Released
January 2009 / March 2009
- It's hard not to love Hyperdub. Taking chances, varying their output from the dubstep norm and diversifying their releases has proved a hit with the press and, more importantly, with the record buying public. And two recent releases from the man behind it all, Kode9, wander even further away from the public's consensus of modern dubstep.
Kode maintains the barrage of bass pressure on "Bad," the title track of his collaborative EP with producer LD, confining the bass line to short bursts of sub that emphasize the regimented thump of the driving beat. He uses flittering congas to bring the heavily phased synthesizer to the forefront of the mix, but it's not just his layers of drum sounds: It's the whole mannerism of the tune that feels different from his previous output. By pacing his drums nearer to house music and letting phrases repeat themselves, he's produced an excellent example of a dubstep roller. Somehow, Kode and LD manage to take the flip, "2 Bad," even further. This time it's soca house, with the duo turning the sun-drenched synthesizer vibes up and into the pits of their Balearic shuffle drum patterns.
If the extreme percussion and pace of the Bad EP managed to nudge Kode9 out of the mainstream-slipstream, then Black Sun throws him onto the opposite side of the motorway careering along the hard shoulder with a bottle of rum in one hand and a slew of unbranded test pressings in the other. "Black Sun" sees him pump the repetitive drums high, letting the snare get loose and leaving it to crackle for a little longer than really required, while he bounds around the keyboard, letting his bassline dance through unconventional falling patterns behind his swelling synthesizer stabs.
"2 Far Gone" uses what sounds like a Spaceape vocal sample repeated at significant points for effect and the drums again punish speakers with their four-snares-per-bar time signature. The drawn-out synth chords—as well as revealing the linear details behind 9's production pattern—takes to a marginally higher pitch while the bassline pulses and punches in time with the snare hits.
TracklistKode9 & LD - Bad EP
A Bad
B 2 Bad
Kode 9 - Black Sun / 2 Far Gone
A Black Sun
B 2 Far Gone