B-Say opens the year for Romanian label Dirty Beats Music and brightens the mood with a collection of revitalising, sun soaked steppers! It’s quite the contrast in comparison to B-Say‘s last appearance on Dirty Beats, which saw him bask in the darkness a year ago. But if you’ve kept your eyes on the UK producer’s recent activity, you’d have noticed a preference emerge towards the rich quintessential sounds of dub and from which, has forged this uplifting ‘Gideon Dub‘ EP. A generous six tracks in length including today’s premiere, ‘Zoned‘.
Even though the release could be described as bright and uplifting, it doesn’t mean B-Say leaves his signature power aside, in fact, it’s the energising power that quickly becomes the EP’s centre piece. The opening ‘Gideon Dub‘ eases into stepper heaven with it’s mellow, easy-going stomps married to vibrant licks of melody. But it’s not until ‘Cherry Chouffe‘ when, like a shot of caffeine, the EP truly comes alive and into the territory of militant shoulder swinging stomps. B-Say cultivates a true anthem on ‘Chronic Dub‘, conceived for the sun burnt fields of the dance that will surely return. The sub-bass is wild, the synth lines grow in spirit and become increasingly anthemic, triggering warm irie vibes to fill ones soul.
Read this blog regularly and more often than not, you’ll notice my preference for the more emotive tones, so it’s a pleasure to present my personal favourite, ‘Zoned‘, the stirring tune of the EP. There’s something quite emotive within the lamenting synths, progressing from simple stabs to more dynamic oscillations, dancing across layers of thick atmospheric guitars and deep drives of buttery sub bass.
It’s back to business on the following ‘Lion’s Paw‘, the EP’s crucial track featuring every element you’d want in such a tune; the monumental sub stomps, the bright reverberating chord stabs, sunny brass sections and classically radiant, echoing SFX. It’s the perfect precursor to the finale piece, ‘Triunfante‘, finishing on a similar note. However this appears strategically placed; a track of definitive climax and crescendo. Lead by anthemic brass orchestration, B-say looks to take the dance with him, stepping long beyond sunset.
‘Gideon Dub’ EP is a refreshing deviation from B-Say‘s usual contemporary productions. A successful tribute to the authentic, energetic sounds of dub that leaves us longing for those warm summer evenings and a towering sound system.
DBM015 is out this 05/02/2021 and available to download from the Dirty Beats Bandcamp.
Check out B-Say on Soundcloud and Instagram.
Check out Dirty Beats Music on Soundcloud and Twitter.
