Son Raw is the ghost of Garage’s future.
I was going to tune in to Dusk and Blackdown’s monthly Rinse show live last Sunday, but good weather and a picnic opportunity got in the way. They’re English, I’m sure they’ll understand the appeal of an honest to goodness sunny day. Besides, this is the podcast era, so missing out on a live broadcast is hardly an issue. But unlike most contemporary radio, it’s striking how important the live element feels when listening to these guys. From the opening glitches to a hilarious twitter-aided conversation with a new producer’s girlfriend, the Keysound crew keep things resoundingly pirate — emphasizing a communal, DIY aspect of dance music that’s too often lost as producers and DJs seek to blow up and make that EDM money.
Yes, listening to the hottest tracks on Boiler Room with people from around the world has its appeal, but I’d rather listen to DJs debut some weird shit that some kid made in his basement, knowing that the producer is sitting at home getting just as hype . It’s the broadcast equivalent of preferring smaller, more intimate shows to massive, multi-day festivals: something gets lost as things get bigger. Having seen how Dubstep went from Garage’s bastard child to a capitalist commodity, Keysound is acutely aware of this and a rebel ethos shines through the show. This is how you survive and thrive after the bubble pops: by remembering why you’re doing this in the first place.
Of course, it also helps that they have a murderer’s row of new producers sending them exclusive music each month: that Wen track? Fire.
Download:
MP3: Dusk & Blackdown on Rinse (June 2013)
