (2005) http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0KGZQRNA



Split 12" with Inca Ore (2007/08) http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YD4LPYC6



Split 12" with Roy Montgomery- Vessel EP (2009) http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0N6X9KM9