11.12.08

Steve Stoll's "Starve" effect

Techno producer Steve Stoll has entered the hardware arena. He introduces his first handmade ultra lofi stompbox called "Starve". Available now on Ebay. Here's a part of the description:

1.12.08

Remix: Dubba - Mansion mix by I-lodica / Drome / Dubshot

Dubba - Mansion mix started as a technoid dubstep thing by Drome. Then i added a bit of Dubshot flavour and finally I-lodica listened to it, got out his melodica and blew it to pieces. Hopefully in the future there will be more collabs with I-lodica. For those who don't know him here's a little selection of artists he has worked with: Alpha and Omega, Creation Stepper, Disciples, Dub Creator, Earl 16, Eek-a-mouse, Ghetto Priest, Horace Andy, Iration Steppas, Suns of Arqa, Teddy Dan and Zion Train. Check out the player or Myspace.

28.11.08

Robert Anton Wilson explains quantum physics



the missing link between quantum physics and dub science over here

16.11.08

2008 dubstep awards

best dubstep album


pinch - underwater dancehall
this one was actually dropped in november 2007 but hey.. nothing better came along (although headhunter came close)

15.11.08

The Quantum Hall Effects - impulse responses from nanospace for convolution reverb

After many years of fundamental research in cooperation with the Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory (Leiden Institute of Physics) the ISM studio proudly presents 'the sound of nanospace'. It's all about levels of magnification and breaking down the wall between analog and digital sound. Quantum hall fx are nothing less than a PARADIGM SHIFT in the perception of time and space.

12.11.08

Dub equipment and dub philosophy

The first rule of dub is that there are no rules. The second rule: in the studio, any piece of equipment that can be used to create a cool effect can also be abused to create an even cooler effect. And three: although dub has a scientific side it's spontaneous like a jam session.

8.11.08

György Ligeti - Lux Aeterna and Poème Symphonique for 100 metronomes

Politrix and music don't have a very strong link usually. But if the communist Hungarian regime had not banned some of his music because of decadence György Ligeti might have been less inspired.



4.11.08

Miles Davis - Call it anything & Spanish Key

Sounds from the Bitches Brew album at the Isle of Wight festival (1970) played by Miles Davis, Gary Bartz, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette and last but not least Airto Moreira, who also wrote about this concert on his website. Best quote: "Miles Davis was like the Elvis Presley of Jazz."

3.11.08

A silent or at least inaudible PC for a quieter studio

Right now there are 5 or 6 pieces of hardware in the ISM studio that are noisier than the PC is. Last year i decided i had to get rid of the computer noise in the studio and i soon found out that people in computer shops can't really help you. The best online source i could find for 'silent pc info' is unsurprisingly called silentpcreview.com and i recommend it to everyone who needs a quieter studio.

Adrian Utley of Portishead talks modular synthesis


Adrian Utley of Portishead explains the pros and cons of modular synthesis. He actually compares it to crack and he pronounces Doepfer as 'Dope fer'. Strange... i always thought it was 'Dub fer'. Good notes on tuning as well.

28.10.08

Big Doepfer filter shootout - 8 Doepfer filters (and an Arp 4075) compared


A-108 6/12/24/48dB Low Pass Filter a pimped Moog-ladder design
A-105 24dB SSM Low Pass Filter based on the SSM2044 filter chip
A-101-1 Vactrol multitype input filter based on a design by Nyle Steiner (12dB / out 2)
A-102 Diode Low Pass a reproduction of 'a legendary low pass filter design' (24dB)
A-106-1 Xtreme Lowpass/Highpass Filter a pimped Korg MS20 filter
A-122 24dB Low Pass 2 based on the CEM 3320 chip made by Curtis Electromusic Specialties
A-124 Wasp filter based on the EDP Wasp filter made originally by Electronic Dream Plant (12dB multimode)
A-103 18dB Low Pass a reproduction of the Roland TB-303 filter
Arp 4075 filter (bandwidth mod) from an Arp Axxe as a non-Doepfer reference
Dry signal

25.10.08

Free download - 60 Classic and King Tubby style spring reverb impulse responses for convolution reverb

The sound quality of convolution processing relies heavily on the impulse responses used. But in the case of spring reverb a high quality recording is not enough. You need dirt as well. So if you want real dub flavour inna oldskool Jamaican style for your convolution ting you've come to the right place. Enjoy!

21.10.08

Wave patterns and sonic baubles

What does sound look like? It depends who you ask. Here are some answers from scientists like Ernst Chladni and Thomas Rossing and also some pretty pictures from vibe-ologists like Hans Jenny and Dr. Masaru Emoto.

15.10.08

Godfathers of rap



John Lee Hooker - dirty south style

11.10.08

Joseph Schillinger - First Airphonic Suite for RCA Theremin and Orchestra



In 1919 Leon Theremin invented an electronic instrument named after himself that you can play without any physical contact. Later he also invented the Rhythmicon, an instrument that sounds like Philip Glass on speed.

1.10.08

Akai VX600 EL-Foil replacement

The Akai VX600 is a very nice synthesizer. It's got 12 analog vco's, 6 independent multitimbral voices with individual outputs and its matrix has an input for voltage control. In other words: it's extremely flexible and useful in an analog setup. The fm is also very nice. It has some negative sides too: personally i'm not very impressed by the envelopes and the lfo's, there's a horrible bleep coming from the backlight and the filter can sound like a tin can occasionally.

27.9.08

$700 Billion Wall Street Bailout? Jump you fuckers!



Special request to Milton Friedman, Alan Greenspan, DUBYA and all big spenders on Wall Street... no more take the money and run just jump you fuckers.. :-)

13.9.08

Armagideon time again

When fear, fantasy and fucked up logic collide at high speed the results can be amusing. The startup of the Large Hadron Collider has already inspired some great new theories about the end of the world and i'm sure many more will follow.

29.8.08

Remix: L.Drift & Kosine - Differential Pressure

L.Drift (Dub Platoon) & Kosine from Brighton like to explore the uncharted territory between roots dub and dubstep. One of my favourite places as well. So i'm sure we'll keep bumping into each other. Right now in the player a redub of one of their biggest tunes called Differential Pressure.

19.4.08

Remix: Duba - Smoking gun mix

Drome is a producer from Girona. In his own words "I try to do music with my laptop...sounds like IDM, dub, electro or techno..." anyway i liked his tune Duba so i asked if i could remix it. Check the player.

13.4.08

It's raining reggae supermodels inna the low lands


Well... almost. I spotted two this week, that's not bad. This cutie called Leah is on billboards everywhere and hard to miss, modelling for G-Star. She sings too, great voice! Her lyrics are conscious and sweet and check out those backing vocals... classy

7.4.08

Rub a dub?

whateva sista... help yourself overhere

Remix: Dubactivist meets Tony Dubshot

a good way to start the week. dubactivist from bonn is one of germany's heavyweight dubbers. he sent me his remix of 'biff'. closer to the original and more oldskool approach than L.Drift this one sounds xtra large & fresh like german beer. check the tape

28.3.08

Remix: Biff VIP - Down in one punch mix by L.Drift & Kosine

two righteous brothers from brighton take the biff tune to the next level. check out the myspace tape for some criss heavyweight dubbing in fine style. must be something in the brighton sea breeze. anybody else who wanna remix this one better come correct or they will go down in one punch. check out more dubs by L.Drift, Drifta and Kosine

26.3.08

Remix: The Dubsmith - untitled

the dubsmith from philly sent me some stuff so i dubbed it. i don't know the title but who cares. this one sounds like halfway between Scorn and something else

30.1.08

Remix: Ras Maisha - Pass it around

I met Soy Sos from Pittsburgh through a mailinglist for sound equipment. He asked me to do a remix of a track by Ras Maisha called pass it around. The remix has some kind of dubstep flavour but you can tell the original is hi pressure dancehall.

21.1.08

Remix: Dr. Dub - Iki

playing right now in the myspace tape: the redubbed remains of a tune by dr. dub called iki. the original is loungy, the remix is a bit like vintage african head charge with percussion and weirdness