Featuring JACK DIXON

The world of bass music is changing rapidly. Dubstep has become the first music genre to successfully commercially market itself as uncommercial. It is just staggering to see the volume of people commenting on YouTube below videos of Magnetic Man that they hope dubstep stays underground. The truth is these people are kidding themselves and each other, they want to attach themselves to the scene, not the music. For them it is more about believing that they are alternative than actually enjoying the experimental sounds that the majority of the artists used to explore. It seems no coincidence that during festivals in the summer, my group was asked by neighbouring campers both "when are Dubstep playing tonight?" and "are you guys going to see Jason Status?". It is in response to this intolerable infestation that we have seen a rapid diversification of related genres, with producers scampering to them to maintain credibility, and avoid direct comparisons with artists who are sneaking out pop (and increasingly, metal) tracks into the market under the disguise of the highly successful "dubstep" brand. Whilst it is a great shame that the dubstep name has been tarnished, it has actually caused related genres to expand quicker than they probably would have otherwise. Possibly the most successful of resulting movements has been future garage, and today we advise you to check out this release, that draws together all the best elements of the genre.

Silverback Recordings have quickly proved themselves to be adept at picking talented producers who have all the skills necessary to take off in the next year or so. We certainly agree with them when it comes to Jack Dixon, who we have pushed here since the very early days. His latest release which dropped on Monday is the "Substitute EP". The EP offers us the familiar sounds of the genre, with emotional vocal samples, soothing synths and soft pads, but what makes the EP special is how brilliantly they are all brought together - the production standards are very high. To get an idea of what to expect, check out the Soundcloud preview below, but three standout tracks are "Substitute", "Be There" and "Needin' You". The title track rolls along mesmerically, and its not just the repeated insistence of the "come on" sample that remind of us of its dancefloor potential, whilst the blurry keyboard sounds of "Be There" combine with the beautiful melody of the vocal echoes to create a dreamlike aura. To showcase his full range of skills, "Needin' You" drops a house beat and some tribal percussion to create a funky backdrop to the constantly expanding and contracting synth. Not only this but the full EP contains a series of remixes from a variety of up and coming artists that are well worth checking out.

Be sure to buy the EP on Boomkat or Juno if it takes your fancy. The preview is below, and click here for free downloads from May and January earlier this year.

Substitute EP Preview