SCUBA Vinilo y CD

Review: Hotflush kingpin Scuba has been rather busy touring in recent years but 2012 was the time for a long awaited LP from the man. There are plenty of tracks here, ranging from more experimental, bass-filtered dub beats to straight up techno stompers and we dont' want to spoil it all for you if you havent' heard it yet, but there are a few highlights..."Underbelly" is a favourite here at HQ, bridging grinding electro basslies with techno sensibilities; "July" is another BIG shout, sounding something like Juan Atkins if he were brought up in south London; and "Cognitive Dissonance" takes jungle-style beats to a new level, pushing them further and further away form the safety of harsh mutant basses or reggae vocals. Indulge and enjoy!

Review: Scuba's widely lauded Triangulation gets re-released as a 2-CD set containing new remixes of some of the album's finest moments. Interpretations opens with a remake of original album track "Before", entitled "Before (After)", which is followed by a remix of "Latch" by house types Mike Monday and Will Saul, who pinch the dubstep sensibilities of the original and apply them to a minimal house beat, making for a fascinating sonic exploration. It also features retweaks from the inimitable Falty DL, Canadian producer Deadbeat, Hessle Audio's Joe and South London's Deadboy, while Scuba also reworks memorable album track "You Got Me". The album is also included in its original form, and for those who missed it the first time round, we seriously recommended you check it out. The Hot Flush boss seamlessly moves between a range of tempos, referencing house, techno, experimental D&B, dubstep, garage and all the unexplored, ever-shifting territory between these constellations.

Review: House types Mike Monday and Will Saul turn in a shuffling remix of Scuba's "Latch", plucked from his superb Triangulation album. The duo pinch dubstep sensibilities and apply them to a minimal house beat, making for a fascinating sonic exploration. The favour has been returned with Scuba turning in a killer remix of Monday and Saul's analogue house jam "Sequence 1", which should see the light of day on Aus Music soon. Also included on this 12" is the original cut of "Three Sided Shape", yet another highlight from Triangulation.

Review: Paul Rose AKA Scuba has seen his Hotflush imprint climb to revered recognition over the last year or so. Releasing seminal dubstep artefacts such as Joy Orbison's Hyph Mngo and Mount Kimbie’s Maybes pulled in huge attention for the label, despite owner Rose's debut album from the year before receiving less attention. A Mutual Antipathy is only now receiving the accolades it deserved through serving as a both a building block of the label and a marker for his new album, Triangulation.
Blurring the lines of dubstep, techno, trip-hop and electronic, Scuba provides one of the truest dubstep crossovers to date with his second full length. Now residing in Berlin, where he is a monthly resident for Sub:stance in the mighty and cavernous Berghain club, the influence of the city’s deep seeded techno and dub subcultures make themselves much clearer in this follow up. Tracks like "On Deck" and "Tracers" owe much to the refined, dubby techno of Berlin as does the cold mechanical feel of "Heavy Machinery" before the wide sub bass of "You Got Me" opens up the rest of the album, allowing Rose to push the tempo that bit further. Before then, we see much of the sound that still signatures this as a Scuba record. Tracks like the spooky garage of "Latch" and the juttering "Three Sided Shape" cry back to the feel of two step and half tempo drum and bass. There are also moments of relief, such as "So You Think You're Special" and "Before" which both make use of female vocals in dub sounding trip-hop numbers.
Triangulation is a charming album that soaks influence and inspiration from across the board. Wonderfully unique and crafted with expert skill, it is the most comprehensive dub crossover offering so far. Surely now, Scuba will begin to demand the same kind of attention as the other artists on his own label.

Review: After three outings on the Scuba sub-label, which ranged from crunching electro-dubstep to the fluttering emotive soundscapes of the most recent 12", Scuba finally touches down on the main label. With a distinctive sound recognised as one of the big hitters in dubstep, these two tracks push the envelope further for Hotflush and Scuba. 'Twista' tore the roof off the legendary DMZ first birthday party in March, with crunching live guitars colliding with a reggae off-beat and enormous sub bass. This was a Hatcha exclusive before the likes of Joe Nice, Distance and Mark One got on the case. Plate picks up the techno/electro baton from the last Scuba 12", mixing up chasmic reverb drums, swooping synths and the trademark Scuba sub. This one was featured by Mary Anne Hobbs on her Radio 1 Breezeblock show.

Review: Over the years, there have been numerous approaches taken towards the DJ Kicks series, from spooky nerd-outs and downtempo voyages to funk-laden journeys and inspired, willy-waving eclecticism. On this latest instalment, Hotflush boss Scuba has decided to go for an all-out dancefloor assault. Yet this is no ordinary club-friendly mix. It touches on all strains of bass music with moments that take in juke, techno, dubstep, wonky, future garage, acid, broken beat and more. The rate that Scuba charges through tracks can only be described as furious, shifting between ragged floor fillers, emotion-rich groovers and atmosphere-heavy mood pieces at a rate of knots. That it never seems forced or breathless is testament to his skills. As bass music mixes go, you'll find few better.