~ DUBBHISM ~

The Megaupload 'Situation'

2012-01-23T04:22:00.008+09:00

Sorry for the inconvenience!

All free Dubbhism netlabel album downloads (the .rar files) and all sound design-related downloads (IRs, analog filter sound examples etc.) are temporarily unavailable. You can still download individual tunes at the Dubbhism SoundCloud page.

Hopefully the .rar files will be back online within a week.

As you may know the FBI has taken Megaupload offline and right now we're looking for a new place to store our stuff. It's up to you to think of this as merely annoying or as a major moment in the history of the free world and the internet. Dubbhism is anti police-state (duh) and we nuh like what a gwaan (duuuuhh). The Megaupload guy is an asshole but the FBI, Steve Jobs, the Evil Apple Empire and the United (Police)States are much worse. They make the rules, unless you stop them. Megaupload is small potatoes, watch out for the Bigger Bosses.

Goodiebag

2012-01-23T03:32:00.002+09:00

Pure awesomeness... MK-Ultra teaming up with Monolow. Fat MK-Ultra remix coming soon!

Red hot shizzle... Manja remix coming soon!

8-bit hysteria... Helgeland 8-bit Squad EP coming soon!

YT - forward to life (BRACKET RMX) by KILLER BRACKET
Blooood clot!!! More KILLER BRACKET & I-lodica action coming soon on a label near you!

Addis Night by SPRING REVERB MUSEUM
It's deep!! More Spring Reverb Museum action coming soon!

Inky Jack - Evil Plan (live at the Knitting Factory)

2012-01-15T00:18:00.000+09:00

Haunting stuff... Inky Jack live at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. If you like this, you're gonna LUV the forthcoming Inky Jack release on Dubbhism Deluxe. Super fine remixes included. Soon come.

Chiphall style remix by Helgeland 8-bit Squad

2011-12-19T02:19:00.002+09:00

Leah Rosier - Irie (Chiphall Remix) by Helgeland 8-bit Squad

The Irie remix competition is done but this tune is a winner!! Pure 8-bit pressure so watch this crew, these guys are dj's for the future.

Out now: VA ~ Subversio (Dubbhism Deluxe)

2011-12-04T23:48:00.006+09:00

Subversio (Latin, noun): overturn, overthrow, ruin, destruction

VA - Subversio (Dubbhism Deluxe) by ~ dubbhism ~

"fascinating and enjoyable"
X.J. Scott ~ nonoctave.com

subversio ~ strictly next level sounds

Warning! This is xenharmonic music. An unusual sound, xenharmonic or micro-tonal music is about inventing fresh new harmonies using strange combinations of frequencies. Stuff that most 'regular' musical instruments can't handle. That's why this album was created using a very special synthesizer. It's called FMTS, it was developed by Jacky Ligon (who's also one of the artists) and it's purple.

The Subversio album is released together with a serious update of this freeware FM synth (version 1.1) which can be downloaded at the Xen-Arts website. The FMTS is used on all tracks of the album, and three producers created these tracks, let's introduce them...

Sevish
Is the man behind Split Notes, the first and probably the finest netlabel for hi quality xen music with-a-beat. Sevish contributes ballsy dnb tracks that showcase his great harmonic audacity. He's from London, and we think he's the guy who's going to turn the UK (and possibly the planet) on to xenharmonics. Both with his own music and with his forward-thinking netlabel, which is picking up more steam as we speak. Official website: Sevish Music.

Jacky Ligon
Is really a Leonardo da Vinci kinda guy. Clever enough to design his own VST synths (he's got a little secret toolbox full of homemade goodies as well) and creative enough to come up with great sounding, highly individual, yet very accessible music. While most synth developers would be content creating a generic 'dubstep' demotrack showcasing the wobble-potential of their homegrown instrument, Jacky takes his art a few steps further. His theoretical knowledge of xenharmonics is deep, but his mixes are even deeper and also extremely refined. It's like sonic architecture for audiophiles really. His sound has a bit of the original Viennese 'lounge' vibe, but there's also a strong earth-connection. Hearing is believing, lots of bass & space in fine style! Official website: Xen-Arts.

Tony Dubshot
Is the guy behind Dubbhism. He's a dub producer who likes to think of xenharmonics as a dub effect. His style is a bit simplistic maybe, compared to the refined tunings and harmonic effects created by Sevish and Jacky Ligon, but he's a newcomer so give him a break. In fact, he'll happily admit to being an analog hooligan. He processed the sounds of the Xenharmonic FMTS synth with his big bad monster modular, producing nasty noises and fx. Official website: Dubbhism.

Xenharmonic FMTS
Is the name of the synth that was used to create all harmonic parts on the album. The all inclusive Subversio deal means that you can try the xenharmonic approach for yourself ~ if you're a computer musician using the VST format that is.

here's the home of the Xenharmonic FMTS;
for newcomers, here's a short xenharmonic tutorial to get you started;
the FMTS is an FM-synth. If you're a little scared of FM-synthesis, refresh your knowledge with this easy FM tutorial. The order is reversed, so scroll all the way down for part one;
here's a review of the original FMTS synth.

Xenharmonic FMTS 1.1 (maintenance update, december 2011)

New features:

Added exponential response to the Filter 1 Cutoff Frequency control slider;
Added 58 total automation targets for host DAW automation. Targets are included for ADSR, FM-RM Oscilllator Algorithm, Effects Section, Filter Section, Global and Local Microtuning, Operator Waveforms and Oscillator Section;
Added more presets, microtunings, partials files;
Improved FM-RM oscillator quality (especially in the bass range).

Bug fixes:

Fixed Operator Keyboard Tracking Slider bug;
Fixed Frequency Limit bug that could cause clipping under certain circumstances.

There were so many internal changes that it became necessary to assign the synth a new VST ID, and for that reason, patches created with the initial release are not compatible with version 1.1.

Out now: The Circuit Bender ~ Timpani

2011-11-23T23:52:00.002+09:00

"ummmm....." ~ a guy at some forum

"the fuck was that" ~ another guy at some forum

"that's the worst song i've heard all year" ~ yet another one

"so....is this dub or dubstep?" ~ a confused music critic

"methinks we been trolled" ~ intellectual dude

The Circuit Bender is a mask of Dutch dub producer and Dubbhism label boss Tony Dubshot. The Timpani EP is an exploration of bass music in the 70/140 bpm tempo, meaning there's some dubstep influence, but these tracks are not primarily aimed at the dancefloor.

It's all about dub, electronica and a weird IDM vibe, combined with 'proud to be analog' production techniques: the use of tape echo, spring reverb, analog modular synths etc. Rhythmically this release is going from dancehall to socastep and even dadastep and gospel bass.

Download: DUBBHISM128-012 The Circuit Bender - Timpani.rar

Weird Science by Tony Dubshot on Split-Notes

2011-11-23T20:18:00.002+09:00

Tony Dubshot - Weird Science [SPNT-010] by Tony Dubshot

Imagine a bunch of weird Mad Professor tunes, but with all the analog grit and dirt of a vintage King Tubby mix. Add xenharmonic herbs & spices et voila... the recipe for WEIRD SCIENCE by Tony Dubshot.

This is Dubshot's second album on Split-Notes, the groundbreaking microtonal netlabel 'with a groove'. His first album on Split-Notes titled 'Omega Dub' is still the biggest hit in the label's history so far.

Original artwork photograpy by Ton Coops.

Vandera mixtape for FatKidOnFire

2011-11-23T19:56:00.002+09:00

Dubbhism has a soft spot for mad music scientists. Dutch Londener Vandera (neuroscience) is definitely a member of that tribe. He got a lot of praise recently for a 60-minute mix showcasing 60 tracks, all in C-minor. Surely the work of a madman. Check out this interview at FatKidOnFire and listen to his new mix

Vandera - FatKidOnFire Mixtape by vandera

little quote from the interview:

"In the long-term, the plan is to make lots of money by discovering a non-addictive and safe compound with the same mood-enhancing properties as MDMA. I’ll get regulatory approval, hire Walter White to cook and sell it all, and with the profits I’ll setup a quality record label. All I need is some human test-subjects and some good dubs to sign and release. Hit me up on SoundCloud."

Natty Dave - Traveller (EP) by Speakah Productions

2011-11-20T21:13:00.002+09:00

Remember the Dutch reggae producer Peter Speakah? Of course you do! He did the winning remix in the Irie Remix Competition. Now he's back with a new treat, a fantastic EP with Natty Dave, the big man with the big voice from Sierra Leone. Free download, enjoy it!

Introducing Natty Dave

Natty Dave has been singing and spinning for over 25 years. At 11 he connected with the Love Injection sound system & the legendary Blacker Dread in Sierra Leone. At the age of 16 Natty Dave fled the war and moved to Amsterdam, starting another sound system called Jah Sound. Natty Dave has performed with Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Yellow Man, Haddaway, and worked with Chaka Khan. He has DJ'd throughout Europe with artists like Saxon Sound, Crisco Fingers, Robbo Ranx, DJ Ramil, and Roni Size. Natty Dave worked as a radio presenter in Sierra Leone for both Kalleon Radio and Free Radio and is now starting VIBEZ FM in Sierra Leone, a socially conscious radio station, with Michele Roessler.

Check out Speakah Productions on SoundCloud

Calling all dub producers using original analog gear

2011-11-19T19:49:00.031+09:00

Calling all dub producers who use original analog gear. Dubbhism wants to compile a 'various artists' album (to be released in 2012) showcasing the sound of analog dub equipment. Let's do this!!

Are you producing dub tracks using Great British Springs, original analog reverb tanks by Accutronics, Belton, vintage tape echo machines by Roland, Korg, analog BBD-based echo/flanger fx etc.? Please let us know about it. Contact us via dubbhism(?)xs4all.nl or via Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud or whatever.

In 2012 Dubbhism wants to release a 'various artists' album showcasing the sound of analog dub fx equipment. It's not about recording your masters to tape, not about vintage eq, not about esoteric mixing desks or anything like that. We're just interested in tracks that feature a healthy dose of analog reverb and/or analog echo. No plugins, only the vintage fx, the electronica, the hardware. You can even do the mixdown on an iPad if you have to, but the dub fx must be analog, and we don't mind if the track is a little noisy.

To get an idea of the sound quality we are searching for check this video, tune titled The Promised Land Dub produced by Dutch dubhead deRuige at the Gully Bank Studio in Amsterdam. He's one of the analog dub producers who will be featured on the compilation.

When we say 'dub' that means all types of dub-related music. It can be roots dub, techno dub, dubstep, minimal dub, world dub, lounge dub or any other type of dub you have invented in your studio.

Deadline for track submissions

Deadline for submitting tracks: end of March 2012. The resulting release may be netlabel (creative commons) and/or commercial, depending on quality and quantity of submissions. If you submit a track we can't guarantee it will be used. For details give us a shout.

Addis Night by SPRING REVERB MUSEUM

Judgement Day ~ Vintage Ragga Mixx

2011-11-19T02:49:00.001+09:00

Judgement Day ~ strictly vintage ragga mixx by Dubbhism Mixx Cassettes on Mixcloud

Download Judgement Day (320 kbps/130 Mb via Megaupload)

tracklist

Baby Wayne - Mama
Ninjaman - Wap Dem Bubba
W.O.W. - Spell
Lloyd Fagan - What A Go Down
Kenny Knotch - Watch How The People Dancing
Mikey General - You Wrong Fe Trouble The Don
Ansel Collins - Pretty Lady
Princess Love - Jah Love
Debbie Ann - Darling
Beenie Man - A Nuh Strenght
Buju Banton - Stamina Daddy
Lloyd Fagan - What A Go Down
Shabba Ranks - Are You Sure
Capleton - Somebody
Spragga Benz - Hunting
Lloyd Hemmings - Rude Boy
Dennis Brown - Seashore
Courtney Melody - On Broadway
Jammy$ & Bobby Digital - Version
Johnny Osbourne - No Sound Like We
Sugar Minott - Jam In The Street
Pad Anthony - Respect Due
Super Black - Deh Wid You
Sammy Dread - Let Me Love You
Yami Bolo - Big Yard Dub
Johnny Osbourne - Looking At You
? - A Little Love Back In My Life
Cassey Man - I Remember
Baby Wayne - Bring Him Come

Subversio ~ forthcoming on Dubbhism Deluxe

2011-10-30T22:41:00.030+09:00

Subversio (Latin, noun): overturn, overthrow, ruin, destruction

VA - Subversio (forthcoming on Dubbhism Deluxe) by ~ dubbhism ~

album release date: end of november 2011

Warning! This is xenharmonic music. An unusual sound, xenharmonic means inventing new combinations of frequencies. Stuff that regular instruments can't handle. Here are 3 tracks just to wet your appetite.

Our goal: to overturn, overthrow, ruin and destroy traditional harmonic ideas and expectations, and to expand our own ideas about harmony through experimentation. Because whether you like it or not: there are all kinds of harmonies, not just the ones we're used to.

Right now we'd like to emphasize that Subversio (the entire 9-track album) was actually created using just one specialized synth that can handle this xenharmonic stuff in a very user-friendly way, matching tunings with FM-timbres. The synth is called FMTS, and it's purple.

This specially designed synth was actually conceived, developed, beta tested etc. by Jacky Ligon, who also wrote three album tracks. The Subversio album will be released together with a serious update of his freeware synth (version 1.1).

OK, so three producers created tracks for the Subversio album. Each one has a unique style of producing, mixing etc. but still the typical xenharmonic vibe can be heard on all tracks. The music might feel a little strange, but xenharmonic sounds are most of all fresh and inspiring. It's the new frontier for the harmonically adventurous musician. Now let's introduce the Subversio artists...

Sevish
Is the man behind Split Notes, the first and probably the finest netlabel for hi quality xen music with-a-beat. Sevish contributes ballsy dnb tracks that showcase his great harmonic audacity. He's from London, and we think he's the guy who's going to turn the UK (and possibly the planet) on to xenharmonics. Both with his own music and with his forward-thinking netlabel, which is picking up more steam as we speak. Official website: Sevish Music.

Jacky Ligon
Is really a Leonardo da Vinci kinda guy. Clever enough to design his own VST synths (he's got a little secret toolbox full of homemade goodies as well) and creative enough to come up with great sounding, highly individual, yet very accessible music. While most synth developers would be content creating a generic 'dubstep' demotrack showcasing the wobble-potential of their homegrown instrument, Jacky takes his art a few steps further. His theoretical knowledge of xenharmonics is deep, but his mixes are even deeper and also extremely refined. It's like sonic architecture for audiophiles really. His sound has a bit of the original Viennese 'lounge' vibe, but there's also a strong earth-connection. Hearing is believing, lots of bass & space in fine style! Official website: Xen-Arts.

Tony Dubshot
Is the guy behind Dubbhism. He's a dub producer who likes to think of xenharmonics as a dub effect. His style is a bit simplistic maybe, compared to the refined tunings and harmonic effects created by Sevish and Jacky Ligon, but he's a newcomer so give him a break. In fact, he'll happily admit to being an analog hooligan. He processed the sounds of the Xenharmonic FMTS synth with his big bad monster modular, producing nasty noises and fx. Official website: Dubbhism.

Xenharmonic FMTS
Is the name of the synth that was used to create all harmonic parts on the album. The all inclusive Subversio deal means that you can try the xenharmonic approach for yourself ~ if you're a computer musician using the VST format that is.

here's the home of the Xenharmonic FMTS;
for newcomers, here's a short xenharmonic tutorial to get you started;
the FMTS is an FM-synth. If you're a little scared of FM-synthesis, refresh your knowledge with this easy FM tutorial. The order is reversed, so scroll all the way down for part one;
here's a review of the original FMTS synth.

Xenharmonic FMTS 1.1 (maintenance update, november 2011)

New features:

Added exponential response to the Filter 1 Cutoff Frequency control slider;
Added 58 total automation targets for host DAW automation. Targets are included for ADSR, FM-RM Oscilllator Algorithm, Effects Section, Filter Section, Global and Local Microtuning, Operator Waveforms and Oscillator Section;
Added more presets, microtunings, partials files;
Improved FM-RM oscillator quality (especially in the bass range).

Bug fixes:

Fixed Operator Keyboard Tracking Slider bug;
Fixed Frequency Limit bug that could cause clipping under certain circumstances.

There were so many internal changes that it became necessary to assign the synth a new VST ID, and for that reason, patches created with the initial release are not compatible with version 1.1.

Anthony B meets Subatomic Sound

2011-10-30T17:38:00.000+09:00

Subatomic Sound is back with two timely, defiant Anthony B 45rpm vinyls and a Dubmatix/Tippa Irie steppers dubstep rmx.

Anthony B - Can't Stop We From Talk free download or check the whole set

And here's some more good stuff coming from Emch Subatomic, rmx of a track by Dubmatix & Tippa Irie titled She Brings Me Joy.

Out now digital and double 12" vinyl on Echo Beach/Collision and Irie Ites. Additional remixes from Victor Rice, Zion Train, Liondub, Mungo's Hi-Fi, Marcus Visionary, Aldubb, G Corp and more!

Music and mathematics

2011-10-12T16:32:00.000+09:00

Music and mathematics seem to be related, but the exact nature of this relation is not very clear. For example, some people see Fibonacci numbers everywhere in music, others think that fractals and algorithms are actually musical compositions, some are inspired by Pythagoras and search for the 'perfect tuning' of their instruments, and some people believe that Mozart coded the secrets of the pyramids in his works... and so on and so on...

There's also a strange theory that says that people who are good at math are good at music too. In the clip you can observe the eminent Nobel Prize winning quantum physicist Richard 'Orange Juice' Feynman testing that theory. And if hard science isn't your thing, why not try Donald Duck's explanation of the relation between music and mathematics.

Kandinsky style visualizations

2011-09-06T19:28:00.007+09:00

Numbercult is a music & visualization 'project' from Glasgow. It looks very Kandinsky.

here's a bit of official info:

"Numbercult was launched in 2009 as an anonymous project to explore the idea of identity, inspired by the neoist art movement. distinct music personalities or 'heteronyms' were developed to give the impression of many artists operating under one banner, the mantra 'many voices one mind' a subtle clue to the true nature of the project."

Catch numbercult on vimeo, soundcloud

And here's more, this one is designed by Canadian animation/comics artist Michel Gagné

Flex Mentallo ~ Dubshot's Beachboy Mixx

2011-08-29T23:46:00.006+09:00

Flex Mentallo ~ Dubshot's Beachboy Mixx by Dubbhism Mixx Cassettes

Dubstep ~ Electronica ~ Moombahsoul ~ Juke ~ Dancehall

Download Flex Mentallo (320 kbps/130 Mb via Megaupload)

Today was different. It looked like i had maybe four or five seconds before the bomb went off, so i summoned up the power of Muscle Mystery ~ activating the occult of each musclecord, each tendon. And i FLEXED, reaching out to probe the interior of the bomb with my bodymind. But then before i could do anything at all, the bomb just fizzed and spat and went out. And i realized it wasn't a bomb at all. It was a key. And it was about to open the strangest door of all.

TRACKS

Clint Eastwood & General Saint - Young Lover
Mungo's Hi Fi - Babylon
Intex Systems - DS4
James Blake - CMYK
Martyn - Yet
Peverelist - Infinity Is Now
Terror Danjah - Power Grid
Jus Wan - Action Potential
Bleepolar - Chiquita
Jon Kwest - Make It
Munchi - Me And My Bitch
Heartbreak - I am Legend
Ital Tek - Babel
Terror Danjah - Limbo
Jack Sparrow - The Chase
Elephant Man - Vampires & Informers - Kush Arora's Crypt dub
Munchi - Straat Takki
Diplo - One Kid (feat. Nicki Minaj, Sleigh Bells, SHM)
Munchi - Mi Ta Bek
RSD - Heavenly Dub (feat Preddy)
Mungo's Hi Fi - Got to make tracks ft. Sugar Minott
Mungo's Hi Fi - Super Sharp Roller
Terror Danjah ft Gemma Fox & 2 Nice - Feeling's Grow
Vaccine - Signal To Noise
Flying Lotus - Do the Astral Plane
Santogold and Diplo - Guns of Brooklyn

Spring reverb showcase by Vadav Selector

2011-08-29T23:15:00.002+09:00

In the 70s and early 80s the oldskool dub producers like King Tubby and Scientist all used a so-called spring reverb for their dubs. Nowadays dub producers who work 100% digital can emulate that characteristic spring reverb sound with impulse responses.

It's a relatively simple and cheap technique to create weird & wicked sounding reverbs and delays. Here at Dubbhism we actually have 3 libraries of extremely dirty, noisy & nasty sounding impulse responses for you to download

Vadav Selector is a talented dubhead & bass fanatic from Istanbul who uses our libraries. Here are some fat tracks he did with 'vintage digital' spring reverb sounds and the revolutionary Quantum Hall FX.

bonda by vadav selector

Captain caveMAN by vadav selector

Xenharmonics ~ ancient conjunctions at the apex of harmonic universe

2011-08-25T18:22:00.007+09:00

The CAPRICORN speaks:

Thousands of years ago man crawled out of the jungle and became a modern citizen. As the way of life of the PLANTER was now centered around the change of SEASONS, man quickly discovered that the doctrines of MATHEMATICS have great affinity with the structure of UNIVERSE and even MUSIC.

Egyptian priests became ASTRONOMERS and they saw beyond chaos and mayhem and found that deep universe is an ETERAL HARMONIC PATTERN. This ancient wisdom known as HARMONY OF THE SPHERES was brought to the west by PYTHAGORAS. His myopic and diluted image of the universal knowledge ~ presenting our SUN as the CENTER of all things ~ also spawned MUSICAL THEORY as we know it.

It was GIORDANO BRUNO who finally saw that the stars are all suns. He proposed that universe extends outward INFINITELY, containing suns without end. For this Bruno was burned at the stake in 1600 by the CHRISTIAN INQUISITION. But the truth was now revealed and MUSICAL LAWS were loosened gradually. Musicians were allowed to explore NEW HARMONIC DIMENSIONS. Earth was not a FLAT place.

So WHERE are we now, you may ask yourself?

Mankind is once again awakening from an epoch of illusive scientific bedtime stories and cramped obscurantism. The SIREN sings a new song. Rational, moral and tribal taboos once used for strangulation of musical harmonic frequency accumulation are now irrelevant.

New scientific discoveries have shown that the dimensional doors of musical sound are like etheric, invisible PYRAMIDS, mirrored and reflected in ever smaller pyramids around the big pyramids, and so on ad infinitum. These semi-etheric patterns are dimensional reflections that mirror frequential pre-sonic energies. These are usually not perceivable in the spectrum of audible sound, but certain combinations of sound pitches can make them faintly recognizable. These very subtle frequential patterns of TIMBRE are transferred and formatted into the larger and more systemic HARMONIC complex, built on sound octave connection, or commonality between its own lower and higher complexes which amplifies the subtle energy of TIMBRE to achieve any desired effect.

In other words: certain sounds need to be toned to activate the dimensional gateways, destroy the OLD GRID and prepare for the triggering into XENHARMONIC PARALLEL DIMENSIONAL PERCEPTION AND EXPLORATION. These are sonic structures engineered with great detail and complexity. For example, PHI sound patterns can physically dematerialize the GRID, but if these patterns are not aligned properly according to the MATHEMATICAL LAW as it was discovered and written down by SETHARES THE YOUNGER, structures are less accessible.

All etheric musical life forms have their own timbral patterns that help form their structure, just as occurs in physical objects. PHI sound bonds the atoms and molecules of physical objects, as well as cohesively structures etheric plasma and light. This is precisely why XENHARMONIC SOUND can appear and reappear simultaneously in parallel etheric and physical dimensions causing the immersed bodies of the initiated listeners to reverberate specific vowel sounds.

This is also the reason why certain XENHARMONIC HACKERS are drawn to participate and direct energies into the FMTS METATRON but paradoxically, there are still many musicians who ~ harmonically speaking ~ function from a standpoint of FEAR. The universal harmonic mind presents to us that which is KNOWN but we can also move beyond this OLD HARMONIC GRID into the vast NO-GRID-NESS of the OMNIHARMONIC UBERMIND. This is the function of ARCHETYPICAL psychic experiences manifested from a point of inner silence in which we simply rest in our ONENESS OF OMNIHARMONIC DIMENSION to achieve deep xenharmonic activation and initiation.

ALL OF US can begin to accept and claim this ONENESS with the parallel XENHARMONIC dimension RIGHT NOW. And from that INFINITE SOURCE will flow the new ideas, for SOURCE knows no limitation. Mind, in its true function as an awareness of it’s own harmonic awareness, will re-interpret and re-form our re-programmed multitimbral XENHARMONIC activity as new ways of doing, new forms, new sounds, new MUSIC. That’s why we are not losing anything real, we will simply experience new things on a higher and better level, the immanent awareness of PERFECT OMNIHARMONIC FREEDOM.

Keith Richards vs Modular Synthesis

2011-07-23T19:16:00.004+09:00

Wow Keith that's a really nice sine wave!! Scene from Mario Shifano’s 1969 film Umano non Umano.

Vintage electronica and sound design

2011-07-12T20:33:00.013+09:00

One thing that's good about the 'good old days' of electronic sound & music was the lack of equipment. The FAIRLIGHT IPHONE APP did not exist. Musicians, engineers and sound designers wore lab coats and were getting their sonic results with the stuff that was available.

Back to basics: the fundamentals of electronic sound design demonstrated in the Studio di Fonologia (RAI Milan)

Luciano Berio shows how to make funny noises

The mothership: Raymond Scott's Electronium

Scott's pupil Robert Moog talks about his intimate relation with electronic circuits

The creators of the EMS synths

Sound design at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop

Delia Derbyshire is the composer of the 'Dr. Who theme' which is an obsession for English synth musicians

Modern times: the Fairlight iPad/iPhone app

Raymond Scott's Electronium

2011-07-12T18:51:00.001+09:00

Raymond Scott is the original mad scientist of electronica ~ even Bob Moog agreed with that. Here's a wonderful clip of a piece made with the Electronium. It's funny how Kandinsky-like these visuals are.

Out now: Leah Rosier ~ Irie rmx ep

2011-07-07T19:56:00.003+09:00

Leah Rosier - Irie rmx ep (Dubbhism netlabel) by DUBBHISM

Summer's here, temperature rising and at Dubbhism we've got sunshine in the music. Here's a DJ-friendly (320) netlabel-style release to celebrate the summer vibes. We've got four amazing remixes from the Irie Remix Contest, an exclusive dub by Peter Speakah (he also did the winning remix) and a special bonus track by co-judges Not Easy At All.

Download full ep: DUBBHISM320-011 Leah Rosier - Irie rmx ep.rar

The tracks

The Not Easy mix brings an amazing clash of Leah's vocalistics and Marcus Hillman's wahwah guitar acrobatics, pushed forward by a huge bassline. Pure joyful noise.

Peter Speakah is a very talented reggae producer, also from the Netherlands. His remix was the undisputed winner of the Irie Remix Contest and for this EP he generously added a dub version featuring Natty D. The vocal mix will be featured on Leah's forthcoming album.

Digikal Roots demonstrates why it's a good thing to have experience as a soundman. This is proper dub, heavy & clear mix.

Caballo wasted no time when he heard that the Irie acapella was available. It took him less than 24 hours to come up with this sick edit of Neki Stranac's Turbulence riddim. Epic & irie, moombahcore maddness, often imitated but never duplicated, immediately winning the popular vote.

Monolow knew he had a winner when he tested his Irie remix at the Outlook launch party a few months ago. The Bologna crowd loved it, a clever and powerful blend of classic steppers reggae and a bit of funky/dubsteppy spice.

Bruno Tanmateos is the king of strings and bagpipes. His remix flips the script, adding melancholic overtones to a tune that's about feeling irie. But like all good stories this one has a happy end :)

Bass haters ~ a reissue with too much bass?

2011-07-02T19:05:00.004+09:00

Here's a quote coming from a Jack-purist who thinks Rush Hour’s House of Trax reissues have too much bass:

"Instead listening to a House of Trax reissue is like hearing a Berlin style sound engineer re-imagining what an African American man in 80′s Chicago would have liked his record to sound like if he had access to a Funktion 1 system and a copy of Logic Pro. The records are soaked in bass, so much so that the interplay between sonic elements along with any sense of space is replaced by a resiliently dense low end, in line with what contemporary records sound like and theoretically what people ‘want’, but nonetheless remaining a far cry from the tone and expression present in the original releases."

Here's the full text

Bleepolar interview ~ Colombian sounds & visions

2011-06-29T19:33:00.006+09:00

From Cumbia to Techno and from music production to graphic design and video, Bleepolar has a wide range of interests and talents. His remix of Amsterdam by Marlon Asher & Leah Rosier (Dubbhism Deluxe) was picked up by the Global Bass blogs, a DJ's favorite.

marlon asher & leah rosier - amsterdam (bleepolar remix) by DUBBHISM

But of course there's much more. Like the new EP Chiquita for Hipi Duki that's coming soon, check out this preview...

Chiquita by Bleepolar

Here at Dubbhism we are especially interested in artists who combine the visual and musical side of things in their work, so right now we take time to talk to the Colombian master of sound and vision..

Mr. Bleepolar, i think you have a very strange personality disorder. On the one hand you love traditional Colombian music and on the other hand you're a techno addict. How do you achieve mental & musical stability? On your Soundcloud page the Colombian styles are on top. Is that where your heart is?

Hola Tony! (laughs ;) well part of my name Bleepolar talks about that polarity. I have been an electronic music junkie since childhood. Then i started to research Colombian sounds and i fell in love with them.

I always wanted to have both kinds of sounds in one concept: the punchy and dancefloor shaking vibes of electronic music, and the native american and african hard driving rhythms. But most of all i wanted to create music to make people dance and have a good time.

Of course my heart is hooked with my country and it's cultural wealth. However i'm always feeding myself with all kinds of rhythms, especially the club ones since they combine a lot of energy with the simpler elements.

So how would you describe the style of the Chiquita EP? How is it different from 'MarimbaChontaSalvajeAlbina' for Biatch Corp?

The main difference between MarimbaChontaSalvajeAlbina and Chiquita is that in the first one i was exploring my techno side. I wanted to give it an underground and agressive feeling. Things got a little bit crazy when i made Marimba but fortunely Biatch Corp liked it so much that they made it the main track of the release.

Marimba (preview) by Bleepolar

Chiquita represents the path i have been discovering, a warmer fusion of electronic elements, synthesized drums and melodies with an ancient vibe deeply related with my Colombian roots.

I'd say the Chiquita EP is not just inspired by Colombian music or techno. For example in 'Venenosa' and 'Atarraya' there seem to be some echoes of Herbie Hancock's Headhunters sound. An 'electronic jungle' kinda atmosphere. Do you agree? Are there other influences as well?

As i told you before my influences come from everywhere. One of my first musical loves was Jazz (instead of Rock like all the kids of my age) then i discovered Funk, Soul and Disco to end up with House and Techno music. So i guess that through that journey i absorbed some of those sounds. Mr. Hancock was of course one of the many stops :)

Afro-Pacific rhythms and specially Currulao are one of my greatest discoveries recently. Even though they are Colombian by tradition they still have a lot of those african syncopated beats, hypnotic melodies and of course that wild jungle mood that makes them so special. So i feel kind of natural while i'm playing with them.

The sonic quality of the Chiquita EP is really very good. How did you achieve this big, fat, spacious, transparant sound?

Man you're really flattering me! ;) I made these songs to be played in front of a lot of smiling people. So in order to create that "big, fat, spacious" sound i took those elements i learned by producing House and Techno and put them into my own fusion.

You are both a musician and a graphic designer. For the Biatch Corp release you did both the music and the artwork. What is for you the biggest difference between designing a cover and programming a rhythm? Do you feel that the experience in one 'discipline' makes you more creative in the other? Or does it help to solve certain problems?

The biggest difference for me are of course the senses you use in the execution of graphic design or music production.

However there are moments when the synesthesia attacks and i start to think about the colour of a sound and vice versa. Graphic design helps me to strenghten my sound giving it a face. And music helps the pictures to flow in the head of those who listen.

When i'm 'creatively stuck' while creating a new image or a new song the other discipline is almost always the answer to solve the problem.

Could you tell us a little more about the artwork? Is it all done on a computer? Are these 'characters' like symbolic personifications of the music? Why the frogs in the Marimba drawing?? And what about the two dogs in the Salvaje drawing?

The artwork illustrations for Biatch Corp came a while after i finished the songs. I wanted to catch the feeling of each track and yet to have 4 related images. I use a mixture of both analog and digital techniques to achieve that final look.

Those frogs are actually Poison Dart frogs, one of the natural jewels of the Colombian pacific jungle as well as the Amazonas jungle. Colombia is the #1 country in the world for amphibians so again i wanted to link the whole thing with the wealth of my country.

I drew the two dogs in the "Salvaje" artwork following the fierce feeling of that minimal techno track. Every element is related somehow with the music.

Which blogs about graphic design or art do you like? Are you going to do video clips or something like that in the future?

One of the first things i do when i sit in front of the screen is to check Abduzeedo, FFFFound, Yayeveryday and many other design and illustration blogs. They are part of my breakfast as well as Soundcloud to complete the menu.

Talking about video clips, i already have one! Haha it's a little videomapping experiment based on Marimba

Mapping Marimba Visual from Tonner-v on Vimeo.

I'm gathering some friends to start producing them. Mainly to be shown live while the music sounds.

I like the way you use percussion samples very much. Do you have experience from playing hand drums or other percussion 'live'? Or do you only play drums with pencils and brushes? Or maybe you are a very clever programmer with a good sense of rhythm?

I studied drums for 4 years, as well as some latin percussion. I 'performed' live when i was a kid in the church gospel pop group ;) but once i discovered sequencers and production software i got obsessed with the detail you can achieve in every hit so i knew it was my thing. I'm always playing drums with my pencils or beatboxing. My sister calls me "Walking Drumset" cause i just can't stop doing it!

You are able to change styles without any problems. What is it you like about changing styles? Or is it more like a curse or some other personality disorder maybe?

I love all the genres in the so called Global Bass including Kuduro, Moombahton, Dubstep, Balkan etc. i would really like to try a fusion between them and Andean and prehispanic beats. Just need to find and create the proper material to do so.

I think that all that genre-changing is part of my style, i always want to surprise people, even if sometimes my sanity is at stake!

What's next?

I'm currently working on my live show, practicing the DJing a lot and trying to give it a solid concept. As i said before i'm gathering some talented friends to be part of it by projecting visuals and doing live performances. I would really like to create an experience that involves all the senses. They are some other house and techno releases coming as well as some other tropical project proposals.

I don't know if you heard of Sancocho e' Tigres (Tiger Soup) which is a Nu Cumbia collective created by a bunch of collegues including Caballo. Now as a collective we're working together with Subatomic Soundsystem. We expect to do great things together :)

R. Buckminster Fuller - crazy science in fine style

2011-06-21T23:32:00.009+09:00

R. Buckminster Fuller (a.k.a. Bucky a.k.a. the 20th century Leonardo Da Vinci) was an American environmentalist and an all round type of guy. He did mathematics, architecture, philosophy, engineering etc. In his scientific research Bucky was a bit eccentric, almost an artist.

He (re)discovered a remarkable deep principle of nature which he called the sixty degreeness of nature (as opposed to the average human designer's bias toward ninety degreeness). Put simply, Buckminster Fuller saw triangles everywhere he looked. He called it 'omnitriangulation'. Admittedly not a very attractive word but then again Bucky also coined 'synergy'.

This sixty degreeness is almost a principle of physics but not quite. Although it's based on solid geometry it's expression in nature is probably a bit too whimsical for it to be admitted into the realm of official physics. No big deal for Bucky because he really liked being unofficial.

But if it's right then it's right, so in a roundabout way Buckminster Fuller's work is now slowly entering 'official' science. In 1985 three chemists synthesized a new type of molecule that's structured like a football. Bucky’s theory had predicted these little balls. They were named buckminsterfullerenes (buckyballs) to honor Bucky and to promote his works among chemists. The buckyballs even won the 1996 Chemistry Nobel Prize.

The Jitterbug

More Jitterbug

Buckminster Fuller: Starting with the Universe - Whitney Museum

Check the Buckminster Fuller Institute for more crazy science.

Feeling the bass ~ and those other sounds as well

2011-06-15T19:13:00.005+09:00

Everybody knows that bass is a sound that's meant to be felt as well as heard. But how about this:

"About a year and a half after her stroke, a 36-year-old professor started to feel sounds. A radio announcer’s voice made her tingle. Background noise in a plane felt physically uncomfortable. [...]
Sophisticated imaging of the woman’s brain revealed that new links had grown between its auditory part, which processes sound, and the somatosensory region, which handles touch." Read more (Wired)

Synesthesia is a funny thing. More over here.

El Lissitzky & Kandinsky vs. Gamification

2011-06-15T18:49:00.006+09:00

How do you take abstract painting to the next level? Gamification! Proun is a strange racing game in a world of geometric objects and large coloured surfaces. You avoid obstacles by rotating around a cable in order to gain as much speed as possible. There is no up or down; there is only the cable to which you are attached.

The name 'Proun' is a reference to the work of El Lissitzky, and apparently Kandinsky's 'geometrical' or Bauhaus period has also inspired Joost van Dongen, who created the game.

Dutch readers can check out this NRC-article which is mainly about the 'arty' aspect of the game. You can actually play it at the Van Abbe Museum in Eindhoven, which has the largest collection of El Lissitzky paintings outside Russia. Coming up next: a pointillistic game based on the paintings of Raoul Dufy?? Anyway that's what it says in the NRC-article. Sounds promising.

Jukkin & jammin with Boomski

2011-06-12T21:26:00.003+09:00

Is this juke? Or even footwerk? We call it freestyle acid dubb because Dubbhism doesn't follow trends we set them. Here's some stuff Boomski did about a year ago.

Free tracks from Boomski's first album The Cult of the Sine Wave.

Tech talk ~ Manu Genius of Not Easy At All Productions

2011-05-31T19:52:00.024+09:00

Earl Sixteen's new album The Fittest is the latest release in a string of classy sounding reggae productions coming from Amsterdam's top producers M&M of Not Easy At All productions.

After successful collaborations with Jamaican legends like Apple Gabriel and new roots artists like Chezidek the Not Easy's have now forged a 'strategic alliance' with Vernon Maytone, linking them straight to the greatest roots voices of Jamaica.

Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, Manu & Marc are now the first name on the list for anyone who needs a professional sounding reggae production. Recently NEAA produced tracks for Maikal X, Benaïssa, Lenny 'Voice of Holland' Keylard and Def P to name just a few.

We talk to Manu Genius to find out more about the technical side of reggae and dub production.

Here's a picture of Earl Sixteen voicing riddims in your studio. Did you record all vocals in Amsterdam?

Well actually that's a pic of Earl in the Houston Studio in Arnhem, where Houston and Kenneth Linger (aka Benaïssa) take care of the extra backings and vocal production for JahSolidRock releases. Earl recorded the vocals for this album in the JamTone Studio in London where he works often and 'Sip A Cup' Gussie P was his voicing engineer. The pic was taken in Arnhem during a press-meeting and exclusive pre-listen session we organized together with Earl, Not Easy At All Productions and the JahSolidRock posse and of course we also recorded some dubplates.

Did Earl choose the riddims for the album? How did that work?

Yes Earl chose the riddims out of a big bunch we picked for him together with JahSolidRock and sent him more than a year ago, and also he sent us some ideas on which we built new riddims. That's what we always prefer, work together with an artist on tunes so that something new and original comes out of it.

About the choice of the riddims, we feel that the riddims fit Earl's voice, and Earl's voice fits our riddims likewise! Many riddims on this album are like 'Not Easy-classics' to us. Real good to have this legendary vocalist on these riddims which more-or-less completes the life-cycle of those riddims for us.

We'll always have lots of new riddims on new releases. Like the next release coming up: Vernon Maytone & Friends and the next JahSolidRock project we are working on. Expect loads of new stuff!

The showcase-style is quite rare nowadays. Why did you choose this form?

Ras Denco (CEO JahSolidRock Music) and we ourselves are big fans of this style or should we even call it a 'genre'? Dub and Showcase have always had a special place in my heart, i don't like it i love it!

Also we think in these times we need to stand out in one way or another, and for now we stick with the plan to just make the music we love to hear without compromise. So yes that means 'radio-friendly' mixes with full-blown dubversions stitched straight after the vocal-versions. Love it... More Dub!

Which producers (reggae or otherwise) have influenced the production style of Not Easy the most?

I would say King Tubby's, Prince Jammy's, Sly & Robbie (e.g. Ini Kamoze), Alex Sadkin (Marley), Mad Professor and I forget a few...

So when you dub a riddim it's usually not in a 'strictly drums & bass' style, but more like a radio friendly sound. How do you approach dubbing? In your digital studio the method is probably quite different from the oldskool 'on-the-fly' sessions that were often done in one take. And which M of M&M does the dubbing?

Yes, still working and improving on my own mixing- and dub-style, to answer your last question. But yes until a few months ago dubbing was done here with a mouse and 'magic trackpad'. What I always did from the first day working with Pro Tools is bussing. Using the advantages of the almost unlimited trackcount while keeping things simple by routing those tracks back in a few groups. I ran a few passes of the mix and first open let's say all the fx-sends on the drums, bass and 'chop' busses and place them so that you can quickly reach from your fader or mute-button to the fx-sends and back and so on. Pretty much the same as I used to do on analog mixers, only with one hand/finger at the time now.

The latest addition to the Dubshelter-gear is a Euphonix ethernet-controller which makes the dubbing suddenly a lot like in the old days if you use your routing and knobs to the max. Pretty much a 'must-have' for more intuitive mixing and less looking-at-the-screen. I am really happy I saved a little longer to buy myself a fast-responding and precise controller. It's no fun when a channel mutes a fraction of a second later. We don't want no latency there. Not that we are connected to Euphonix in any way, we just love stuff that works.

You use Pro Tools, what are your favorite plug-ins? Can you give examples of tracks where you used a certain plug-in for a certain (dub) effect?

My favourite and most-used plug is the Waves SSL-channel for sure. Never dreamt I would own a SSL-desk (laughs)! What a great sounding tool, also the bus-compressor out of the same bundle is amazing. I love the new AIR FX that you get free with Pro Tools. Two of my fav's out of that bundle are the talkbox and the vintage filter which I used on the horns in the Masterplan dub. Turn those knobs!

Also the technique of impulse-responses allows you to look for interesting impulses on the net and build your own sound on original or old-school sounding verbs and fx. Lots of good people sample their old gold-sounding-gear and put the pulses on the net for us all. Nice!

The 'Not Easy' sound is defined by the use of live instruments and high quality mixes. What is your idea about the use of analog equipment vs.digital? Is that 'issue' relevant or important to you?

I would say it's highly relevant, a lot of sound-improvement to be made there. But for me it's not digital vs analog but how to make those two work together flawless and good sounding. The thing is a complete analog setup to do the things we do now is beyond reach... imagine: we get in 80+ track recordings from bands sometimes. We would need like 96 high quality convertors and a really big analog desk that wouldn't even fit in the shelter. Besides that it's just a really big investment. Rack-gear, cabling etc. etc.

Right now we focus more on the quality of one channel strip, and mixing ITB and I have an audiophile stereo D/A-A/D path to insert analog gear if needed. Analog summing with an A-type summing mixer and A-type D/A-convertors is on the wish-list. Have to work some more hahaha!

But the benefits of mixing in the box, complete control and recall, moving faders, etc. etc. I couldn't do without anymore. It will probably always be a hybrid setup over here.

Besides your phallus, do you have another favorite piece of analog gear? Would you describe yourself as gearsluts? ;)

Yes, on the second place proudly resides our Avalon 747. A highly musical vacuum-tube EQ and compressor. And yes we are gearsluts, with the years we grew a little smarter so we think longer before we buy something. Do we really need it? Will it sound better? Do we have the money?

I think that if you can't get a proper sounding production with the gear we have, you should probably look for another hobby. But yes... you will need some proper stuff. Steady computer, monitors you can mix on, good sounding instruments and at least one good sounding mike. I like to think I have a small setup but I get frightened a little when I see what I bought and collected the last 25 years.. hahaha. I'm afraid it's not a cheap hobby.

Your albums are mastered in Hilversum by Peter Brussee from Q-Point. What do you get out of the mastering process?

Although we have lots of masterbuss-options in Pro Tools (besides the Avalon 747) that can make your mix really loud, we love what a professional mastering session can do for an album. Sometimes like in the case of the Chezidek album, the individual songs differ a lot (other drummer and bassplayer and studio) and mastering can bring those sounds closer together turning a collection of songs into an album. Peter has highly specialized gear and ears and we love to work with him.

We also do a lot of fine-tuning there, like get the bass solid, the high as crispy as possible without causing ear-bleeds etc. He knows what we want and when we return home we have a master that is loud enough to withstand the test on the radio with other (reggae)tunes yet not joining the ongoing loudness-war. And yes, it's a job, mastering-engineer!

Manu, you are a professional sound engineer. Do you have some advice for beginning laptop dubbers who want to improve the quality of their mixes?

First: train your ears and listen haha, but on a more serious note, the best advice I can give is put all plugs you don't use or don't know how to use in an unused-folder. Get to know one EQ and one compressor real good and pick only a few high quality FX, route them and put them in a template so you can recall them quick.

In other words: back to basics. You don't need all that stuff. Now that almost all plugs are available in the same way our releases are available (although you don't have to 'crack' our music to spread it freely) a lot of people have all plugs that are available and just don't know what to use because you have like 12 EQ's, twenty compressors etc. you'll never find the peace to get to know how to use them all.

I'm very confident that programs like Pro Tools, Cubase, Logic etc. come with enough free and legal plugs to get you going. When you have complete control over those and you need a step forward I would say buy something like the SSL-bundle. Most plugs are available for reasonable prices on Ebay and I assure you, when you saved money for a long time and pay a few hundred for a plug, you read the manual and will get at least 200% more sound and better vibes of this plug than someone who 'gets' it for free. Demo all things freely and buy the stuff when you use it and especially when you get some money from it. I might sound old now, I know, sorry bout that!

Another advice: get your head into routing/bussing. And don't be shy. Turn those knobs and listen to what happens!

Sick & tired of people complaining about the music business

2011-05-27T17:53:00.006+09:00

Today RA points out an article titled "How The Music Industry Is Killing Music And Blaming The Fans". Some music journalist complaining about musicians "having to pay the price" in the new business model that's shaped by internet technology. This guy warns us that the greed of the music industry "is causing substantial damage to the artistic process" and "even culture itself". Good music, and even democracy is now at stake. What a load of old rubbish..

Touring is exhausting, updating your website, twitter and facebook is exhausting and even licensing music to TV, film and commercials doesn't pay the bills: "So with music itself often available for free, the musician is reduced to little more than a merchandise broker. Records become just an advert and, consequently, either take longer to be written and recorded, or are otherwise made available without the attention and care that was once devoted to the process."

What is the guy who wrote this article really complaining about? Is he defending culture? Sorry, but that sounds ridiculous. My guess is that he's in denial about the real reasons he got into the music business in the first place, probably fame, sex, booze and money.

Musicians have more possibilities than ever to express themselves nowadays, with the aid of new technology. If you have something to say you can say it. Just don't expect to live the life of a seventies rock star. If that's a depressing thought, why not try your luck as a banker. Or if that's too capitalist for you, why not become famous in some non-musical way?

If you want to read something a bit more stimulating about the state of the music business and the effect on 'the artistic process' i'd recommend Everything popular is wrong: Making it in electronic music, despite democratization. This article is written by a musician, not a music journalist. At first it's a little depressing but he ends his story in a very positive way.

Female alligators want big bass

2011-05-26T19:03:00.005+09:00

Science News reports: amorous alligator males produce a 18 to 20 Hz sub bass rumble to seduce females. But that's not all. Hidden in this sound there's an even deeper bass at half the vibrational frequency, 9 to 10 hertz, producing Faraday waves.

"When a male alligator craves company, he issues a sound from his lungs that is too low to be heard. This infrasound causes him to vibrate violently and whips the water on his back into a froth of waves and leaping fountains.

Acoustician R. Glynn Holt of Boston University saw a video of this "water dance" and was reminded of physicist Michael Faraday. In 1831 Faraday discovered that liquid above a vibrating object sometimes forms surface waves that move up and down at half the speed of the vibrations.

"We think that the shape of their scutes helps them create these waves," said Moriarty. The shapes of some backs may make better waves for signaling mates, he speculates — possibly a kind of sexual selection."

More bass seduction: Subwoofers and the animal kingdom.

Out now: Marlon Asher & Leah Rosier ~ Amsterdam (Dubbhism Deluxe)

2011-05-25T15:27:00.010+09:00

"Hottest dancehall/dub princess Leah Rosier has joined Marlon Asher for an anthem coming from the east side of Amsterdam. Some epic win remixes" ~ Tropical Bass

Buy at Boomkat ~ Amazon ~ Zero'' ~ iTunes ~ Digital Tunes etc.

"Schöne Single auf einem soliden Riddim. Die Remixe sind klingen durchdacht und schaffen es, ganz andere Facetten des Songs 'Amsterdam' zu zeigen." ~ Oleejah

"Leah and Marlon Asher team up for the anthemic Amsterdam" ~ Reggaemani

The 'making of' Amsterdam

Last year Leah Rosier - the up & coming reggae diva from Amsterdam - wrote a tune titled Make A Nice Mix on the classic Ganja Farmer riddim, which was a worldwide hit tune for Marlon Asher. She sent her version to Marlon to ask for his permission to use it in public. Marlon liked what he heard, and pretty soon they started collaborating on a brand new tune, based on the world famous Kingdom riddim by Nick Fantastic.

When the tune was finished Leah contacted the Black Star Foundation agency to help her bring Marlon to Europe for a tour - and even a coffeeshop tour & video shoot in Amsterdam. The Dutch audience will be very pleased to know that in the Netherlands Marlon will be backed by The High Notes ~ defenders of original authentic Jamaican music!

Marlon Asher on facebook ~ official website
Leah Rosier on facebook ~ official website

Amsterdam - the remixes

Only a handful of producers know the secret recipe for fusing roots reggae and dubstep. Right now Emch of Subatomic Sound System is the undisputed iron chef. His Amsterdam remix combines the weirdest kind of bass with unusual depth in the rhythm, taking you on a psychedelic rootical dubstep trip. Strong stuff.
Subatomic Sound System on facebook

Bleepolar demonstrates the art of electronic cumbia. Dangerously efficient and highly addictive, this mix accentuates the exquisite rhythmic qualities of Leah's vocals. There's more than a hint of staccato oldskool hiphop styles in her delivery. From Bogota to New York to Zagreb ~ and even Amsterdam ~ this funky rhythmic nastiness is gonna do a lot of damage. Absolute killer.
Bleepolar on facebook

Egoless mixes his dubs with a finesse that's rarely heard. Whether oldskool or dubstep, analog or digital, computerized or live, the dub master from Zagreb always gives each and every track something special. More space, more life, more love, more dub, more music, less ego. Always in fine style. Dub for the future!
Egoless on facebook

Tony Dubshot (of Dubbhism) flips the script of Amsterdam, turning what started as an irie conscious, rootical tune into a fire-and-brimstone-bashment kinda ting. The soulfulness of Mr. Asher's voice is revealed to the fullest and Leah sounds much tougher than she has the right to. Old Testament style ~ free download.
Dubbhism Deluxe on facebook

Synth Britannia ~ the roots of British synth pop

2011-05-23T15:09:00.010+09:00

"The thing that pissed me off about punk was you had to learn 3 chords to be in a punk band. If you had a synthesizer all you had to do was press one key with a finger you know.."

Synth Britannia is a BBC documentary about - as Kraftwerk puts it "engineer-musicians instead of dancing boys on stage to arouse the girls". Loaded with fabulous DIY-futuristic synth stars from the 80's.

During the late 70's and early 80's the most experrymental synth musicians in the UK were probably Brian Eno ~ who isn't in this documentary ~ and Throbbing Gristle ~ who only get a few seconds ;)

Partitura automates Kandinsky's dubb teachings

2011-05-19T16:14:00.004+09:00

"Inspired by the studies of artists such as Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Oscar Fischinger and Norman McLaren, the images generated by Partitura are based on a precise and coherent system of relationships between various types of geometries."

This partitura showcase is a bit too precise maybe, a little more randomness wouldn't hurt, but still very good stuff.

Partitura 001 from Quayola on Vimeo.

And the winner is... Speakah Productions!!

2011-05-18T00:23:00.006+09:00

Ladies and gentlemen we have a winner in the Irie Remix Contest. Peter Speakah's remix of 'Irie' will be featured on Leah's forthcoming album. Here it is...

Leah Rosier - Irie ( Speakah Prod RMX ) by Speakah productions

The second prize is a special Dubbhism release of the remixes that the jury liked best - including a Speakah Productions mix:

Monolow - Steppadub Version

Caballo & Neki Stranac - Irie Turbulence Rmx

Digikal Roots - Irie Dubwise

Bruno Tanmateos - Gipsy Music Remix (Bagbipe edit)

The third prize is a shirt sponsored by Ragga Wear. The winners are:

Alionsonny
DuBoLoGy
Fred Injham
Good Over Evil Prod.
Pyro One

Congratulations all winners!

Irie remix contest ~ Leah announces winners on FB

2011-05-16T16:09:00.008+09:00

Tuesday (May 17th) Leah will announce the winners of the Irie Remix Contest on Facebook and Twitter.

One track will be featured on her forthcoming album. Five tracks will be released by Dubbhism (netlabel style). Five remixers win a shirt, 100% cotton style ~ sponsored by Ragga Wear.

More numbers: 45 tracks were submitted to the Irie Remix Contest Group on Soundcloud. The 3 judges (Leah and M&M of Not Easy At All Productions) listened for more than 24 hours. They had 1 disagreement but in the end the vote was unanimous.

leah rosier - irie by DUBBHISM

Bigga Judgement...

Di ganja farmer is coming to town

2011-05-07T21:25:00.015+09:00

Check out Marlon Asher & Leah Rosier in a brand new ting called 'Amsterdam'. Out on Dubbhism Deluxe May 25th ~ worlwide release.

Buy at Boomkat ~ Amazon ~ Zero'' ~ iTunes ~ Digital Tunes etc.

"Hottest dancehall/dub princess Leah Rosier has joined Marlon Asher for an anthem coming from the east side of Amsterdam. Some epic win remixes" ~ Tropical Bass

"Schöne Single auf einem soliden Riddim. Die Remixe sind klingen durchdacht und schaffen es, ganz andere Facetten des Songs 'Amsterdam' zu zeigen." ~ Oleejah

"Leah and Marlon Asher team up for the anthemic Amsterdam" ~ Reggaemani

The 'making of' Amsterdam

Last year Leah Rosier - the up & coming reggae diva from Amsterdam - wrote a tune titled Make A Nice Mix on the classic Ganja Farmer riddim, which was a worldwide hit tune for Marlon Asher. She sent her version to Marlon to ask for his permission to use it in public. Marlon liked what he heard, and pretty soon they started collaborating on a brand new tune, based on the world famous Kingdom riddim by Nick Fantastic.

When the tune was finished Leah contacted the Black Star Foundation agency to help her bring Marlon to Europe for a tour - and even a coffeeshop tour & video shoot in Amsterdam. The Dutch audience will be very pleased to know that in the Netherlands Marlon will be backed by The High Notes ~ defenders of original authentic Jamaican music!

Marlon Asher Tour in the Netherlands 2011 (more dates t.b.c.)

June 26 - Reggae in Duketown (Den Bosch) - band
July 3 - Future Reggae Ruigoord Festival (Amsterdam) - band
July 9 - Booom at the Redroom (Heerhugowaard) - soundsystem
July 16 - Zwarte Cross Festival (Lichtenvoorde) - band

Coffeeshop tour on 6/7/8/9 july.

Marlon Asher on facebook ~ Marlon Asher official website ~ Leah Rosier on facebook ~ Leah Rosier official website

Amsterdam - the remixes

Only a handful of producers know the secret recipe for fusing roots reggae and dubstep. Right now Emch of Subatomic Sound System is the undisputed iron chef. His Amsterdam remix combines the weirdest kind of bass with unusual depth in the rhythm, taking you on a psychedelic rootical dubstep trip. Strong stuff.
Subatomic Sound System on facebook

Bleepolar demonstrates the art of electronic cumbia. Dangerously efficient and highly addictive, this mix accentuates the exquisite rhythmic qualities of Leah's vocals. There's more than a hint of staccato oldskool hiphop styles in her delivery. From Bogota to New York to Zagreb ~ and even Amsterdam ~ this funky rhythmic nastiness is gonna do a lot of damage. Absolute killer.
Bleepolar on facebook

Egoless mixes his dubs with a finesse that's rarely heard. Whether oldskool or dubstep, analog or digital, computerized or live, the dub master from Zagreb always gives each and every track something special. More space, more life, more love, more dub, more music, less ego. Always in fine style. Dub for the future!
Egoless on facebook

Tony Dubshot (of Dubbhism) flips the script of Amsterdam, turning what started as an irie conscious, rootical tune into a fire-and-brimstone-bashment kinda ting. The soulfulness of Mr. Asher's voice is revealed to the fullest and Leah sounds much tougher than she has the right to. Old Testament style ~ free download.
Dubbhism Deluxe on facebook

An Eyeful of Sound

2011-04-23T20:28:00.001+09:00

Synaesthetic people don't need video clips or visuals they just use their brains.

Out now: I-lodica ~ Separation = Illusion (Dubbhism Deluxe)

2011-04-18T15:04:00.006+09:00

Buy at Juno ~ Boomkat ~ Beatport ~ Amazon ~ Zero'' etc.

"I-lodica blazes on Separation is Illusion" ~ Reggaemani

"A fine blend of dub roots and melodica" ~ Tropical Bass

Separation = Illusion

December 2010, it was the coldest day of the year. I-lodica was travelling from Brighton (UK) to Leiden (NL). The ferry hit mainland at 7:00 in the morning in a distant town. With zero euro in his pockets, Dave nevertheless managed to get to Leiden in just a few hours. A recording session was scheduled at 14:00 local time. Too ambitious. It took I-lodica the rest of the day to reach Tony Dubshot's studio, just a few kilometers from Leiden central on the edge of town. Public transport was virtually knocked out because of the heavy snowfall. After a day of busking Dave finally found a bus that took him in the right direction, south of the river Rhine. When he arrived at Dubshot's place, I-lodica wasted no time. Blazing up the fire in the studio, he laid down these 5 tracks in about an hour, one take style.

I-lodica ~ The Facts

The player of the instrument had a melodica round the age of 5 and proceeded to rip off the Muppet Show with his first compositions. Then after a break of maybe 15 years, a friend passed him a beat up Hohner and the thing played itself. He was given this melodica, and on closer inspection found cleverly crafted chord sequences and melodies being beamed straight into it, way beyond the capabilities of the man holding the instrument. Sequences, he found, that lead the listener to the place where they originate. The man thereby dedicated his life to following the road where the sound takes it. The Dubshot port of call leaves the player, name of I-lodica, well pleased.

I-lodica on Facebook

Xenharmonic tutorial ~ harmonic exploration made easy

2011-04-15T22:18:00.011+09:00

This tutorial is for computer musicians who’d like to experiment with harmony. If you don’t know anything about music theory that’s ok, but you should probably have some basic sense of harmony. Another thing you’ll need is a suitable synthesizer.

The FMTS VSTi is highly recommended but you can also use some of these instruments. Look for VSTi synths that can load .tun files like LinPlug synths, but avoid the free ZynAddSubFX VSTi (too buggy and a very unpleasant name).

‘Xenharmonic’ means ‘strange harmony’. Something you’re not used to. That doesn’t mean xenharmonic music is less harmonic or off key. It’s just different and unusual, and it's fresh and a lot of fun.

HANERU by knowsur

OUCHI by knowsur

Tune up with these free tracks from Knowsur's album Nana Wodori.

Harmony basics: the octave

Just like you can’t have a proper tree without roots, you can’t really have musical harmony without the octave. The famous dub scientist Pythagoras (ancient Greece) is often credited with the ‘discovery’ of the musical octave.

According to this story Pythagoras found that if you play two strings on a guitar-like instrument, one twice as long as the other, the pitch produced by the short string is twice as high.

That’s not all: Pythagoras also noted that if you play these strings at the same time, the sounds tend to fuse and they can even sound like one single tone.

Here’s how you play octaves on a midi keyboard: look at the pattern of the black and white keys and notice the ‘groups’ of twelve keys

If you play any note in this 12-key pattern and play ‘the same one’ in a pattern next to it you’re playing an octave. Now try this: play a key right next to the octave key and notice how the sound doesn’t fuse as well. Also note that depending on the type of sound you’re playing this ‘refusal to fuse’ can be subtle or obvious.

HINT: if you don’t notice these differences you’re probably tone deaf. That’s ok, other people are colorblind. Why not try painting?

10 fingers, 12 keys?

Why is the octave divided in 12 equal steps? There’s a long, complex, technical explanation for that, so let's stay with the short answer: blame Pythagoras, the ancient Greek.

When Pythagoras discovered the octave, he was playing around with ancient string-instruments and flutes and as a true dub scientist he would also muse a lot about eternal cosmic harmony and how this relates to musical laws and octaves.

Pythagoras was also a mathematician and he did some calculations which produced a very ‘scientific’ but still somewhat idealistic theory of musical/cosmic harmony. This theory then paved the way for the design of musical instruments we still have today like the piano, the guitar and so on. All of these instruments divide the octave in a grid of 12 steps. Why 12? Put simply: because it sounds good.

But… (very important but) just because this 12-step grid sounds good that doesn’t mean it’s the only harmonic grid that sounds good. And another thing: there’s a group of instruments that sound like sh%t if you play them in a 12-step grid, but these same instruments actually sound good if you play them using other harmonic grids.

An example of instruments that ‘want to be played’ in a different harmonic grid would be bells, like church bells. The gamelan, which has all kinds of bell-like metal instruments in various sizes and shapes is also tuned differently.

Getting xenharmonic with keyboards

If you check out Indonesian gamelan tunings you find that there’s a tendency to divide the octave in a grid of either 5 of 7 ~ more or less equal ~ steps. This means that compared to a western instrument, a gamelan is tuned in a completely different way.

An imaginary gamelan keyboard might look like this:

Note that 'between the dots' a whole octave is being covered! Think about it for a moment. If you understand this principle you can start to think about making music with it. To get a better idea of what happens if an octave is divided into 5 or 7 equal steps, look at the 'infographic' below.

What you should get from this graph is that the actual frequencies you work with are different. Look at an 'x' and notice that the harmonic grids/frequencies are almost the same in this region, but not exactly. That's the basic idea of xenharmonic music. You change the grid, or the tuning if you like. Why not try for yourself? Here’s how you change the harmonic grid of a synthesizer like the FMTS.

Midi keyboards vs. sample players and drum computers

Most musicians have no use for keyboards with a different layout of the keys, like maybe a 5-key or a 7-key pattern, so they're not produced commercially, but the basic idea isn't that strange.

Before samplers, most musicians preferred to compose their music using lots of ‘pitchy’ sounds like piano, guitar, flute, sax etc. That’s one of the reasons why the traditional piano-style midi keyboard is still popular. But with a midi keyboard you can trigger both ‘pitchy’ sounds and ‘noisy’ sounds like percussion, loops and fx.

Playing a midi keyboard makes a lot of sense if you’re triggering harmonic sounds that have a clear pitch and tend to fuse together harmonically into octaves and other harmonic combinations (chords). But for noisy sounds the 12-key pattern isn’t great. That’s why drum computers and sample players have pads and a different layout.

Using sounds that fit into the grid

A sine wave is a very simple sound. Why? Because it has no partials or overtones. Most other sounds do have overtones. The overtones of a sound are important for the character or timbre of a sound; the fundamental tone of a sound is more important for the pitch. Here's an interesting fact:

The overtones of a bell-like sound fit relatively well into a harmonic grid that divides the octave in 5 or 7 equal parts. Guitars, trumpets and piano's on the other hand fit relatively well into a harmonic grid that divides the octave in 12 equal parts.

tony dubshot - brrap brrrap by DUBBHISM

You want proof? Listen to this track and notice how the chords sound half piano/half bell. This tune was written in 7-tet (7 tone equal temperament, the octave divided in 7 equal parts) and all harmonic sounds, including the bass, were made using the FMTS VSTi synth. Why? because the FMTS makes it very easy to create patches that sound good in any specific harmonic grid - at least if you're comfortable with FM. (If not, try this FM Synthesis tutorial.)

The clip below shows the basics of xenharmonic composing with the FMTS synth in three simple steps. If you're ready to start playing around with tunings (in this case 7-tet) this is how you do it:

1. set the overall tuning to 7-tet
2. optimize the synthesis engine for 7-tet
3. create a patch that will (automagically) sound good in 7-tet

A great thing about the FMTS synth is that it allows you to store both the tuning and the sound in one patch, making it very easy to experryment with various tunings and timbres. If you want to create a track with multiple timbres you'll have to load them as separate FMTS channels in your sequencer host because the synth is not multi-timbral. But on the positive side the FMTS is free (and bugfree).

More xenharmonics

Xenharmonic music isn't just about dividing the octave in 7 equal parts, it's really about changing the harmonic grid in any way you want. Some musicians, and even scientists, have come up with some pretty amazing tunings, but this stuff can also be very theoretical and 'challenging'. If you're new to harmonic experrymentation it's best to start with the simple stuff, like dividing the octave in a certain number of equal steps (which is great for easy transposing).

If you want to learn more there are plenty of resources, try Googling xenharmonic tuning. If you want to know more about the relations between tuning and timbre check out Bill Sethares' website. Finally here's some music by Jacky Ligon, who is also the designer of the FMTS synth. And don't forget to check out Split Notes, the netlabel run by the very talented Sevish and dedicated to xenharmonic music.

Jacky Ligon - Other Time by Xen-Arts

DIY mastering for dubbers

2011-04-14T17:40:00.011+09:00

These short mastering tutorials by Dubspot are very clear and to the point. The workflow and the suggested control settings for the combination of iZotope Ozone 4 plugin and Ableton host in part 1 should translate well to other hosts & plugins. Watching these videos won't turn you into you a skilled mastering engineer overnight but it's a good introduction to low budget mastering.

Extra basshead bonus!! Here are some 'dubstep' bass tutorials also produced by Dubspot, not really crucial IMHO but hey... it's free, and you might learn something.

Finally, here's Scientist answering the deep philosophical question "what is dub?" for the good people at Dubspot :)

I-lodica getting wikkider

2011-04-08T20:09:00.003+09:00

5-track EP by I-lodica forthcoming on Dubbhism Deluxe on april 18th.

Dubb I-lodica ~ Separation = Illusion (forthcoming on Dubbhism Deluxe april 18th) by DUBBHISM

The robotification of musical taste

2011-04-07T18:52:00.008+09:00

James Murphy was the big man behind the recently discontinued LCD Soundsystem. In case you've never heard of him, he's like the David Byrne for the post-whatever generation. It's a pleasure to hear him talk about music. This interview (2006) by m ss ng p eces is totally up to the minute.

What Murphy says about the robotification of musical taste makes a lot of sense. What he says about atonal music and 'musique concrete' doesn't make sense at all ~ but that's ok. On his shirt you see the album cover of Future Days by Can.

Chrissy Murderbot makes footwork sound good

2011-04-05T21:01:00.001+09:00

This has to be my favorite footwork release by Planet Mu to date. Chrissy Murderbot adds a fat sound, a sleng teng sample, and wicked vocals by MC Zulu. Maximum vibes.. LP is coming april 9th

Chrissy Murderbot - "Bussin' Down" EP (ZIQ293) by chrissymurderbot

Out now: Leah Rosier ~ The Real Leah (Dubbhism Deluxe)

2011-04-01T20:58:00.010+09:00

Buy at Juno ~ Boomkat ~ Beatport ~ iTunes ~ Zero'' ~ Amazon ~ DJDownload ~ 7Digital

"Her singing is relaxed and suits the bouncy, electronic backing on tunes such as the Sleng Teng inspired Teng Jam very well." ~ Reggaemani

"One of the hottest girls in the dub/roots/dancehall scene!" ~ Tropical Bass

"In einem Genre, das zum großen Teil von Männern dominiert wird, zeigt Leah ihre gesanglichen Qualitäten, die viele alteingesessene Reggae-Sänger alt aussehen lässt" ~ Oleejah

2011 is going to be a big year for Leah and this EP is just the beginning. Right now top producers from all over the planet (New York, Bogota, Zagreb, Leiden) are working on remixes for one of Leah's biggest tunes to date. The single, featuring a reggae top celebrity on guest vocals, will be released as soon as the temperature has risen to a summer kinda level in Amsterdam.

Leah Rosier ~ The facts

Some people are natural born singers and Leah Rosier is one of them. Most babies cry, but not little Leah. She would sing strange, otherworldy tunes even in her cradle. Born in Amsterdam, she started picking up reggae vibes and playing the piano and guitar at the age of 12. No Doubt and Sublime were her first musical heroes but she got into roots reggae soon after that.

Travelling around the world as a young model, reggae music was her musical vitamine R. She wrote lots of tunes, played in a few bands, until finally in 2010 she decided to go for it and become a reggae singer, spreading love and irie vibes. The EP 'The Real Leah' is her first official release. An album is planned later in 2011.

Official website ~ Leah on Facebook

Irie Remix Contest

Leah gets lots of requests for collabs and that's why we've decided to do an i-ficial remix contest. Your remix of Irie might end up on Leah's forthcoming album! Or it might be released on Dubbhism and you can win a very irie t-shirt :-)

Irie Remix Contest

Noah's Ark ~ just another boat or hi tech alien spaceship?

2011-04-01T19:46:00.013+09:00

Dub research isn't just about music: there's also a scientific and even a spiritual aspect. Nowadays the spiritual side of dub is all but forgotten by dub scientists, and that's why Dubbhism is launching a new research program, fusing rigorous dub science and old time religion (RIDUSCOTR).

Today, we are proud to present the first results of a very special dub science project. After years of bible research, rigorous testing in the lab and some field research on various mediterranean beaches we are ready to reveal the final secret of Noah's Ark.

Was Noah's Ark really a 'Leidsche Fles'?

For centuries there has been speculation about the true nature of Noah's ark. Was it just another wooden boat with lots of animals on board? Or is it a cleverly disguised story (creation myth) about the beginning of life on earth, suggesting that all of this really happened with a little help from alien friends and their spaceship technology?

Here are some facts from the bible: the ark was made of acacia wood (sittim) and both the inside and outside were covered with gold. Every physicist can tell you that the use of gold actually turns the ark into a Leidsche Fles (Leyden jar). Therefore the ship was actually a very deadly machine, and the bible says so too.

There are many deadly accidents (Lev. 16: 2). The sons of Aäron, Nadab en Abihu were killed by a big fire (Lev. 10:1-2). Also Uza tries to stop the ark and dies (2 Sam. 6:6-11; 1 Kron. 13:9-14) and many more were killed while looking at the ark.

But there's more. The Levites faced major technical problems when they tried to handle the ark with metal objects as "the fire had a destructive power". (Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews, III 228-229). Also, it's a well known fact that electro-static objects sometimes produce a humming sound. The bible also mentions this (Ex. 23: 28).

Extremely high voltages

New calculations prove that the ark could produce voltages of well over 500.000 volt. That's a LOT more than Peter Tompkins claims in Secrets of the Great Pyramid [1971] p. 278. But under the right circumstances (thunderstorm!!) the voltage could be much higher still, as was proven very clearly by Nicola Tesla in 1881 (John J. O'Neill, Prodigal Genius, 1944, 91ev; Kenneth M. Swezey, Science [May 16, 1958]). Again, this shows that Noah's ark was in fact (at least potentially) a deadly and hi tech weapon of mass destruction.

Was Noah's ark an alien spaceship?

Now we can finally turn our attention to the real question: how can we explain the use of this extremely advanced technology in the times of Noah? After all the Leyden jar was (re)invented independently by German cleric Ewald Georg von Kleist on 11 October 1744 and by Dutch scientist Pieter van Musschenbroek of Leiden (Leyden) in 1745–1746! The answer is obvious if you interpret the story of Noah's ark as a kind of creation myth.

First of all the Ark is obviously a reference to a golden spaceship. Second, it has the function of preserving life and defending it against the forces of evil. That's why it has enormous destructive power. And we have to remember that around the same time even the Egyptians already had lightbulb technology, as this picture clearly shows:

Combining all of the evidence we have collected and presented here, we conclude that Noah was in fact a hi tech alien from outer space who helped to preserve life on earth with his golden spaceship.

So now we have some new questions: why has this story never been told? Who is trying to keep us in the dark? Why have the Egyptians never told anyone about their lightbulb technology? These are all important questions but watch out, the real answers might shock you! Stay tuned for more RIDUSCOTR research.

Vampires & Informers ~ I want moooore blooood

2011-04-01T16:27:00.004+09:00

Subatomic Sound (NYC) is teaming up with People’s Records (Kingston, JA) for a series of releases bringing together top Jamaican artists with top electronic producers worldwide. Elephant Man's “Vampires & Informers” is the kick-off.

Originally released in november 2010 this one has been very succesfull and that's why Subatomic Sound are back for more blood already. This time on 12'' vinyl and adding new digital remixes.

Emch Subatomic says: "the digital re-up adds a techno dub from David Last, left field madness from Taal Mala, and an absolute smashing jungle mix from Liondub getting big support from DJ Hype, Benny Page, Marcus Visionary, RuffStuff, and Bladerunner."

Here's the whole set including a free download.

Soundcloud dub discovery ~ Spring Reverb Museum

2011-04-01T15:16:00.005+09:00

Japanese dub artist Mitsuki (Tokyo) has posted some very nice vintage dubs on Soundcloud recently. Most of them are free downloads. Some classic 80's lovers rock in dub, some Mad Professor and also a few well known riddims like Hot Milk and Queen of the Minstrel. Check it out if you're into vintage dub sounds.

Over here at Dubbhism we are totally in love with the sound of oldskool spring reverb. If you don't know what that is check out the Spring Reverb Museum and find out for yourself. There's lots of technical info and sound examples. And if you're a laptop rocker in need of good spring reverb sounds (IR) check this.

Brain scientist thinks he's on to something

2011-03-25T23:16:00.003+09:00

The behavioral neuroscientist Daniel Levitin, author of This Is Your Brain on Music claims he can quantify expression and emotion in music: "This is an important first step towards using real music and bringing it into the laboratory and combining rigorous scientific methods with the more expressive and artistic aspects of music"

What a load of old rubbish :-)

Happy birthday Lee 'Scratch' Perry!!!

2011-03-21T00:19:00.007+09:00

Special request to all Lee Perry fans! Here's I-lodica's version of the Lee Perry classic Soul Fiya. It's a free one, because today the greatest reggae musician in the nekked universe celebrates his 75th birthday. His soul fiya will burn iternally but we give thanks for such a blessing.

i-lodica - melodica on fiya by DUBBHISM

Play Music Selecta ~ Mungo's Hi Fi strike again

2011-03-18T00:17:00.004+09:00

Nobody can mix up reggae and dubstep like the original bass loving crew from Glasgow, Mungo's Hi Fi. They make it work, serious business, no hype. Two new Scotch Bonnet 12"s coming 4th of april.

This brand new riddim features lots of great veterans, like the late Sugar Minott (must be one of his last tracks?) Lady Ann, Little John and even Jah Thomas. Every track is well above average and my personal favorite is probably Little John but that's only because I like his voice so much. And the bass is simply delicious ~ Banger!!

Play music selecta by mungoshifi

Lee 'Scratch' Perry's 75th birthday ~ Dubbhism celebrates with a likkle gift

2011-03-15T18:28:00.005+09:00

Hey kids... next sunday the 20th of March the maddest man in the universe & most high musician on the planet ~ Mr. Lee 'Scratch' Perry ~ will celebrate his 75th birthday!! Dubbhism also celebrates this major cosmic event with a likkle gift for all you original Lee Perry fans ~ some nasty dirty dub inna Black Ark stylee ~ stay tuned..

Irie Remix Contest

2011-03-14T20:28:00.008+09:00

Yes people!! Time to get busy!!! Remix Leah's choon Irie and if it's really good it might end up on her forthcoming album! Or it might be released on Dubbhism and you'll even win an Irie t-shirt (thank you very much Ragga-Wear Clothing)

How to enter the Irie Remix Contest

Step 1 download the acapella below (click the little arrow on the right). The original tempo of the track is 81 bpm

Step 2 create a remix in any style or tempo you like and remember to submit it before the 9th of May

Hint: if you really want your track to be on Leah's album you can't use any copyrighted material!

Step 3 ok, you're absolutely sure your remix is finished. Now put [Irie Remix Contest] in the title of the track and submit it by sending it to the Irie Remix Contest-group below on Soundcloud. This group is moderated. This means that the track will not appear in the player immediately. Don't worry :) And please don't upload your Irie remix anywhere but the Soundcloud page devoted to it, thanx!

Irie Remix Contest

By the way you can send your track to this Soundcloud group by 'joining' it (if you already use Soundcloud) or you can use the dropbox below if you don't use Soundcloud and don't want to start now :)

Irie Remix Contest
Hint: if you have a free Soundcloud account you can send your track to only one group so send it to the Irie Remix Contest-group only!

Step 4: you wait for the Bigga Judgement. We have some very strict judges, like Leah..

.. and celebrity producers M&M of Not Easy At All. You'll have to come original if you wanna impress these veterans in the biznis..

If a track gets a lot of positive feedback on Soundcloud that might have a positive influence but in the end these judges will decide and the results will be announced on the 17th of May. The winners will be published on the Dubbhism blog and on this page, so you might want to bookmark it.

Hint: if you use the dropbox to submit your track you'll have to give us an e-mail address so we can contact you if you win. Send your details to dubbhism@xs4all.nl and put [Irie Remix Contest] in the subject. If you don't send an e-mail we'll get in touch via Soundcloud

Good luck! Stay Irie!

Sneak preview ~ I-lodica bends the rules of dubb

2011-03-10T22:04:00.005+09:00

Soon come on Dubbhism Deluxe ~ melodica sounds 2 make u stagger. A 5-track EP all about bending the rules of dubb, yuh dun know it's the original melodica maestro straight outta Brighton UK.

dubb i-lodica - cold feet by DUBBHISM

Leah Rosier's EP 'The Real Leah' out on Dubbhism Deluxe April 1st

2011-03-10T20:19:00.011+09:00

Leah Rosier is the new star of Dubbhism Deluxe. Her first official release 'The Real Leah' will be available on April 1st. Serious ting!

Leah Rosier - The Real Leah EP by DUBBHISM

Leah Rosier ~ The facts

Some people are natural born singers and Leah Rosier is one of them. Most babies cry, but not little Leah. She would sing strange, otherworldy tunes even in her cradle. Born in Amsterdam, she started picking up reggae vibes and playing the piano and guitar at the age of 12. No Doubt and Sublime were her first musical heroes but she got into roots reggae soon after that.

Travelling around the world as a young model, reggae music was her musical vitamine R. She wrote lots of tunes, played in a few bands, until finally in 2010 she decided to go for it and become a reggae singer, spreading love and irie vibes. The EP 'The Real Leah' is her first official release. An album is planned later in 2011.

Official website ~ Leah on Facebook

Irie Remix Contest

Leah gets lots of requests for collabs and that's why we've decided to do an i-ficial remix contest. Your remix of Irie might end up on Leah's forthcoming album! Or it might be released on Dubbhism. Or you can win a very Irie t-shirt.

Free download

Indameantime grab Tony Dubshot's Nasty Dub 4 free

leah rosier - irie (nasty dub) by DUBBHISM

Just say NO!! to 3D glasses ~ a Hypercubist Manifesto and the Imperfection of Illusion

2011-03-05T17:32:00.014+09:00

Hey Hollywood... 3D glasses can't work. We don't want a headache, we want holography and we want it NOW!! Read more about 3D’s technical shortcomings and Neo-Rococo aesthetics in A Non-Luddite Plea for the Imperfection of Illusion.

"3D is an illusion that reminds you that it’s an illusion. 2D film, too, invokes forced-perspective, but that perspective can shift, and your brain is able to constantly reinterpret it against relative markers, because it’s drawing the 3D conception of space off a 2D plane. Ask, oh, centuries of perspective painting about that."

Alan Parsons: Art & Science Of Sound Recording ~ Instructional Videos

2011-02-26T16:54:00.003+09:00

Although i'm no Alan Parsons fan i have to admit he knows how to mix a tune. Art & Science Of Sound Recording is a set of instructional videos covering all things studio. There are 24 video talks (10 hours) available in three forms: web-based streaming (at $1.99 each); downloadable MP4 files (at $4.99 each); and a DVD box set.

Topics include acoustics, mics, consoles, control surfaces and computer DAWs. There's theory about EQ, dynamics, delays, reverb and an hour’s coverage of full-band tracking approaches and vocal recording techniques. Recording on location and at gigs is also included and there's a section on studio etiquette, session troubleshooting, and disaster management. Alan Parsons is very pre-iPad so expect lots of quotes form celebrities you've never heard of.

The good thing about Art & Science Of Sound Recording is that you get the whole story of sound recording and mixing, from the perspective of one guy. This helps to get a coherent picture.

Here's what SOS had to say.

Xenharmonic Bass ~ hi tech dubs from another time by Jacky Ligon

2011-02-19T20:51:00.011+09:00

Jacky Ligon is a true dub scientist in many ways. Not only does he program his own instruments, he also loves to experryment with musical time, space and timbre~harmony. And of course his sound is dominated by bass and drums ~ at least it is his latest release, an EP titled Other Time. Jacky came up with 'Xenharmonic Bass' as a label for this release, and that describes the music accurately.

"But what if musicians and composers were to begin to challenge our expectations and ways of listening by changing these fundamental parameters of meter and pitch, through incorporating rhythmic structures which are not always in multiples of two, and by the use of microtonal and xenharmonic intonation systems?"

Ligon's dub style reminds me of abstract art. It's deep, beautiful and at the same time there's a thing i'd call emptyness. Not as in 'shallow' but as in 'mysterious'. The Other Time release takes the concepts that were presented on the Crack My Pitch Up sampler (Split Notes 2010) and reshuffles them a bit. The result is very dubby, quite electronic but most of all organic, while at the same time Jacky's music is as precise as his programming. What a combination!

Jacky Ligon | Other Time (Xen-Arts XA-001 2011) by Xen-Arts

PS: as part of a masterplan to become the world-dominating force in Xenharmonic Bass music, Jacky Ligon's Xen-Arts label is expected to team up with Split Notes and Dubbhism later this year for the release of an album that mixes up the styles of these xen-lovin' labels.

Bruce Lee's lost interview ~ the Mandarin Superstar talks!

2011-02-19T18:17:00.010+09:00

"All types of knowledge ultimately mean self-knowledge."

"Style is a crystallization, a process of continuing growth."

This is as yin yang as it gets. It's the Pierre Berton Show coming from Hong Kong. Bruce Lee’s only existing 'lost' television interview (1971). Now available at the Internet Archive.

Joe Power vs. Unforeseen Circumstances

2011-02-16T18:45:00.000+09:00

Joe Power (a.k.a. The Man Who Sees Dead People) is a psychic/medium. According to his website Joe's psychic ability includes "mind-boggling visions, out-of-body travels, auras, premonitions and a motley array of constant spirit visitors. He possesses the full array of psychic skills including clairvoyance, clairaudience and clairsentience."

Scientist mixes The Upsetters ~ live dub session

2011-02-15T20:26:00.001+09:00

"Ready Scotty let's try a nex one.." Dub maestro Scientist meets the Upsetters in a studio in London. Also some live vibes & live dub session @ Fabric.

The amazing invisible guitar, harp, violin etc.

2011-02-14T16:22:00.002+09:00

Wiimotes and Kinects are used to create new musical user interfaces. Here are some of the invisible instruments that were shown ~ kinda ~ at the New York Music Hack Day (via Peter Kirn/CDM)

Stringer (Quick demo at Music Hackday) from Alexander Chen on Vimeo.

Out now: ISM/DUBBHISM ~ Vintage Dubbs Vol. 2

2011-02-11T21:27:00.013+09:00

The redub-edition of the 'Vintage Dubbs' series features 15 tracks by some of the finest artists in the international dub/dubstep scene today. Tony Dubshot adds the analog sauce and vintage fx.

"Instead of expanding the meaning of “dub” with his eclectic mad-hatter approach Dubbhism (a.k.a. Tony Dubshot) made it something completely new by adding another letter ‘b’."
Generation Bass

TRACKLIST

01 Radikal Guru - Warriorz dub (no fear redub)
02 Manudub - Strength of Jah (devil dead redub)
03 Marcus Hillman - Cool operator (superconductive redub)
04 Lion of Joppa Sound System - 3 Little dub birds (twigs & seeds redub)
05 3re - Unknown bounce (anonymous redub)
06 Sevish - Islands (panharmonic redub)
07 Hypno - Hubbledub (purple microscope redub)
08 Subatomic Soundsystem ft. Rhiannon - Rize up (angular momentum redub)
09 Don Froth - Taxi (noisy redub)
10 L.Drift & Kosine - Differential pressure (hot air redub)
11 Process Rebel - Step specialist (barefoot redub)
12 Ku bo - Tsu bo (walk and skank mix)
13 Baby Arm Sound System - Monkey flower dub (flowery twats redub)
14 Dub for Light - Beyond (good ol' funky redub)
15 Jah Billah - Dutchie (homegrown redub)

DOWNLOAD: DUBBHISM128-010 Vintage Dubbs Vol. 2.rar

If you need hi res files check this

Vintage Dubbs Vol.2 (Dubbhism release) by DUBBHISM

Forthcoming on Dubbhism Deluxe ~ Leah Rosier's EP 'The Real Leah'

2011-02-10T01:50:00.010+09:00

2011 is a big year for Leah Rosier. The unstoppable reggae diva from Amsterdam (NL) is doing gigs, recording lots of tracks and writing new material as we speak. Both a singer and a multi-instrumentalist, she has created her own unique reggae flavor. Every day new fans from all over the globe are tuning in, craving for her irie sounds.

So of course Dubbhism is very proud to announce the forthcoming release of 'The Real Leah' EP next april. But that's just the beginning. Right now top producers from all over the planet (New York, Bogota, Zagreb, Leiden) are working on remixes for one of Leah's biggest tunes to date. The single, featuring a big reggae celebrity on guest vocals, will be released as soon as the temperature has risen to a summer kinda level in Amsterdam.

Leah's main ingredients include conscious lyrics, an irie vibe, warm sexy vocals, tailor-made classic riddims and a hard hitting sound that fuses both roots reggae and dancehall styles. And Miss Rosier happens to be a professional model as well (the girl can't help it.. ) so we're expecting some awesome artwork to go with those irie beats. Here at Dubbhism we're pretty confident that Leah is ready fi conquer, while making Dutch reggae look better than ever.

Official website
Check Leah @ Facebook

The 'Music Industry' in 5 blogs

2011-02-08T21:01:00.002+09:00

The Music Industry Report ~ The latest news, tips, and advice columns for the global music community

The Lefsetz Letter ~ Famous for being beholden to no one and speaking the truth

Hypebot ~ Music, technology, the new music business

Music Ally ~ Digital music business information and strategy company

Wayne's World ~ Smart, entertaining and provocative commentary on happenings in the digital music and record industries

How bass works ~ fundamental bassology

2011-02-04T03:21:00.001+09:00

Questions about Egypt uprising? Ask Mona Eltahawy

2011-01-30T17:20:00.021+09:00

While politicians are talking about 'the return of stability' and so on, Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) explains what's really going on in Egypt right now. Here's what she wrote in the Guardian yesterday: We've waited for this revolution for years. Other despots should quail

Mona stresses the importance of internet and especially social media for Egyptians. Unsurprisingly, the Egyptian regime made sure that internet access was cut off. Also Vodafone say the company was "obligated" to shut down it's network. So right now Egypt can't even communicate via cell phones. Again, that's probably for the sake of stability. Check out Vodafone Global Boycot and Protest on Facebook. The Egyptian regime (itself offline) is also trying to silence Aljazeera.

Calling all techies!!

Create a Tor relay (works best on Linux, OS X Tiger or later, FreeBSD 5.x+, NetBSD 5.x+, and Windows Server 2003 or later).

A note from Tor:

"We urge all people in Egypt to consider that any ISP may log data and depending on political outcomes, it may not be favorable to have easy to trace records of your online activities."

Disruptive hashtag of the day: #Tunisami

More internet-related news:

Recent events in Egypt (Tor Project)
Spotlight Again Falls on Web Tools and Change (New York Times)
Egypt not trending in China (Aljazeera)
As Egypt Erupts, Al Jazeera Offers Its News for Free to Other Networks (Wired)
Tunisia Internet Chief Gives Inside Look at Cyber Uprising (Wired)
How Was Egypt's Internet Access Shut Off? (Scientific American)

Street art ~ 3D sidewalk chalk

2011-01-29T19:40:00.002+09:00

Nowadays everybody can be a 'Pavement Picasso' with Crayola 3D Sidewalk Chalk but you'll need those stupid glasses to see the effect. Julian Beever is a chalk artist from the UK who creates pretty amazing 3D optical illusions using nothing but plain oldskool chalk.

Bits & Pieces

2011-01-29T17:36:00.012+09:00

Photoshop contest: Next great hair style for Julian Assange

Animated thoughts on creativity ~ part 2 over here

I really like oldskool Funkadelic footage

I really don't like MOMA curators

Are these gadget guys for real??

Pet gadget report

T-shirt of the week

Spray like an Egyptian

Spot the differences

Visually interesting blogs by designers and so on

Miss Moss
Co.Design (Fast Company)
If Charlie Parker Was a Gunslinger, There'd Be a Whole Lot of Dead Copycats

Music visualization in fine style

2011-01-28T06:31:00.007+09:00

Michal Levy is a synesthetically sensitive animator/visual artist/jazz musician from Israel. She visualizes music in a Kandinsky-like style. See those yellow trumpets shimmering :)

More at the Brain Pickings blog ~ Synesthesia Spotlight: 3 Visualizations of Music

Too many TED talks

2011-01-23T20:21:00.021+09:00

Inspiration overflow alert! Too many ideas, too many TED talks. The tagline of TED is "ideas worth spreading" and the theory behind the conferences is that ideas can 'have sex' and spawn lots of interesting, new baby ideas. But Chris Anderson of TED (not the Wired editor in chief) says it's also changing the behaviour of speakers.

clueless idea ~ robot telling jokes
Since the first TED videos appeared online, speakers have spent more time preparing their 18 minute talks, focusing mostly on the quality of the presentation. I'm not sure that this promotes having 'idea sex'. It's more about rhetorical training and using state-of-the-art presentations to sell mediocre ideas. Take for example this talk by the recently deceased art historian Denis Dutton.

It looks really nice but let's face it: if you'd listen to this talk without watching the animation, Dutton's ideas probably wouldn't sound very sexy, or inspiring for that matter. He takes some notions from the standard, widely accepted Darwinian theory of evolution and applies them to art in a straightforward and seemingly logical way. His conclusion: modernist art is degenerate because it doesn't respect the 'artistic instincts' of homo sapiens. Really? Sounds like a load of old rubbish to me to be honest.. but who cares. It looks nice and you get that warm and fuzzy TED feeling.

TED is about selling ideas and making you feel good. Unsurprisingly, the most interesting TED talk i've seen so far is from a self confessed ad man. A funny story about advertising, poetry and perception.

I think the people at Rhizome have a more basic instinct for ideas having sex. If you're interested in art meeting technology you should check out the Seven on Seven conference. Seven artists and technologists paired in couples of two develop something new over the course of a single day and present the result in 20 minutes.

Finally here's a truly wacky idea based on evolution theory and this time applied to technology in a straightforward and seemingly logical way. It's Ray Kurzweil, the guy who used to sell synths and keyboards.

Scientist on mixing dub live & electronics

2011-01-05T18:04:00.003+09:00

busting the myth of eq presets

"That's why rock music always sounds diluted & thin!!"

More interesting stuff at Sideway Outernational's YouTube Channel

Xenharmonic FMTS VSTi ~ microtonal FM synthesis made easy

2011-01-05T02:04:00.004+09:00

Programmer/composer Jacky Ligon has released a new VSTi synth.

"A gift to the xenharmonic and microtonal community, as well as to musicians and composers who are interested in exploring the exciting possibilities of microtuning in their music. It is being offered as freeware and can be downloaded here: Xenharmonic FMTS VSTi v1.0"

I'm not going to try to write an independent review about this synth, because i've done a bit of beta testing for Jacky, so the views i express may not be completely 'fresh'. Having said that i'd suggest you download this synth immediately! Even if you're not interested in microtonal music. Because i think the FMTS is one of the most complete and easy to use FM synths I know. Not only that, it sounds great too. With the detuner and the saturator switched on it sounds fatter & warmer than most other FM vst-synths.

To me one of the great things about the FMTS, actually a step forward in the ease of use of FM in general, is the possibility to choose preset ratio values which are quantized and optimized to 'please the ear'. Not just for microtonal music, but for any type of music. Basically the FMTS allows you to load a simple txt-file which specifies a set of 32 ratio values. These are not unlike the partials or overtones of a sound. Then you have a few different options (sliders, random etc.) to use combinations of these preset ratios.

The result is something you should really try out yourself. Let me just say that these ratio values have been calculated very cleverly and the result is that your sounds will become more harmonic. The reason for this is that psycho-acoustically the simple ratio values like 1, 2, 7, 14 etc. are not completely 'natural' when the value increases. It's just not what the ear is used to - at least when it comes to harmonic sounds. This side effect can make FM sound a little sterile if you design something like a 'sax' or 'piano' sound.

But using the preset ratio values of the FMTS, FM will sound much more natural, just like that. I was amazed when i heard this! And believe me you're not going to find these same values by ear. Quantized ratios are very easy to use because finetuning isn't necessary. And if you want to you can even switch them off.

But let's not forget what this synth is really about: the creation of xenharmonic timbres. The FMTS has many more new tricks up its sleeve for microtonalists, like the 'isoharmonic spacing' function and the possibility to 'roll your own' ratio sets. Also the possibility to save a tuning + timbre is very welcome, although it can be overruled by a 'global' tuning.

Here are some specs related to the microtuning functionality:

• Internally loads and externally receives both MTS (MIDI Tuning Standard) Bulk Dump and Single Note Microtuning Files.
• Operator ratios can easily be set to values that are coincident with the microtuning being used, thereby producing tuning related FM sidebands in the timbre of the instrument.
• Isoharmonic spacing of the operator ratios.
• Precise values may be set for microtonal pitch-bends.
• Arbitrary microtonal period shifting makes it possible to pitch transpose in both octave and non-octave increments.

Keep an eye on the Xen-Arts website because Mr. Ligon is just getting warm. More microtonal tools are being developed as we speak. But for now the FMTS should be enough to keep all FM-fans and microtonalists busy. There are lots of new sounds to be synthesized, lots of new sonic experiments to be performed.

Six the hard way ~ Runcome Dubsession recorded live @ LVC Leiden

2010-12-22T00:25:00.010+09:00

Runcome Sound featuring special guests Dave I-lodica (melodica) & Leah (tunes, vocals & irieness) recorded @ LVC Leiden 18-12-2010

Team Runcome: Papa Aya (mc & vocals) ~ Ome Cor (melodica) ~ A.A.A.P. (percussion & fx) ~ Tony Dubshot (decks & fx)

Download or listen via Mixcloud

Tracklist
The Crystalites - The Bad
Jammy$ - Original Stylee
Yellowman - Rub And Go Down
Peter Tosh - Bumbo Klaat
Tony Dubshot - Logic Module
Baldhead Voodoo Plan - 1000 Plateaus
Leah - Jamaica
Leah - All For Love
Leah - Mountain Choon
Leah - Bend Yuh Temper
Tony Dubshot - Clint Eastwood Speaks His Mind
Tony Dubshot - Beta Stability
Baby Wayne - Move Wid The Crowd
Yabby You - Beware Dub
Mikey Dread - Saturday Night Style
Scratchy Dubplate Crew - Cold Sweat
Tony Dubshot - Soul Fiya Riddim
Tony Dubshot - Wash Wash Riddim
Peter Tosh - Bumbo Klaat

Out on December 15th: Tony Dubshot ~ Dub Experryments (full size dub album)

2010-12-08T00:13:00.043+09:00

This is for the heddz. An album's worth of Xen Dubbhism. The word Xen meaning xenharmonic, as in weird harmonies transmitted live & direct from far away dub galaxies and picked up at the ISM studios using the latest in sphere technology.

"Wicked dubbed out vibe.. I like it!!"
Stereotyp

"Nice work!"
Neil Perch

"Een hoogstaande productie van Tony Dubshot, dub voor de nieuwe tijd met liefde en respect voor de foundation"
Jah Shakespear

"A master synthesist, mixing and mastering engineer, Dubshot is a talent to watch in the rapidly evolving field of microtonal-with-a-beat."
Jacky Ligon

"Tony Dubshot shows exceptional understanding of what makes dub come alive."
Sean 'Sevish' Archibald (Split Notes)

"Tony Dubshots Soundergüsse sind sehr ungewöhnlich, da sie anders klingen als jene Dinge, die man aus den elektronischen Musikgenres kennt. Aber genau diese Mixtur von eigentümlichen Klängenfarben, die der gute Herr in seinem Labor zusammenmixt, macht den besonderen Reiz dieses Album aus."
Dubrevolution.de

Buy at Juno ~ Boomkat ~ Zero'' ~ Amazon ~ Digital-tunes etc.

Listening to dub can be like moving through an abstract painting but with a fat bass added. Most technoid dubscapes are stark, desolate and minimal like the abstract paintings of ~ say ~ Mark Rothko. On the other hand 'Dub Experryments' is more like switching on Radio Kandinsky. A lively, almost tangible mess of strange colors and fx.

Dubshot likes his dub fairly over the top. In that sense he's from the Mad Professor school of dub, but not all of the time. The opening tracks of 'Dub Experryments' are more like electronic remakes of mellow oldskool tracks by King Tubbys or Scientist.

Dubshot is quite taken by the possibilities of xenharmonic music. He has already released a succesful album titled Omega Dub (2010, SPNT-002) on Split Notes, the first netlabel livicated 100% to funky music with experimental harmonies. And the Dubbhism release titled Keeping it steady by Glamma Woods (2010, DUBBHISM-007) is in fact an absinthe-soaked, deliriously xenharmonic tribute to all musicians who indulge in large quantities of sonic experrymentation.

Check out the promo tape or if u want to download get it here.

Tony Dubshot - Radio Kandinsky [Dub Experryments Promo Mix] by T.Dubshot on Mixcloud

The piano speaks its mind

2010-12-07T18:23:00.010+09:00

About a year ago, the Austrian composer Peter Ablinger first presented his 'updated' player piano. Ablinger designed a hi res mechanism which allows him to create vocoder-like effects. The sound quality is amazing, Conlon Nancarrow would have loved it.

Peter Kirn (Create Digital Music) investigated the case very thoroughly and found that the digital part was done in custom software developed by the composer in Pure Data.

More Speaking Piano pieces and documentations over here

Out now: Daddy Lynx - Original (Clarkstep rmx)

2010-12-06T19:17:00.021+09:00

Uncork the bubbly! The first Dubbhism Deluxe release is available NOW in all digital music stores. In 2011 there will be many more free (creative commons) netlabel releases on Dubbhism, but right now we've got unprecedented commercial expansion on the brain.

So here it is: the first i'm-getting-paid-for-my-dubbz release on Dubbhism featuring the cool and deadly Mr. Daddy Lynx in a slammin Clarks & Kangol hat anthem titled Original, remixed in a fairly mental dubstep/dancehall kinda style by Tony Dubshot.

Buy at Juno Download ~ Juno Records ~ Boomkat ~ Beatport ~ Zero'' ~ 7Digital ~ Digital-tunes ~ iTunes ~ Amazon UK ~ Traxsource.com ~ Addictech ~ DJDownload.com etc. etc.

"sounds good, and crazy!! and it's about clarks, all wins in my book"
Craig Macleod ~ Mungo's Hifi

"tony 'king of bass' dubshot and daddy 'it's bright' lynx buss up the dance"
Manu Genius ~ Not Easy At All

"feels like my brain is rewired to think in sped-up delay-glitch cartoon language"
Process Rebel ~ Subinfinity/Generation Bass

"lekkerrrrrrrr"
Jerzz ~ MWM Recordings

DJ's if ur feeling this one link up via dubbhism(?)xs4all.nl

Terror Danjah mix @ RA

2010-11-23T06:42:00.008+09:00

"whehewhaha.."
B%mb%cl%t!! Another great mix this week at Resident Advisor. It's the undeniable Terror Danjah in fine style. See also this recent interview with a classic scene of the man and his computer, creating those big crispy riddims.

EP review: Sevish ~ Human Astronomy (Split Notes)

2010-11-16T05:52:00.008+09:00

Some people listen to cd's or records, some people like to listen to mixes or radio shows. And some (like me) listen to big shuffled playlists on an iPod or WinAmp or something like that.

When you're listening to an album or a mix you know more or less which artists you're hearing, but a big randomized playlist of instrumental dubtech, dnb, minimal dub and dubstep can be a more anonymous experience because many producers and tunes in these genres have a tendency to sound a bit similar. Only a few achieve "identity of sound" as the Mad Professor calls it (he should know what he's talking about because the Ariwa sound is instantly recognizable).

Sevish also has a strong 'identity of sound' but he achieves it in a completely different way: through the use of xenharmonic harmonies. This is quite something because unique sounds are usually created with voices, sound fx or rhythm.

To be honest i'm not sure that the Sevish sound will be instantly recognizable for everybody. His harmonies might be more special for musicians than for average listeners or DJ's. I've trained myself a little bit in listening to xenharmonics so obviously i'm not in a position to talk about this 100% objectively.

But never mind that, this is a great EP and a firm next step for Sevish as a xenharmonic composer (i think it's a good thing to use that out-of-fashion word every now and then). OK, no long talking just listen and if the music hits you with a strong identity and lots of originality that means this review wasn't so biased after all :)

Download at Split Notes

ASC podcast @ RA

2010-11-15T15:59:00.010+09:00

Crucial listening, absolute top quality production, showcasing the so-called 'autonomic' sound. Lots of unreleased bits & pieces.

The Tao of FM Synthesis #6 ~ fixed envelopes, fixed frequencies and formants

2010-11-12T02:20:00.021+09:00

It’s impossible to have a complete or systematic overview of all different types of FM sounds, but you can have certain categories, for example based on certain types of ratio values (see episode 4)

A simple and intuitive way to navigate the fm sound waves is to have a small number of fixed envelopes and then experiment with changing a value like ‘ratio’ while leaving the envelope settings alone.

This way you can get a good idea of what a certain combination (algorithm) of oscillators can do, or what a certain range of ratio values can do and at the same time the unpredictability of FM can't mess with your head!

For this type of exploration you’ll typically want 2 or 3 different envelopes that don’t overlap each other, but provide maximum contrast instead. For example: one envelope for an attack (D in the clip), one for a downward sustained movement (F in the clip) and one for an upward sustained movement (E in the clip).

This is really a very simple envelope setup but it has an amazing range of sonic variation in store if you start playing with the ratios and of course if needed you can always make it more complex later or maybe use an LFO some time or whatever..

Fixed frequency

The original Yamaha DX7 FM-synth has an option called fixed frequency which sets an oscillator to a certain frequency that doesn’t change, no matter what key you play on the keyboard. Depending on the frequency this feature can be used in different ways.

At a very low frequency, say 3 Hz - 15 Hz it can work just like an LFO, and you can use it for controlled vibrato-like effects, because the rate of the vibrato doesn’t change with the key that’s played.

At a higher frequency you can produce ‘aaaaah’ or ‘oooooh’ or ‘iiiiiiih’ type sounds using the effect of so-called formants. For these oldskool vocal sounds you need a good table of formant frequencies.

Fixed frequencies can also be used for attack sounds that don’t change a lot depending on the key played. This can be good for many kinds of attacks, including more natural imitations of ‘real’ instruments.

For some strange reason most new FM synths no longer have the fixed frequency mode. That’s really a shame, because it’s also useful for drums and percussion sounds.

The FM Heaven synth is quite unique. Not only does it have fixed frequencies but it even has ratio controls and keyboard input of frequency values. This makes it easy to type in formant frequencies. Extra bonus: it has some really nice waveforms. On the negative side the visualization of the envelopes isn’t great.

Fixed frequencies are a relatively simple 'mode' compared to the variable (tracking) mode and this also makes it easier to experiment with a matrix (the rows of numbers) if you’re new to that type of user interface. If you're feeling lucky you can try to create sounds that have 5 or 6 oscillators.

With fixed frequencies it’s relatively easy (well.. let’s say doable) to come up with multi-layered percussive sounds that still have an organic quality. The key is to have variation in the envelope types, and a wide range of frequencies. Each oscillator has to have something useful to add. Otherwise it’s better to mute it. For extremer sounds use a few weird pitch envelopes.

Nice Terror Danjah interview

2010-11-10T22:14:00.005+09:00

Grime legend Terror Danjah has a new album titled Undeniable out on Hyperdub. Crispy sounds & superb production all the way, this man truly has golden ears and a truckload of musical skills too. Even if grime isn't your main thing you'll like this one, trussme.

buy/listen at Juno

Also don't miss these free Terror Danjah albums:
Hardrumentals
Shock to the System

Galang so ~ WILDLIFE! meets Major Mackerel

2010-11-10T18:04:00.008+09:00

Iiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!! Check out WILDLIFE's version of Galang so, a classic Major Mackerel tune. Posted on Soundcloud already it's out on Discobelle records 22nd of November. Available now the cumbia flavored Douster remix (free dl). Sainted PR didn't quite get the concept of soundcloud sharing yet but still more remixes here.

Don't know the great Major Mackerel? Here's a bit of dancehall edutainment for ya

Dick Flash vs Brian Eno

2010-11-09T04:02:00.015+09:00

Pork Magazine's Dick Flash interviews Brian Eno about his new album titled Small craft on a milk sea. Hilarious..

7 Hours in 77 Million Paintings (2008.03.08) from Pitch Bend

Vampayaa ~ PupaJim delivers instant classic

2010-11-05T23:29:00.030+09:00

Make no mistake this is not an ill timed Halloween kinda thing, PupaJim's Vampayaa is a bit more timeless than that. No offense Emch Subatomic but this one is not aimed squarely at your average blood-sucking party freak ;)

I can still remember the first time i heard PupaJim sing i was very impressed. The second time i thought uh oh.. it's becoming a gimmick, that 8 bit computerized business, but WOWWW! this new track proves that PupaJim is in fact Horace Andy's French godson!

Nothing but respect for this deep steppers release on Mungo's Hifi's Scrub a dub label. It's an instant, limited edition classic.

As is usually the case the original is the strongest track, but my favorite remix is (very predictably) the RSD workout. The Marcus Visionary remix is not really my thing, still very good for the uptempo folks. Starkey has some trouble keeping PupaJim's voice at the center of attention, too many synths fighting for space i'd say but i hear it's a crowd pleaser, so don't let me keep you from checking it.

Online preview at Scotch Bonnet Records

LABEL: SCRUB A DUB
ARTISTS: TAYO,ACID ROCKERS, PUPAJIM, RSD, STARKEY,MARCUS VISIONARY
CAT NO: SCRUB005
FORMAT: 12”
RELEASE DATE: 22/11/2010

Bye bye Avatar ~ now let's move on to 3D holographic sound please!

2010-11-05T17:23:00.025+09:00

Moving holograms are here, or should be here in about six years. When they arrive virtual porn will never be the same again..

This is also great stuff for guys like James 'Avatar' Cameron, but as a musician I can't help wondering why holographic sound is still in a phase of vague promises, usually coming from the same guys who want to sell you some MAGIC POWER CABLES...

More about moving holograms:
Star Wars-style holograms: a new hope? (Nature news)
Moving Holograms: From Science Fiction to Reality (Science)

Directions in holographic sound:
Ambisonics
Binaural sound

Original Daddy Lynx kicks off new chapter in Dubbhism history

2010-11-02T23:30:00.033+09:00

In 2011 there will be many more free (creative commons) netlabel releases on Dubbhism, but right now we've secured a distribution deal paving the way for new and unprecedented commercial expansion.

Daddy Lynx ~ Original (Dubshot's Clarkstep rmx)
release date December 6th

So here it is: the first i'm-getting-paid-for-my-dubbz release on Dubbhism featuring the cool and deadly Mr. Daddy Lynx in a slammin Clarks & Kangol hat anthem titled Original, remixed in a fairly mental dubstep/dancehall kinda style by Tony Dubshot (Dubbhism CEO).

"sounds good, and crazy!! and it's about clarks, all wins in my book"
Craig Macleod ~ Mungo's Hifi

"feels like my brain is rewired to think in sped-up delay-glitch cartoon language"
Process Rebel ~ Subinfinity/Generation Bass

"lekkerrrrrrrr"
Jerzz ~ MWM Recordings

DJ's if ur feeling this one link up via dubbhism(?)xs4all.nl

Daddy Lynx ~ Original (Dubshot's Clarkstep rmx) ~ out on Dubbhism Deluxe soon by DUBBHISM

Dub equipment and dub philosophy pt.2

2010-10-31T20:33:00.145+09:00

Music and computers seem to be inseparable nowadays. In the last 15 years computers have taken over completely in the studio, and even on stage. A bit strange, because computers were not really designed for making music (see also Dub equipment and dub philosophy pt.1).

Anyway, computers can do lots of things so why not music. But the core business of your laptop is computation. Mathematics in other words. So how is computation related to music?

The anthropologist Edwin Hutchins has written a book about 'computation and culture' titled Cognition in the wild. It's not about music actually, basically Hutchins wrote the book because he doesn't like the way western science tries to model and understand the functioning of the human brain: as if it's a kind of computer. He argues that this is short-sighted and that you can't ignore culture.

"Humans create their cognitive powers by creating the environments in which they exercise those powers". Hutchins' view is that 'culture' influences thought and perception and even computation in a long-term interactive process. It's an interesting study of computation and culture, especially because western culture tends to see mathematics as a divine über-phenomenon (an autistic view of the universe).

For musicians right now computation is mostly a highly abstract kind of manipulation of symbols. A linear and rational type of interaction like clicking on something, typing in numerical values with a keyboard, scrolling, switching tabs, reading e-mail etc. Of course the interface is very 'intuitive' (at least that's what the manual says) but it's not a lot like playing an instrument - or conducting an orchestra.

The contrast with the way experienced 'analog' musicians handle their instruments couldn't be bigger. For example, when a really good guitarist like Jimi Hendrix does a great performance we say he becomes one with his instrument. It's exactly the same thing with classical musicians. Or consider what Lee 'Scratch' Perry says about the magic moments in his Black Ark studio:

"It was only four tracks on the machine, but I was picking up twenty from the extra terrestrial squad. (...) I see the studio must be like a living thing, a life itself. The machine must be live and intelligent. Then I put my mind into the machine and the machine perform reality. Invisible thought waves - you put them into the machine by sending them through the controls and the knobs or you jack it into the jack panel. The jack panel is the brain itself, so you got to patch up the brain and make the brain a living man, that the brain can take what you sending into it and live."

So what does that mean for laptop composers? How do you become 'one' with your iMac as a musician? Merging with a violin or a drum set would seem a lot easier than a motherboard mind melt. Maybe overstimulated hacker-brains can do it, maybe that'll create a new kind of biofeedbacked chiptune sound, who knows? OK but seriously, there is in fact a lot of research going on in the field of 'mind control' user interfaces. But when this new stuff arrives, let's just hope it doesn't cause headaches and weird 8-bit nightmares ;)

In the meantime let's take a look at some of the innovative stuff that computers already allow us to do right now. Very personally speaking, i'd say that in terms of rhythm most computer music sounds a bit straight and stiff (not enough sweat) but this is compensated by new possibilities in terms of timbre, harmony and virtual acoustics.

Below are some thoughts about new harmonic/timbral possibilities in digital music. I won't go into acoustics, although it's a very dubby subject it's more difficult to discuss. I won't go into democratization and (dramatically) improved production standards either, enough has been said about this already.

Timbre is the new harmony

Looking at the harmonic evolution of Western classical music (ignoring other harmonies like the ones produced by the Indonesian gamelan etc.) there's an interesting development from medieval times through baroque and romantic musical flavors right up to the spectral composers at the end of the 20th century.

New styles in Western classical music are usually characterized by new and greater harmonic freedom moving from stuff like 'strict' counterpoint to 20th century polytonality, atonality etc. Composer and musicologist Joseph Schillinger has analyzed this phenomenon in The Schillinger System of Musical Composition and he even shows some tricks that directly transform 17th or 18th century classical music into something that sounds like Ravel or Debussy.

Also in the 20th century the gradual 'liberation' of jazz harmonies is just as interesting. A great statement was made by Miles Davis when he recorded Bitches Brew. Also, if you listen to stuff like the Jack Johnson Sessions by Miles Davis and then switch to, for example, Messiaen's 3 Petites liturgies de la Présence Divine you'll notice that harmonic evolution more or less ignores stylistic boundaries.

I don't know when the most recent harmonic development, known as spectral composing actually started but it's all over the place in the works of Messiaen and Ligeti, although Giacinto Scelsi is sometimes credited as one of the founders of this 'genre'. In a nutshell it means that the timbral quality of a sound determines how you work with it. As my musical friend the xenharmonic composer Jacky Ligon puts it: timbre is the new harmony.

In the practice of non-electronic classical music this means that composers are very sensitive to partials/overtones and to the overall effect of a certain mix of sounds. In a symphonic piece a part of the effect is often not unlike playing with the EQ, only without using the actual studio equipment but working purely with the natural character of instruments. This is where spectral composing and dub meet.

There's also a different, less subtle but very effective electronic type of 'spectral composing' that was introduced in jazz in the sixties by Miles Davis, and in all other genres of fairly loud music by anyone who could get their hands on the equipment: distortion and filters, you know, like those funky wah wah pedals.

If timbre really is the new harmony (of the spheres) that would make Bill Sethares the new Pythagoras. A professor of electrical engineering and a mathematician, Sethares has been doing some 'hard' scientific research recently in an area that's infested with obscurantism. He has come up with a grand unifying theory of tuning and timbre that would make Pythagoras forget all of his troubles with commas and wolf tones. This paper is very technical but for practical use here's Sethares' book called Tuning Timbre Spectrum Scale.

glamma woods - angular banjos by DUBBHISM

The great thing about the digital era is that it allows unprecedented experrymentation with this new harmonic-and-timbral frontier. A good example: the Xenharmonic FMTS VSTi. A synthesizer capable of matching timbre to virtually any tuning imaginable.

Harmonic innovators like Harry Partch built their own collection of instruments to get the same kinds of harmonic effects, which is great, and makes the sound more unique, but it's also less practical. Especially if you want to try out lots of new combinations of harmony and timbre.

But let's not overstate the importance of mathematics and theory in music. This famous picture by Dürer, made in 1514 says it all: the angel is pissed off because Copernicus and other scientists have just discovered that the nice little universe that Pythagoras made up (harmony of the spheres, earth in the middle, man as the measure of all things) does not really exist. Computation can't come to the rescue, on the contrary, science is giving this person a headache.

Serious analog delay ~ Diamond Memory Lane 2

2010-10-29T17:02:00.006+09:00

I don't own one myself but looking at the specs and the manual it's pretty obvious that this is an absolute killer analog delay. The design is based on original Panasonic MN3005 chips (4096 stage bucket brigade style echo) which are becoming extremely rare nowadays so you have to act fast.

The tempo tap, multiple delays, eq in the feedback loop and the tank-like construction make this one really special, not just for guitarists but definitely very usable for dub as well.

Diamond guitar pedals ~ Memory Lane 2

Foundation Compilation Reggae Series Volume 1

2010-10-27T16:34:00.005+09:00

This is the best roots dancehall cd i've heard in 2010, featuring big veteran artists on big riddims. Don't just download the illegal mp3s like everybody else does, buy this thing, the singers & musicians & producers who created this one deserve our full respect!! No filler pure killer, available in all shops.

Listen/Buy at Reggaerecord
Listen/Buy at iTunes
Listen/Buy at Juno

Tracklist

1.Leroy Sibbles - Dance Reggae Music
2.Sugar Minott - Rock Dem Again
3.Ken Boothe (Back Vocals The Tamlins) - I Will Forgive You
4.Glen Washington - Tired Of Being Lonely
5.Linval Thompson - Perilous Time
6.Jimmy Riley - Love And Affection
7.Vernon Maytone And U-Roy - God Is Real
8.Tony Tuff - Shouldn't Fuss And Fight
9.Errol Dunkley - Don't Go
10.Glen Washinton - My Life
11.U-Roy - Tell It Like It Is
12.Little John - Dread Now
13.Vernon Maytone - This Must Be Judgement
14.Tony Tuff - Smiling Faces Dub Style

Runcome Sound come back again

2010-10-26T18:51:00.016+09:00

Sista Leah the Boss DJ from Amsterdam conquering Leiden
Runcome Sound is back! Next sessions are 29th of November for Unity FM (radio show) and 18th of December at the LVC, Leiden.

Special guests 18th December: I-lodica the melodica don from Brighton (UK) & A.A.A.P. the electro percussion wizzard from Rotjeknor & back by dope demand Leah Rosier the Boss DJ

Uh oh... scientists say sadness promotes creativity

2010-10-21T23:40:00.006+09:00

Wired reports about how "Feeling Sad Makes Us More Creative". Harvard professors Modupe Akinola and Wendy Berry Mendes have written an article called "The Dark Side of Creativity: Biological Vulnerability and Negative Emotions Lead to Greater Artistic Creativity" and it presents some evidence to support the theory that sadness makes us more focused and diligent, and more creative.

David Hockney ~ Fresh Flowers

2010-10-21T20:27:00.018+09:00

This has to be the freshest art exhibition in years.. David Hockney is showing fresh flowers, drawn on iPods and iPads and exhibited on all kinds of digital screens.

He says “There’s magic in an iPad. It’s the same magic that’s in pencil or pen or brushes.” Mr. Jobs couldn't wish for a better quote :)

David Hockney: Fleurs fraîches at Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent 20 october 2010 - 30 january 2011 ~ read more (Vogue)

Hockney experrymenting with one of the first paint-programs made for computer/screen back in 1985.

In 2001 Hockney did a pretty amazing documentary that shows how renaissance painters in Italy and the Netherlands learned to draw and paint with incredible detail and using 'correct' laws of perspective with the aid of mirrors and camera obscura's.

Out Now on One Love Records ~ On The Level - Vol 2

2010-10-20T19:31:00.009+09:00

BUSH CHEMISTS & KING GENERAL ~ JAH WARRIOR ~ VIBRONICS ~ IRIE MAFFIA ~ INTINN ~ RADIKAL GURU ~ UNITYHIFI ~ VIBRATION LAB ~ ARK ITAL SOUND ~ CYPHAMUSIK ~ LOWKI & DIALECT ~ PHARMACIST ~ L5D ~ MR SLEEPZ ~ DUBSHOT & ILODICA ~ PHINGA ~ REZOUND ~ K9 ~ Z1BRKR ~ TROUBLE & INSIGHT ~ KOSINE & LDRIFT ~ XNATION ~ BROWN NOISE

drome feat. i-lodica - dubba (dubshot's mansion mix) by DUBBHISM

I-lodica & Lowki nice up the launch party @ the Volks Club, Brighton
Exclusive to One Love Records ~ includes Tony Dubshot's mansion style remix of 'Dubba' by Spanish dub/techno producer Drome and UK melodica meister I-lodica. File under: psychedelic dubstep / weed smoking aliens & ufo landings

Buy at One Love Records

Vintage vids ~ Dub from Japan & China

2010-10-20T18:27:00.006+09:00

Visual dubb: Sougwen ~ dubstep drawings

2010-10-15T16:05:00.011+09:00

A whole heap of classic oldskool visual dub clips over here! I found these (the remains of some workshop) via Sougwen who likes to mix up drawing and Hotflush-style dubstep. The wonderful artwork for the Love Pressure EP by Sepalcure is also her work.

In the clips you see Sougwen drawing 'live' to music (not sure how that works to be honest) and she even mixes the music without the drawing: a little something she calls a 'lovestep mix'. Good stuff, mainly the usual suspects like Mala, TRG, Martyn and 2562 (great track) but with the impressionistic harmonies instead of the noise terror of the average preteen dubstep tune. No Scuba though... Here's a nice Scuba mix that goes very well with Sougwen's mix.

Sepalcure - Every Day of my Life from sougwen on Vimeo.

Sepalcure - Feeling That I Know So Well from sougwen on Vimeo.

For r&b/ragga flavored lovestep check out my mate Coopz Mucksion

Coopz Mucksion & Damian Marley - We can work it out by Coopz 140 Mucksion

Out now: ISM/DUBBHISM ~ Vintage Dubbs Vol. 1

2010-10-08T20:56:00.017+09:00

Unlike other Dubbhism albums this is a cleaning out the closet/everything must go kinda ting. It doesn't have the sonic consistency that you may have come to expect from Dubbhism albums but you'll probably find a few nice surprises. Although most tracks are quite old all bassline levels have been pumped up to the weight of contemporary standards.

DOWNLOAD: DUBBHISM128-009 Vintage Dubbs Vol. 1.rar

If you need hi res files check this

Vintage Dubbs Vol.1 (Dubbhism release) by DUBBHISM

I-lodica strikes the rock ~ dub flows like water

2010-10-04T18:15:00.009+09:00

a. I-lodic Rock - Ilodica by Kibir La Amlak

b. Dub Rock - Kibir La Amlak by Kibir La Amlak

Out now on Kibir La Amlak: melodica steppers tracks feat. I-lodica on Melodica, Rory I on drums, Bjorn Vibration on Bass, Bredda Radek on Chops and JT on organs and piano. All backing music written by Kibir La Amlak, mixed arrangend and produced by Kibir La Amlak in the Kibir La Amlak Studio, Bristol, UK.

Limited Edition 7" Vinyl ~ only 500 pressed ~ Buy at Dubvendor

I-lodica will be one of the very special guests at the 2nd Runcome Dubsession in Leiden (NL) on december 18th. It is even rumored that I-lodica and Tony Dubshot are working on an album together.

Jeff Koons or Kim Jong Il?

2010-09-30T14:45:00.025+09:00

OK, so North Korean leader Kim Jong Il knows about Photoshop but does he know how much money Jeff Koons makes with this kind of stuff? Maybe he does.. who knows, if the General runs out of cash the nice white statue might show up at Christie's. Click to enlarge!!

More classic pics of the Beloved Leader..

From the nano lab ~ The Micronium

2010-09-29T14:56:00.013+09:00

Nanomusic (not to be confused with microtonal music) just got bigger. Meet the Micronium, a nano-instrument with strings a millionth of an inch thick. It sounds kinda mesmerizing, half xylophone/half piano and it produces nice dub fx if you kick it :-)

More nanosound over here: The Quantum Hall Effects - impulse responses from nanospace for convolution reverb