Every so often a release comes around that reminds us of how important dubplates still are and how necessary it is for a DJ and/or producer that wants to keep their much needed exclusivity. Fearless Dread are a perfect example of such. A duo made up of individual talents Arkwright and Chuckman, Fearless Dread have relished in the value of dubplates over the last couple of years, drip feeding eager listeners with organic heavyweight cuts that remain outside of the public domain. Well, no sooner than the label’s first release, popular blog and universal dubstep brand Juan Forte are already doing god’s work by bringing two of Fearless Dread‘s finest dubs to thirsty bass-weight addicts across the UK and beyond.
Landing on limited 12″ acetate, ‘N4‘ and ‘Double Red‘ are destined for ‘classic’ status as together they remind us of the rawness and honesty in authentic no-nonsense dubstep in 2019, something that is prone to getting lost in today’s broad range of sounds within the genre. On both ‘N4‘ and ‘Double Red‘, the pureness of their low end frequencies is one that evokes a warm fuzzy feeling inside, like a warming cup of cocoa for bass-heads heading into winter. However that feeling of comfort can be appreciated without ignoring the tracks’ obvious energy. Whilst I appreciate ‘N4′‘s natural analogue feel and playful melodies, it’s ‘Double Red‘ that really forces me sit up straight. Putting the undeniably powerful throbbing low end frequencies to one side, the rich natural percussion is a stand out element, particularly on that almighty snare that sharply cuts through the dominant bass-weight. Also dominant is the clean progressing melody that wouldn’t sound out of place in a DMZ set circa 2006. All these elements together make for a stunning take on old-school, raw 140 music that stands up to anything out there today.
Having spent the best part of two years putting together a platform, including their own events, that encapsulate the rawness of the true sound of dubstep, it comes as no surprise to see a collective like Juan Forte to take such killer material on board for it’s first release. As well as their recently renovated, reworked brand that is unquestionably genius and unique, they are not only a brand I gratefully take inspiration from but now a label that I’m sure will grow into a formidable, unmissable imprint for years to come.
JUAN001 is out on the 30th October and limited to 300 copies, so be quick and keep your eyes on the Juan Forte store.
Check out Fearless Dread on Soundcloud.
Check out Juan Forte on Soundcloud and Twitter.