Dabs - Skull & Bones

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  • Italian producer Dabs isn't exactly a newcomer, but he hasn't quite broken through to drum & bass's upper echelons either. His latest EP for Horizons Music makes quite a case for him, though. Svelte and sharp, these two tracks emphasize his subtler side, as easy to enjoy as pieces of sound design as they are club cuts. The most distinctive part of Dabs' sound is its clarity. From the opening bar of "Skull & Bones" the audio is immaculately chiseled, with drum sounds that are more like knives than percussive thuds. Winding an Eatern instrument like twine around its core, the track has a sped-up sinogrime vibe complete with an unobtrusive vocal from MC Kwality. He turns "Skull & Bones" just a smidgen towards the dark side, a contrast to the beating heart of Dabs' production. "Hourglass" plays the same yin-yang game but is more ornate. The central chiming sample is offset by muscular drums and a bassline that bubbles up from below, tarnishing the polished marble without leaving a scuff. It's this kind of sonic perfectionism that Dabs is building his name on.
  • Tracklist
      A Hourglass feat. Mortem B Skull & Bones feat.MC Kwality
RA