Phutureprimitive – from Dub to Dubstep

Wednesday, March 7th, 2012 // General

Phutureprimitive (aka DJ Rain) has been a favorite of mine since his debut album “Sub Conscious” came out on Waveform Records in 2004. It features a dark psy-ambient dub style that invites the listener on a journey filled with reverb, echoes, and deep pulsing bass. It could be called electronic dub (as in the dub that comes from reggae), but it would be inaccurate to call it dubstep or even “bass music” (a more generic term for dubstep and similar styles). Compare his tune “Rites Of Passage” on that album with a dub remix of Grace Jones’ more recent offering “Corporate Cannibal”:

Phutureprimitive – Rites Of Passage

Grace Jones – Corporate Cannibal (Ivor Guest Dub)

Aside from differences in the actual bass instrument (electric bass vs. synthesizer), the two tracks have a similar feel in the bass, the drums, and the heavy reverb/delay (echo) on everything else.

Fast forward to 2011, when Phutureprimitive releases his second full-length album, Kinetic. In the seven intervening years, the world of electronic dance music has embraced dubstep and made it popular. DJ Rain has obviously been paying attention. Check out the difference in the way the bass moves and it’s more aggressive “acid” sound, and the “two-step” drum style (both key dubstep ingredients) in Kinetic’s title track, which still features the signature Phutureprimitive psy-ambient landscape:

Phutureprimitive – Kinetic

Phutureprimitive will be opening for Shpongle in Pittsburgh at Mr. Small’s Theatre on Thursday, March 29.

-DJ Firefly