Various Artists - Storming Productions & DJ Quiet Storm pres. Built For Boundaries

Rinse FM regular DJ Quietstorm began his DJ career in the late ‘90s. In 2002 he took the step into producing, and quickly gained recognition through J Da Flex. This exposure saw him signed to record label Fragile Beatz. After the demise of this label in 2003, Quiet Storm set up his own label the very next year. Built for Boundaries is a 17 track mixed CD (also available on vinyl as a six-track unmixed sampler) that showcases artists from the three labels that Quiet storm now runs: Storming Productions, Dub Police and Sub Soldiers.

Dubstep has, for me, been an acquired taste. My appreciation for it has come from my love of ‘pure’ dub, and as such, my preference has been for music from those producing dubstep at the ‘dubbier’ end of the spectrum such as Burial and Skream. This compilation then had two things that automatically counted against it in my view: it’s a mixed CD, and it contains a lot of music from the ‘steppy’ end of the genre. Protocol X’s Our Storm opens proceedings, and sets the tone for what is to come. Opening with a sparse drum rhythm, it morphs into some heavily distorted vocal samples before a dark, heavy bassline kicks in. Scarecrow’s Exorcist is expertly mixed in with the vocal sample “People will know that demons are real…” and this somewhat disturbing track leads into the lighter, dubbier No Such Thing as Fate.

Skipping ahead a little we get to Dub Child’s huge Mount Zion (Distance Remix). This is without a doubt one of the standout tracks in this mix – it’s one heavy, heavy tune. I’d love to hear it live on a big system; the bass would no doubt re-arrange internal organs! Protocol X comes through with the goods again on Screwheadz, a track which makes judicious use of a nice vocal sample and tempo changes.

The industrial influence is unmistakable on Reso’s Metal Slug, while Toastyboy slows things down a little with Knowledge. He also contributes the closest thing to a happy track in the mix with She, although it drops into some heavy syncopated nastiness about half way through. Quiet storm himself closes out the album with his track Tribute 10.

I was not expecting to like this album. Mixed compilations are definitely not my thing, and I generally like my music a little less dark than this. After initial listens on my stereo, I listened to this a lot as MP3s, often through my laptop speakers. It was one of the Sub Bass Snarl guys who said that dubstep is one of the few genres’ that just doesn’t work as MP3s, and they’re right. Without the heavy bass end, it tends to just sound almost unlistenably tinny, and it wasn’t until I got back to listening to this on a (relatively) decent system that I fully appreciated it. If you’re coming to dubstep from a drum n’ bass or even an industrial or metal background, this could well be the album that helps you understand that genre. Just make sure you do the bass justice!

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Citizen says...

on August 28th, 2007

Hoenstly, listening to most music through computer speakers is doing yourself, and the artists, a diservice. And yes, you are right - Dubstep is susceptible to that effect more than most other genres.

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