The launch of a homegrown label is a milestone which indicates the growth in popularity of a given sound within a region – a surefire indication that the spread of a genre is gaining significant momentum. The last few years have seen a virulent strain of the dubstep virus take hold throughout Australia, with clusters of DJs and producers spawning in each of the nation’s capitals.

Sub Continental Dub makes the bold claim of being the first Australian label to release dubstep from the South Pacific to the world. Garage Pressure’s Farj and co. may have one release under their belt with their Aquatic Lab imprint, but curiously chose to showcase the work of UK producers Caspa & Rusko instead of repping some home grown talent. By comparison, the fledgling Sub Continental Dub is focussed specifically on showcasing what Australia has to offer the world of dubstep.

Hailing from Melbourne, first cab of the ranks is Spherix, a producer who has been receiving favourable feedback on his first releases and multiple rotations on dubstep internet radio stations abroad. Dub Chemistry is a very laid back foray into dubwise territory which features a neat vocal sample that may be familiar to anyone who can recall Phil K’s Sound Not Scene compilation form a few years back. The track itself is a breezy affair, oozing lazy summery vibes as deep dubby basslines are offset by a sweet melodic skank. To his detriment, Spherix clings tightly to a standard halfstep pattern that fails to engage the listener for the full duration of the track. This is the weak link in an otherwise strong track.

On the flip, Goblin follows in a slightly darker vein, while still using the rigid plod of the halfstep percussion that’s featured on the A side. A few lush synths, sporadic handclaps and snippets of wobble bassline complete the limited palette of sounds on this restrained track.

While this release may struggle to distinguish itself amongst the influx of brilliant material emerging at the moment, this debut for an Australian label points to bright things With a raft of releases in the pipeline including a 12” from Western Synthetics and a compilation of Australian dubstep, Sub Continental Dub will be a label to watch in the future. A genuine milestone in the growth of dubstep music in Australia, and hopefully the first of many more to come.

Check out some more info on Sub Continental Dub.