Not long ago we talked about Hyperdub as a label that deserves more attention and gushed about their latest release by Cooly G.
Wanting to do our bit in spreading some further love for the ‘dub we thought it’d be a good idea to put together a playlist of 10 essential tracks, but narrowing their back cat down to just 10 cuts is no easy feat so we had to phone a friend, calling in the biggest Hyperdub fan boy we know.
Enter Louis Papantos, you might remember him from classic playlists such as 21 under 21 and… well… that’s it for now but he’s about to add another classic to his archive with this, his Believe The Hype - 10 Hyperdub Essentials selection of jams.
Take it away LP!
Kode9 & Spaceape – Kingstown
One of the most intoxicating pieces of dubstep, Kode9 takes you into his dark world with his heavy subs, dark leads and dub rhythms, while Spaceape spits poetry that fully immerses you in their manufactured ghostly domain. The way he drops “is it true what you say as you lick your tongue upon honey lust?” still gives me goose bumps. Rip to one of the greatest.
Burial – Loner
It isn’t a Hyperdub playlist without a Burial tune, but I thought I’d pick a track that was more suitable to this playlist so it didn’t bum all you listeners out. Loner has to be one of Burial’s greatest tunes and I’m surprised I haven’t seen this ever played out. It starts off sounding very Burial-ish, Reese bass lines, vocals drenched in delays, then that arp drops out of no-where and you remember why Burial is one of the most acclaimed producers of all time. That beautiful ending is a very rewarding too.
Cooly G – Hold Me
Dangerous sounds that result in a track that can’t be pinned to one genre. Filled with throbbing basslines, dub pads, acid leads and punchy drums that consistently push the track to new boundaries, just when you think it’s at its peak it defies your expectation again.
DJ Rashad – I Don’t Give a Fuck
If I ever needed an entrance song, this would be my pick. Nothing can boil my blood quicker than this DJ Rashad gem. Those bleeps are criminal, and when the drums finally drop into the trademark footwork sound, I lose my shit every time, guaranteed. Not for the faint hearted. RIP.
Jesse Lanza – Against the Wall
This track is difficult to put into words, it would be easy to pigeonhole it as R&B & pop, but it’s just so much more than that. There is a careful intimacy between the production and Jesse’s sparse vocals resulting in each sound bouncing off each other, resulting in melodies working together harmoniously and not dominancy. It’s very hard to balance that intricacy and Jesse & Junior Boys maintain this perfectly throughout the album.
DVA: Where I Belong
Powerful melodies run through the entirety of this track, heavy analogue pads and leads accompanied by huge 808 rhythms. Almost like a futuristic hymn when that choir comes in.
Kyle Hall – Girl You So Strong
This song is outrageously fresh, pulsing basslines and shuffling syncopated drums create this broken rhythmic jam that continuously builds with new dynamics through its entirety.
LV feat Okmalumkoolkat – Sebenza
“Se-Sebenza, Se-Sebenza, only rest in December!” Nuff said.
Ikonika – Mr.Cake
People often associate Ikonika with the dubstep scene with her very influential earlier works, but Mr.Cake from Aerotropolis is an 80’s synth-pop like jam and is one of my favorites from her.
Zomby – Spaceman
Classic Zomby sounds, 8-bit pulsing rhythms, broken drums, dubstep motifs, and of course, air horns.
