Son Raw would like to invite the producers of the following tunes to send him promotional copies.
Dubplates. Originally a term referring to the actual physical acetates of unreleased material cut by Jamaican sound system DJs seeking an edge over their competitors, the meaning of the word had shifted in the digital era to mean unreleased music in any format. They provide the shock of the new when seeing a big name DJ and the awe that comes with the feeling of never knowing if you’ll ever hear a piece of music again but they can also be frustrating – you may never hear that piece of music again! Of course that track you’ve been waiting for MIGHT get released in 3, 6 maybe 9 months but by then it’ll have been rinsed so hard on radio and in the dance that you may not even want it anymore, you’ll be too busy fiending for the next dub. With that in mind, here are three scorching riddims burning up the Grime scene right now that can’t be found in stores. Coming to a rave near you!
1. Splurt Diablo – J3
An explosively accelerated version of Wu-Tang’s classic Protect Your Neck beat, Splurt’s J3 has been floating around the Internet for a minute now with no official release in sight, which is a shame because it’s the kind of tune that’ll get an instant reaction among Hip-Hop heads furiously trying to place that Underdog sample. Hopefully Wiley’s recent vocal as part of his “Step” series will encourage a label to pick this one up and give it a proper home because it’s just too massive to stay in the hands of the chosen few.
Download: Wiley – Step 2 (over J3)
2. Darq E. Freaker – Ironside (Kill Bill)
This one isn’t even on Youtube. Another beneficiary of Wiley’s recent freestyle series, Ironside jacks a hair-raising synth sample from Kill Bill and turns it into a massive beat that splits the difference between trap-ready hi hat science and dance floor propulsion. I imagine clearance might be a bitch when it comes to this one so hopefully it sees the light of day in one form or another because it’s an instant winner and a far more clever use of the Kill Bill soundtrack than the million and one beats that have jacked Nancy Sinatra’s “Bang Bang” over the past decade.
Download: Darq E Freaker – Ironside (Kill Bill) (Clip)
Download: Wiley Step 7 (over Ironside)
D.O.K – Old Skool Vibes
Finally, this beat is so elusive that I had to rip it from an Elijah & Skilliam Rinse set and even then, all I managed to get was this one minute clip. Perhaps best known for his collaborations with Terror Danjah and his left-field releases on Hyperdub, D.O.K is one of those underrated Grime producers that truly deserves some extra shine. Old Skool Vibes flips an ecstatic diva sample into a wordless orgy of melisma before re-enforcing things with pounding sub bass stabs and nimble percussion. It’s a virtuoso performance and one that needs a full release. Et tu Kode9?
Download: D.O.K – Old Skool Vibes (clip)
