Instead of doing a list of the big tunes of the year I’ve decided to concentrate on the music that was the most adventurous and forward thinking. Some of these tracks went on to sell well, so it’s good to see that the scene is embracing the less obvious sounds. From looking around the forums I’ve seen a lot of people criticising what they perceive to be the dumbing down of Dubstep. While some of this talk is a bit too doom & gloom (2006 was a great year for the genre after all) there is some truth to the claim that certain producers are becoming too formulaic in their quest to outdo each other by creating obvious dancefloor killers. But at the end of the day there’s been a lot of good stuff on the record racks, and if you go the extra mile you’ll find inspiring tracks aplenty.

Note: I’ve been liberal with my definition of 2006. Some of these tunes aren’t out yet, but were big on dubplate; others were released last year but were reasonably old by the time they reached the cutting house. It’s best not to get too anal about these things.

Mala- ‘Bury da Bwoy’ (DMZ 011)
No surprise that this makes an appearance, one of the defining tunes of the year in many people’s eyes. Only released last month, I’m going to let this one off as it built up a buzz around it throughout the second half of ’06. Before this you could have probably counted all the four to the floor Dubstep tunes on one hand (all I can think of off the top of my head is High Plains Drifter’s ‘Somewhere’), but Mala came up with a twist on the sound with his unique galloping kick drums.

Not particularly bass heavy, ‘Bury da Bwoy’ seems to break all the rules, but if anything this is probably the reason why it got such a positive reaction. But I have to say that I find it a bit depressing that what with the relatively small size of the Dubstep scene this track will remain unheard by many outsiders, when in truth it’s probably one of the most experimental tracks to come out of Dance music in years.

Shackleton- ‘Hamas Rule’ (Skull Disco 005)
Middle Eastern sounds have always been a bit of a Dubstep cliché, but with ‘Hamas Rule’ Shackleton takes the style to the next level with some of the most intricate drum programming the genre has seen yet. I wonder what World Music experts would make of this. Perhaps the big bassline would scare them off. Also of note is Appleblim’s A-side ‘Fear’, which is startling for it’s minimalism (and refreshing too).

The Bug ft Flowdan- ‘Jah War’ (Off the Warrior Dubz LP, Planet Mu)
Definitely one of the more standout cuts on what was all in all a pretty good album. I’m not really sure if this is straight up Dubstep, but if it’s not that then what other banner could it fall under? The stop start nature of the drums is reminiscent of Naughty’s- ‘Pussy Trak’ (DJ Hype remix) from a few years back. But it’s the Ragga chat that makes this one special. There’s not enough exciting vocals in the scene.

Mala– ‘Conference’ (Soul Jazz)
At least 2 years old by the time of release, this was rescued from the Digital Mystikz vaults by Soul Jazz. Funnily enough a few weeks prior to Digital Mystikz’s signing with the label Mala appeared on the Plastician’s first Radio1 show in a short telephone conversation. He expressed surprise when the DJ drew for this old dubplate and not a newer one. But the appeal of ‘Conference’ is timeless, as was proven when it went on to become a bestseller. 

Pinch- ‘Qawwali’ (Planet Mu)
While Shackleton came up with some energetic drums for his Middle Eastern epic, Bristol’s Pinch takes us on a more relaxed journey. But Qawwali is punctuated throughout by a strangely loud set of sub sounds, with the kicks fading into the background and the snare used more judiciously than in most tracks. While not an overtly dancefloor friendly tune, Qawwali was a fitting debut for Pinch on the Planet Mu label. 

DJ Tubby Vs Footsie- ‘Tiger Style’ (Braindead 007)
With the kind of pitch changes that sound a bit like a DJ inexpertly brushing a record with their fingers, this one is an acquired taste, but once you develop a liking for it… you’re hooked. The bassline manages to sound pretty different from your average Dubstep fare as well. Also look out for the excellent remixes on the flipside.

Kode 9 & the Spaceape- ‘Backwards’ (Hyperdub 004)
When you think about it Kode 9 & the Spaceape did a lot to push the vocal sound in 2006. You know a tune’s got a lot of balls when it starts with barely any intro at all. But the duo have a right to feel confident when they’ve created a track as well balanced as this. You didn’t really know Dubstep needed some recognisable vocal hooks until you heard ‘Backwards’.

Marc Ashken- ‘Roots Dyed Dark’ (Skream remix)
With clever production methods Skream discovered how to make 4x4 appealing at 140BPM, no small feat considering that Hard Dance have been falling over this hurdle for years now. This dubplate has little in common with the techno original, so it’s clear that Skream has put a lot of work into this mix.

Moldy- ‘Black Forest’ (part one) (Heavy Pressure 001)
Not much more to say about this one, it was reviewed 2 weeks ago. A great Dubstep debut from the American producer.

Geiom- ‘Overnight Biscuits’ (Berkane Sol 001)
Definitely a lot more musical than your average Dubstep track, ‘Overnight Biscuits’ worked just as well with the bassline EQ’ued out than it did with the sub intact. A slow builder, it’s hard to tell whether the instrumentation used in the tune is an original creation or a sample. But whatever their source they are very welcome in a genre starved of melodic sounds (though admittedly Skream did a lot to change this in ’06).

Timeblind- ‘Ontological Ground Of Being’ (Soot 010)
Like the one above this had an oriental vibe to it. In terms of drum pattern ‘Ontological’ was pretty experimental, having no snare and riding along a set groove with barely a solid kick drum about the place. The bassline was out of the ordinary too, quite hard to distinguish from the other elements of the track. A look of ontological in an encyclopaedia shows that the word refers to ontology, an ancient Greek study of ‘being or existence’. Indeed. The two B-side tracks on this EP (called Ghostification) are also worth a look, especially the accessible Electronica of ‘Copy Copy’

Caspa- ‘Rubber Chicken’ (Tempa 019)
In theory there are only so many bassline melodies that can be created, which is probably why producers are constantly looking for new ways to alter their drops using LFO’s and the like. Caspa dares to keep things really simplistic, with the main part of the bassline being just a single key quickly tapped 10 times in succession. It’s refreshingly basic, but it’s the kind of thing that could attract criticism of Dubstep being a poorly produced style of music.

But just when you start to appreciate the bassline for it’s boldness, it goes through a sequence where it changes speed constantly in the space of 16 bars. From ludicrously fast to very slow, it’s quite an elaborate workout to dance to it. This section is short lived though and it soon returns to the original bassline. For me ‘Rubber Chicken’ is adventurous simply because it’s crude, in a similar way to how ‘Pulse X’ or ‘Eskimo’ flipped the script a few years ago. But unlike those 2 tracks it doesn’t look like Caspa’s effort has inspired a legion of copycats. 

Skream- ‘Summer Dreams’ (on the Skream! album, Tempa)
This came in for a bit of stick on the internet due to it’s unashamedly 2-step Garage flex. Not unlike a Phuturistix or Maddslinky track from a few years ago, ‘Summer Dreams’ was perhaps too jazzy for today’s Dubstep market, which praises darkness above all else. But if anything it’s good to see the likes of this and various Burial tracks reviving (for want of a better word) the more ‘girly’ sound. Vintage 2-step always had a problem with holding back the cheese, so perhaps it’s going to take the work of respected Dubstep producers to provide us with more credible interpretations on the old style.     
                                                                 Article by Owen Griffiths