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Live Dubstep acts, e.g Jazz steppa
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 7:51 pm
by mish
Whats the verdict, or should i say opinion on live Dubstep acts e.g Jazzsteppa (whom to my knowledge are one of the only ones).
Ive got mixed opinions on the subject, because im interested in the idea and have already met up with a few people with similar interests. But unlike jazzsteppa this would be a project with nothing but musical instuments trying to replicate the heavy, disjointed, and linear sound of dubstep.
Ive also thought about how people would react to a band. For example With Dj's theres an intimate interaction with the crowd and the dj when he drops a big tune. Do you think that would be lost with a band?
Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 2:37 pm
by nedklic
I personally think there's a lot of room for stuff like that, though it would be tricky to get the weight of the sound with just instruments.. If you had a synth/sampler for the sub bass it could work though. Some really interesting stuff at the mo with dance music incorporating live stuff. Saw the Bays do a crazy show with the Heritage Orchestra last night which was really inspiring..
Do it!
Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 5:11 pm
by overcast radio
I think it's not an apple to apple comparision. One instance is a band, and the other is a DJ/selector. I'm not saying it's bad at all and a band can create that space and weight. As far as reaction with the DJ dropping big tunes...there is an equal yet different reaction to bands/live musicians and audience...again just not apples to apples. What you have is a dub band for practical purposes, which is great. In my experience with music, whether DJing, producing TV spots, free-jazz projects, whatever...it's not so much what you do, it's how you do it. Not so important if no one or anyone has "done it" because to truly find something totally 100% unique is near impossible nowadays. It's kind of zen but once something ceases being what it is, it isn't that thing anymore re: as a band you cannot drop a new tune by producer x, therefore you are not a DJ in the trad sense.
What I'm personally getting interested in is the idea of creating the tunes on the fly...starting from DJ and working back toward band...almost interpolating what you are talking about. Now that I've spent a lot of practical time DJing...I'm using that delivery style to inform my production re: under-produce and leave room for that third thing: live performance be it the mixing style, players on top, minimal production, unmixed stems for recombinance, etc.
This is a great question bc it opens the floor to so many topics about what this music is, what it's not, facets of enjoying it, and ultimately you must go back to music as a whole no genre is immune from these questions. The coolest thing about your idea is the fact that you will set out to do what you described...and you will land somewhere else entirely unexpected and tweak that...bring out all the benefits of both halves i.e. live band vs. DJ. Seems to me what you want is the overall weight, superimposed rhythmic feels, and space as dubstep meaning from a timbral, spectral, and production side...not so much the dynamic of a dance, mix-tape culture, and weaving all different producers together--which has it's place too. We have to deconstruct all the roles to understand it better sometimes...and know the difference and hopefully not shove square pegs in round holes.
Good luck with it....I'm sure you will get results you want, don't want, and didn't expect--the latter usually is worth pursuing.
Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 9:43 pm
by ryanm0710
vex'd do live sets, i fink. as do magnetic man. and boxcutter. and goth-trad
Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 10:35 pm
by benj b
how are we defining "live" exactly?
Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2008 10:41 pm
by promo
benj b wrote:how are we defining "live" exactly?

?
Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 12:36 am
by my name is not billy
ryanm0710 wrote:vex'd do live sets, i fink. as do magnetic man. and boxcutter. and goth-trad
I think this is more about live instruments as oppose to live manipulation! The only experiance I've had with seeing anything that could qujalify as live was redbuttonbluebutton plaig live drums over dubstep and d&b which tbh was awesome, although the latest Shit! Hot Llama song we're working on has a 7/4 time dubstep feel (have to wait a while for that one though)
If anyone else down south fancies a bit of a live collaberation let me know! I'd be WELL up for it!
Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 12:47 am
by tacospheros
me and my homeboy have been trying to play live drums over dubstep/jungle for a while now , and finally did it at Konkrete Jungle about a month ago . it was fucking awesome, but it was the first time , so there's obvious kinks to be worked out . but i had a ton of fun
any bass players in the NY area wanna get down with 2 experimental drummers ? throw me a pm
Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 1:25 am
by deadly_habit
is there any vids of jazzsteppa live?
and tacospheros:
you should check out these if you haven't already
macc (the one who posts here)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ult0XNxVIEQ
kj sawka
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp5OxEzxuSg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b98BJ36K1wo
if you're in nyc you should try to hook up with bill laswell for that live bass tip

Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 2:54 am
by nedklic
Deadly Habit wrote:is there any vids of jazzsteppa live?
there's a couple on youtube, just search jazzsteppa and you'll find some. when they played down here in Brighton there was two of them and they were playing over a cubase project which looked like finished master bounces of tunes arranged into a set, then live drums, trombone and vox over the top through various delays.. absolutely killed it, was a great set!
Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 2:55 am
by deadly_habit
nedklic wrote:Deadly Habit wrote:is there any vids of jazzsteppa live?
there's a couple on youtube, just search jazzsteppa and you'll find some. when they played down here in Brighton there was two of them and they were playing over a cubase project which looked like finished master bounces of tunes arranged into a set, then live drums, trombone and vox over the top through various delays.. absolutely killed it, was a great set!
sick he's one of my fav producers searching now
Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 7:09 am
by dubsworth
I play in a live dubstep band (who also plays one or two jungle/mid tempo songs a set) called "The Spit Brothers." In our set, I play drums, bass and guitar. The other core member of the group, Bakir, plays trumpet, keys and melodica. We both take turns triggering sections, samples, and dub fading and will sometimes bring in guest to do some of that as well. Our set has transitions which contain build ups and drops similar to the dynamic of dj sets. We perform our songs (spit bros and dubsworth/bakir solo tracks ) and collab projects with other artists. We have performed along side Caspa and Rusko, and on new years, I'm pleased to say we are doing our live set following acts, Plastician, MRK-1, and Kromestar. We have tracks out on Fullmelt and are about to start our label DubsAlive (on beatport in the next few weeks). The label is focused around dubstep/sublow tracks featuring live instrumental performances. Much love to the live music lovers.
Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 12:22 pm
by promo
Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 12:25 pm
by promo
Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 2:30 pm
by tminus
Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 8:58 pm
by mish
benj b wrote:how are we defining "live" exactly?
In this instance were defining live as all live musical instruments, with maybe the odd sampler or somthing.
One of the guys im working with has this crazy instrument that makes the dirtiest sounds man. Think "Africa VIP" or "the shining". Sounds like a dijeredoo but nastier

. But its great cos the less we have to use samples and electronicly produced sound the better and rawer it will sound i think.
Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 10:00 pm
by tacospheros
dude, i would fuckin love to jam with bill laswell.
as for the other dudes, maccs good but ive never really felt kj sawka. that guy derehctub tho , that's more my steez . spastic, amens crashing and banging , the way jungle should be
Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 12:14 am
by RubiconMan
bass clef does it for meeee!
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 11:33 pm
by stomp tromp
Mish man what is that instrument I'd well like to know. I'm moving near Brighton soon and I'm good mates with 2 guys who have spent the last 2 years moving from a jazz background into what they now define themselve as 'electro riot jazz' They'r in Brighton now. Check out their myspace for tunes if your interested.
Between the 2 of them they use a sax, bass, keys, computer programmes, flute, what else ... ah a shit load of distorters and things with whirrly lights on (I don't have a clue what they are).
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu ... =283550652
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:24 am
by hontez
EDIT