Following on from the release of DUPLOC016 from Kloudmen, the Belgium-based dubstep magazine drops two absolute bangers on AxH’s “Death Dub” EP for DUPLOC017.
The A-side, “Witch Doctor” starts with a meditative tribal beat, which almost makes you feel as though the track is going to be quite chilled. Conversely, the track suddenly drops into a strong, descending bassline that is as reload-inducing as I’ve heard in recent times. Once you’ve reloaded the track and continue to listen you are bombarded by booming 808s and moody bass pulses which will make you put your gunfingers up even if you’re listening to the track in your bedroom. The seemingly out of place tribal beats that opened the track help to bring the various bass sounds together and keep it moving forward.
On the flip-side is “Lionart”. The opening dreamy chip-tune lead lulls the listener into a false sense of security before giving way to a huge wobble bassline, which is a refreshing nod to some of the early dubstep sounds not heard as often these days. The minimalist but driving beat helps promote the flowing bassline, and the infectious rhythms will get your head nodding along as the track progresses. The dub chops and sirens compliment the patois chants of “Riddem!” and build the track up into a skank-inducing banger.
The two songs on the “Death Dub” EP present a different sound than we have heard on AxH’s previous releases with the likes of Tempa and Wheel and Deal. For me, the prominent basslines in Witch Doctor and Lionart are reminiscent of the sound that I fell in love with when first getting into dubstep, but with a modern twist. Both AxH and Duploc continue their run of brilliant releases with these two tracks, and I can’t wait more releases from them in the future.
DUPLOC017 is released April 17th and available from JunoDownload and the Duploc Store.
