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Words & Images by: Alex Borsody
M80 Dub Station :: 12.29.08 :: Highline Ballroom :: New York, NY
 M80 Dub Station :: 12.29 :: NYC |
Dubstep came from the U.K. and made a name for itself Stateside in NYC. The genre caught on through performances at Love in Manhattan with Dub War NYC, and through resident dubstep DJs Joe Nice, Passions and Star Eyes. Jon Gutwillig, better known for his lead vocals and guitar with The Disco Biscuits, had a transcendental experience at a Skream concert, one of dub's biggest artists, and has since been spinning dubstep under his DJ alias, M80 Dub Station.
Dub War NYC was exposed to a whole new audience after they were packed up by The Disco Biscuits and taken to play this year's Camp Bisco. Watching the Dub War show at the festival, it was easy to tell that the musicians were kind of blown away by the massive crowd that gathered at their tent and at how into it everybody was. It reminded me of my favorite moment in rock, when Jay-Z came out onstage with Phish at Coney Island and said, "Goddamn! Ya'll guys were hiding all this from me. I felt it!"
This evening brought together Gutwillig, Philadelphia DJ Sonkin and one of the original U.K. dubsteppers, M.R.K.1, at the Highline Ballroom. You could tell that Gutwillig really enjoys doing a live laptop show, and it has got to be something of a novelty after so many years playing rock. One of the best moments of the night was when he took out his guitar to lay some melody over the electronic rhythms, creating new and interesting cross-genre music.
 M80 Dub Station :: 12.29 :: NYC |
I see The Disco Biscuits as the unlikely saviors of improvisational rock, taking the movement beyond festivals into electronic and dance music realms. If it wasn't for bands like the Biscuits and STS9, the younger generation of live music fans would not be as widely exposed to the experience of long, cathartic instrumental jams, a tradition continued on from '60s psychedelia.
One thing that was consistent throughout the night was that the crowd was really into the show. This was The Disco Biscuits day off from their five-night NYE run at the Nokia and only the true fans showed up. M.R.K.1 really got the crowd moving, playing everything from Southern rap to grime to dubstep. Sonkin opened up the show and was just as much of a crowd pleaser as the main acts. M.R.K.1's set went deep into the night and the DJs took turns as well as collaborating a bit. The music seemed to get progressively louder, and when the clock struck 4 a.m. about 90-percent of the people where still there dancing. Dubstep is always super LOUD and bass heavy, and I even saw a few health conscious dancers wearing neon earplugs.
Major festivals seem to be moving away from long instrumental sets, inching towards indie rock and electronic music, which is understandable; life forms need to evolve for survival and musicians needs to evolve to stay fresh and keep up with the necessary evils of the music business. Unfortunately, people can't travel around the country playing to huge crowds on love alone. All musicians want to expand their horizons and branch out. Rappers want to make rock records and rockers want to rap and do electronica. The Disco Biscuits have progressively brought more and more electronic and hip-hop acts to Camp Bisco, culminating with last year's festival, where they shared the bill with MSTRKRFT, DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist and Snoop Dogg. The Disco Biscuits bridge the gap between electronic music, dance music and even hip-hop, such as their collaboration with Philadelphia rap producer Dirty Harry. Previous Camps have included such varied acts as Infected Mushroom, Slick Rick, !!! and The Roots, to name just a few.
 M80 Dub Station :: 12.29 :: NYC |
Branching out into dubstep is particularly interesting because it appeals to the reggae audience that is already present in the jam music scene with its slow, steady rhythms and Rasta vocals. Even the fashion of many Disco Biscuit fans is progressive and unique. Tie-dyes and dreadlocks are intermixed with sleek graphic designs and urban futurism; the band has a veritable apparel empire, everything short of an actual clothing line. Despite all these trimmings, the Biscuits still have the hard working ethic of a heavily touring jam band.
Though there will always be a place for the happy, carefree music that started the mega-festival movement, the world is becoming an increasingly dark place and many people have come to identify with music that reflects this. Dubstep is known for its dark mood, deep bass and minimalism. Dubstep uses minor chords and dissonant harmonies that create a perfect backdrop for the gothic, gritty landscape of cities like NYC, Philadelphia and Manchester. The minor chords used in dubstep have traditionally expressed darkness or tension in music. However, it can create a meditative atmosphere that is attractive to a growing audience, some of whom may otherwise not go for the more aggressive styles of jungle or drum & bass. M80 Dub Station is an ambitious project clearly undertaken out of genuine love for the music and the true creativity that comes through collaboration, experimentation and unbridled musical freedom.
JamBase | Reverberating
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