Review:
Given that Caspa has previously described his 500 album as an attempt "not to compromise", you'd expect this second digital sampler to be packed to the rafters with no-holds-barred, in-your-face gear. Certainly, opener "War Drum (Done Talkin')" - featuring the distinctive vocals of reggae toaster $pyda - is pretty robust, with sirens, wobbly sub and military drum rolls adding extra energy to a surging, dancefloor-friendly dubstep groove. The slower, string-laden - but no less punchy - "80s Kid" offers a little relief, before "March of the Marionettes" takes us deep into the realms of stoned late night paranoia. Finally, "Tales of the Unexpected" comes on like a grandiose fusion of soaring movie themes, EDM and tightly programmed dancefloor dubstep.
Review:
Caspa's Vibrations series continues to reverberate the dance with its seasonal one-track scud dispatches. Following crucial jams such as "Get Higher" and "Umbongo" comes this almighty piece of bass theatre that's strident from its opening staccato strings. Marching into the bleak future with a bassline that opens up into swampy, noxious riff mid-way - and a cool scientific sample about all things solar - it's Caspa at his most forthright and stately. Feel the heat.
Review:
Remember Caspa & Rusko? Two of the main instigators of the entire dubstep sound? Well, the former's back after a lengthy session MIA, and it sounds like he hasn't changed a bit since the golden days back in 05-08. That's not to say that this year isn't fresh - it's amazing - but we mean that it's the illest, most purest form of the genre that you're gonna get nowadays. Granted, "Deja Vu" does mess up the beats considerably, and there is something unheard about it, but that wobbling cascade of bass is vey much of the vintage sort - all greezy and up for causing a ruckus! Yes, Caspa!
Review:
Following the soul-shaking groove of "Umbongo", Caspa's one-track-fire Vibrations series continues with another absolute hair-raiser: "Get Higher". Fully charged with a vocal sample that's craftily morphed into a surging FX rise, there are dark cosmic theatrics riddled throughout the eerie, spaced-out groove. Caspa's in a great place right now. Feel the vibrations!
Review:
His rawest, heaviest work to date, "500: Episode 1" is the precursor to a huge North American tour for the Dub Police founder, and he's not lost any of the individuality that's set him apart from the start. Describing the release himself as "cinematic" and "emotional", this marks a change in the producer's style, where true depth is being weighed out over heaviness and hype. Painted against a post-apocalyptic landscape in sound as well as the stylish cover art, he's marked out a new beginning for himself. We want to hear more.
Review:
The stars have aligned on this one: Youngsta's impeccable Sentry imprint has meant the business since it launched last year with dBridge and it's got hotter ever since. Now battered and bruised by two Caspa workouts, the message is even louder. "Gutter Riddim" is a powerful groaner with warped bass and slight trap elements in the rolling drums while "Hot Head" plays with our senses with a vicious angular drop that suddenly explodes into the wobble fest of your (wet) dreams. Stinking.
Review:
Some tasty, extra special treat this week from the likes of Caspa and Rusko - anthem alert, right here! There is no point introducing these two, given their invaluable contribution to the dubstep scene since its early days, but what we should say is that it feels like a special surprise to have them together again, ripping bars to pieces like they used to back in the day. "Riddem Again" is a fast, aggressive bass stepper that sound more like a grime offshoot than it does dubstep, and "Whiplash" carries the same sort of hybrid framework, except here the groove is comparatively more broken and guided by a swagger-ready injection of gunshot lyrics. "Cup Of Peace" sounds like an ode to the duo's dub/reggae roots, a slow, drunken kind of tune that sways from left to right with that inimitable Jamaican haze that has characterised much of the dubstep sound over the years. They're back and in business.
Review:
Come backs don't come any better than Caspa & Rusko's reunion. Since re-colliding last Autumn the pair have done nothing but drip feed us vibes. Not formulas, no expectations, just ace tracks that are made with such a buzz it's tangible the moment you press play. Having slapped us with authentic dub, grime and badboy 808 business the two titans lick up a breakbeat and massage us with tapepack vibes. If you haven't invested in white glove, whistle or horn shares by the end of the track you should probably seek help. Massive.
Review:
Emalkay and Caspa team up to produce a third release for Bring It Down, one year to the day the label was inaugurated with Emalkay's For the People EP. Following a remix package of that aforementioned three-track, this time the UK producer looks to something more melodic than the heavy dubstep workings of last time. "Tomorrow" sounds like the credit music of a '90s manga film before building into a cyclic storm of throbbing bass and relentless snares. "Detonations" harbours one of this year's biggest tear out basslines. You've been warned.
