It’s tough, it’s kinda loud, and it’s definitely an entertaining EP, so if you’re on the lookout for some aggressive dubstep, this may do it for ya!
Focused on the gritty and punchy side of dubstep
Chicago-based Satellite Era continues to put out nasty club bangers—this time, on their club-centric Satellite Trax sub-label—with OktoRed‘s Michigan & Rosa EP, a record focused on the gritty and punchy side of dubstep. It’s definitely been a common trend for dubstep to become more melodic and atmospheric as it went on, but OktoRed decides to keep it dry and tough, and I have to say it’s very much to my pleasure that he decided to do so. This is danceable dubstep far more than it is “sucking my thumb as I wobble in the corner of my barely lit room” dubstep, which is not to make fun of that kind of music, rather to put an emphasis on how little melancholy this EP has to offer.
It is instantly apparent with the first tune of the record, “ReSquish,” that you’re in for serious business. This is easily one of the best dubstep and garage tunes I’ve heard this year, and I say that with the confidence of someone who sounds like they’ve heard a lot of dubstep and garage this year, but truth be told the track really is just great. The jittery grooves are great, as they’re not shy in any way, they put strong emphasis on all the accents—which are really a lot—and always sound very snappy; it’s not the kind of garage groove you’d want to get in a mood, this is a very tight and clicky type of groove that kicks off the track with a nice energetic approach.
Deep and smooth ::
The dub components of this piece are also great, the reverb is nice and sound, and the bass that joins after a brief introduction is deep and smooth, perfectly complementing the somewhat dry atmosphere that’s left without it. I also love the lead melody of the track, not because it’s a great melody on its own, rather because at the end of the phrase you get two notes that perfectly line up with the two snare accents that make the groove as bright as it is, marking down even more on the snappiest part of the drum track, it’s a fantastic touch that ticks off every two bars.
The break in the middle of the track is also a great way to make start back again with the same impact that it had when it began, and not to mention that the effects during said break make it so oozy and smooth to listen to. It’s a pretty damn great track overall, especially because of its fantastic lead groove.
The other tracks are not quite as intricate as “ReSquish,” but they still go unquestionably hard. The following “Raw” features some appreciated MCing, alternating between the purely instrumental and the vocal parts in a satisfying way. The bass here is quite a bit tougher, especially with those damn kicks being as heavy as they are; on top of that, the track introduces a hook that’s made up of glitchy vocals from Flirta D, and only later you get proper vocals and intelligible words. I do think that this switch gets a little redundant in the long run, but I can’t deny how fun the low end sounds in this piece specifically.
“Lit Cigarette” and “Backroom” are rather similar in approach, as both focus heavily on their sub-bass. “Lit Cigarette” has a really hypnotic kick pattern that is sure to get you in a trance, and I have to state once more just how much the kicks pound, they wouldn’t be nearly as mesmerizing if they weren’t so damn fat. In “Backroom” the kicks that a secondary role to the wobbly sub-bass, which also acts as the track’s lead motif, creating a very dark atmosphere overall. Both tracks end up being a bit unsatisfying due to their repetition, because as good as their low end may sound, they don’t really offer much other than that.
The closer “Extra Ice” is a welcomed surprise, and I portray it like that because the use of texture is rather intriguing. The piece is very crunchy, to put it bluntly; everything sounds super tangible, in a way, far less smooth than anything else on the record—even the drums seem to be rather dirty. It’s the sound that you’d expect if you were driving on a super bumpy road and your beat up car speakers were shaking all over the place. Safe to say that that sounds exciting to me, and so does “Extra Ice,” consequentially. Nothing sounds overly compressed or anything like that, but it’s pretty crazy regardless, there’s so much force being gushed out with each kick. It’s also insanely cool how the track is pretty much atonal, because aside from a couple higher or lower notes in the drums, there’s barely anything melodic about the piece, so each hit can shine as well as it does.
I’m also going to briefly mention the Bandcamp (thankfully) exclusive “Vengabus.” If the title sounds somewhat familiar, it’s because it is, as this is no more than a parody of The Vengaboys’ “We Like to Party.” Truth be told, I don’t know if this song has some kind of meme status in EDM or producer circles, but it’s definitely one I’ve seen being made fun of more than once. In this case, it’s no more than a barebone drum beat with the slowed down vocals on top; I also think that scuzzy sound you can catch once in a while is the bus’ horn slowed down, which if it it’s a pretty neat use of it. Other than that… yeah, pretty funny the first time you hear it, “haha, I know that one!“—then it’s excruciatingly painful to listen to for more than thirty seconds. It definitely made me chuckle the first it came on, though.
All in all, there’s definitely plenty of fun to be had with the Michigan & Rosa EP. While I do think that the replay value is limited, the production is pretty great. “ReSquish” and “Extra Ice” are two cuts that are certainly noteworthy, with the former being especially great. It’s tough, it’s kinda loud, and it’s definitely an entertaining EP, so if you’re on the lookout for some aggressive dubstep, this may do it for ya!
Michigan & Rosa is available on Satellite Trax. [Bandcamp]
