On The Boogiedownload: Mix 011 by C Dubs (UK Funky and Dubstep)

If you live in the greater Boston area and enjoy dubstep music, then I can safely assume that you have heard of the Bassic crew by now. Founders Chris “C Dubs” Ward, Damien Silva, Josephine “Pandai’a” Tempongko, and Dan Dabu started their dubstep-themed night at Goodlife at 2007, a good year before the genre gained serious momentum in America. Having been on the cusp of other forms of dance music that have stemmed from the same vein as dubstep, the Bassic guys have been very open when it comes to supporting and booking DJ’s who play other forms of electronica. UK funky, tropical, juke, and dubstep that leans heavily towards techno or house immediately come to mind. 

These guys continue to receive undivided support across the New England dance music community, with all of their nights cramming the basement dancefloor of Goodlife even on a weeknight. I wouldn’t doubt that several years from now, Chris and Damien will continue to nurture the ever changing landscape of dance music that happens to fall within the 140bpm range. 

Chris recently sent me an unreleased DJ mix he recorded earlier this year, and gave me permission to share it with the masses. A longtime DJ and curator of many of the styles mentioned above, C Dubs brings a lot to the table stylistically here. Although UK Funky (a melodic form of house with more emphasis on the percussion and bass than standard house) sits in the spotlight for much of this mix, deeper dubstep reigns supreme towards the beginning. 

This mix is a nice introduction for anyone who hasn’t been following the music of either genre in a minute; there are some popular tracks in here as well as a few that have been slept on. Many of the components have been released on Hessle Audio, a label that has released a nice variety of 12-inchers that see-saw between both house and dubstep. DJ Naughty, a recent signing on UK funky heavyweight Roska’s label also makes an appearance.

The mix ends with one of my top ten tracks of the year: Joe’s “Claptrap”. It’s a stupidly addictive and simple number which uses little more than basic percussion and a lead governed by, well, clapping! Toss a little Soul II Soul acapella up top, and you’ve got a nice send-off at the finish line.

I can tell from listening to this mix that it’s entirely vinyl, and for that I give C Dubs extra credit for continuing to support the industry with his hard earned money. Hope you guys enjoy this mix as much as I have, and be on the lookout for plenty of activity from the Bassic guys coming soon. They aren’t slowing down any time soon.

On The Boogiedownload 011 :: C Dubs

Tracklist:

1 Tumble - RamadanMan - Hessle Audio
2 ? - ? - Whitelabel
3 Cold Blooded - Rob Sparx - Sour Grapes
4 Inhale - Ben Verse - Wheel & Deal
5 Not Afraid - DJ Madd - Lime Dubs
6 Tristate - Mayhem - Dubline
7 El Presidente - Headhunter & Djunya - Surefire Sound
8 Small Hours - Asusu - Project Squared\
9 A Few More Years - RamadanMan - Hessle Audio
10 Level Crossing - Joe - Hessle Audio
11 Citizens Dub - Bok Bok ft Bubbz - Blunted Robots
12 Dusk - Hackman - Pattern
13 Quicktime (Roska Remix) - DJ Naughty - Roska Kicks & Snares
14 Untitled - Furesshu - Project Squared
15 Von Glooperstein - Hizatron - Berkane Sol
16 Iddy - Blawan - Hessle Audio
17 Lesser People - Spherix - Immerse
18 Claptrap - Joe - Hessle Audio
19 Back to Life (A Cappella Intro Version) - Virgin