dubtechno
Brock Van Wey: White Clouds Drift On and On
Van Wey (better known as Bvdub) abandons dub techno conventions and returns to his West Coast chill-out room roots.Jun 27, 2009 in Reviews: Electronica
Gas at the Chicago Cultural Center
At times I felt like I was moving through a three-dimensional sculpture.May 27, 2009 in Features: Shows
Yagya: Rigning
Yagya’s new album is better than his last. While his style has been called dub techno, the best tracks have strong melodies.Jan 30, 2009 in Reviews: Electronica
Intrusion: The Seduction of Silence [single]
As volume builds, so does echo. Hitchell is at his best here.Jan 20, 2009 in Reviews: Techno
Another Electronic Musician: Five
Adds some nice dubby elements to his repertoire.Nov 3, 2008 in Reviews: Electronica
Peaks and Troughs, Roots and Wire
New albums from Mikkel Metal and Deadbeat, both featuring Paul St. Hilaire.Nov 2, 2008 in Reviews: Electronica
Convextion at SmartBar
Last night Convextion (Gerard Hanson) played an amazing set of mostly new material at SmartBar here in Chicago.Oct 17, 2008 in Features: Shows
Model 500: Starlight
“Starlight” was undoubtedly a strong influence on the current generation of dub techno producers, so it should come as no surprise that they would want to put together a tribute album.Sep 11, 2008 in Reviews: Techno
Andy Stott: Unknown Exception
While Stott’s first album was all over the map, this collection of recent EPs sees him honing in on a distinctive, dubby style. The bass drops are massive.Aug 26, 2008 in Reviews: Techno
Intrusion: Intrusion
Echospace’s last vinyl release was Intrusion. Steve Hitchell kindly gave me a preview of an upcoming CD version. According to Hitchell, this is deeply personal material produced in the early nineties but once thought lost. To me, “Intrusion Dub” feels like a step forward, incorporating reggae elements with short bits of horn amidst the usual techno beat and low bass rumbles.Jul 13, 2008 in Reviews: Techno
Stephen Hitchell
As Soultek, he recently released 12-inches on soundshift [detroit] and Lee Purkis’ Fortune8. He collaborates with Rod Modell as cv313 and Echospace. One of his latest pseudonyms is Intrusion on his own label, echospace [detroit].Jul 8, 2008 in Features: Interviews
Gas: Nah und Fern
There’s no overstating Cologne artist Wolfgang Voigt’s influence on electronic music. His Mike Ink and Studio 1 releases helped shape minimal techno, while his Gas project laid the groundwork for abstract dub techno. Voigt also launched Profan and is an owner of Kompakt. It’s no wonder his four out-of-print Gas albums have been fetching large sums on the second-hand market.May 18, 2008 in Reviews: Techno
Quantec: Unusual Signals
Quantec’s best work to date is a meticulously crafted album of Chain Reaction-style dub techno.May 13, 2008 in Reviews: Techno
Deepchord: Vantage Isle Sessions
While I wasn’t blown away by the vinyl release of this a year ago, the CD version has grown on me, especially since it makes great driving music. The other day on an afternoon trip to Albuquerque, I cranked up these mixes, and the combination of road noise and puttering chords was perfect.May 1, 2008 in Reviews: Techno
VA: Viewpoints Chapter One
This first compilation on Arne Weinberg’s label is a wonderful introduction to overlooked artists crafting techno in the Detroit style.Apr 23, 2008 in Reviews: Techno
Aaron Carl: "Crucified"
This 12-inch came out a couple of months ago, but it’s too good to skip covering. The original track, by Aaron Carl, is deep house originally released on Mike Banks’ Soul City label in 1996.Apr 20, 2008 in Reviews: Techno
VA: Depth Perceptions Vol. 1
Despite the recent glut of dub techno records, it seems I still can’t get enough of the sound. This compilation is the first release on Detroit-area Pronounce Records. Most of the artists are new to me, but they have all perfected the art of crafting deep tracks with reverberating chords and slow, heavy bass.Apr 17, 2008 in Reviews: Techno
Rod Modell: Incense & Blacklight
In my opinion, Rod Modell has come a long way since his ambient days. Incense & Blacklight contains some of his best tracks to date, even as he explores cold, uneasy territory.Feb 8, 2008 in Reviews: Electronica
Bvdub
Bvdub is Brock Van Wey from San Francisco. In just the past year, he has had releases on Styrax Records, Quietus Records, Night Drive Music and its sub-label 2600 Records.Jan 19, 2008 in Features: Interviews
Murmur: Undertone
At first blush, Murmur’s Undertone seems promising. It begins with simulated surface noise and dub techno chords. But after repeated listens, the tracks are revealed to be dry, computerized minimalism.Jan 15, 2008 in Reviews: Techno
