At first glance you might think that this record is being released on some fledgling US dubstep imprint, but ROIR actually started in 1981 as a cassette-only label releasing exclusive material from the likes of Einstürzende Neubauten, Suicide, John Cale, and The Raincoats. In fact, their first ever release was a live album from no wave legend James Chance and his Contortions band – not bad, eh? If you were going be ultra critical, you might say that they were jumping on the “dubstep bandwagon” with this release (their first 12-inch single since their inception, quite amazingly), but that would be churlish: Badawi has actually been putting out reggae and dub infused electronic music on RIOR since the mid-nineties. This 12" serves as a sampler of last year's Unit Of Resistance remix album, created from exclusive Badawi material.
Kode9's effort on the A-side is an absolutely astounding dancefloor banger that will fit into pacier techno sets as well as the box of your usual dubstepper. Its loose shuffly rhythm and propulsive stabbing synth builds things up before a dark, dubby bassline emerges to keep things bouncing along nicely. It's the pumping drop that'll get everyone going though, where all the elements gets reintroduced to the strains of an eerie melodica line.
Badawi gives us one of his original productions on the flip, with vocals from Pinch collaborator and Dub War MC Juakali. The beats will be a little sparse for all but the most adventurous techno jocks, but Badawi's brooding sustained strings and divebombing basslines mean that it'll find a place in the box of the more rootsy dubstep DJs. The sheer quality of both tracks is undeniable, but as far as club play goes, its Kode9's vigorously energetic version of 'Den Of Drumz' that wins hands down.
Published /
Fri, 18 Apr 2008
Buy Badawi ft. Kode9 & Juakali – Den Of Drumz/Crows at
Tracklist: Badawi ft. Kode9 & Juakali – Den Of Drumz/Crows
A Kode9 vs. Badawi – Den Of Drumz
B Badawi vs. Juakali - Crows
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