NSF002 - WIGS EP - REVIEW
- Sound Boy Ent.
- Apr 28, 2021
- 3 min read
There aren’t many things we enjoy more than finding fresh tunes from new producers in the SBE inbox, and Dubjavu’s massive "Wigs" EP is no exception. Contrary to what his name might suggest, we haven’t heard anything quite like this before. The genre-defying seven-track EP from the Bellingham, WA based producer is richly textured, meditative, and bass-heavy: a true sonic journey. It’s appropriate that the label, NightShade Family out of Athens, GA, dropped this heady EP on 4/20.
Dubjavu has a natural ability to evoke space in his tracks, across tempos and genres. Track 01, “Tarp”, at about 123bpm, begins the EP with forlorn bells that float across an open distance, like the memory of trap melodies from the other side of a long night out. Hi-hats skitter around welcoming, weighty sub frequencies designed for big system business.
With Track 02, "Drone", Dubjavu takes the tempo down a notch, to about 90bpm. The atmospherics are cranked up to eleven, though: ethereal chants and delayed acoustic plucks cascade over an undercurrent of cellos and lush pads. A hefty 4x4 kick provides a backbone, stepping confidently through wooded Washington trails, and stopping occasionally to look out over a clearing.
“Dungeon” raises the tempo to about 170 and dips back into the more ominous side of Dubjavu's sound, all while maintaining the organic atmosphere. A huge bass blasts through the near-ambient intro, pulsing in triplets. Halting, sparse drums outline the beat, cutting through the mix with precision. They seem to articulate only the most important rhythmic elements, leaving the sub room to breath.
If “Dungeon” was a dip into the darkness, “Shelter” (Track 04; 140bpm) is a full dive. Dubjavu takes a similarly sparse approach to drum patterns here. The swung percussion skips and snaps, delays ping-ponging right and left. Organic crunches and crackles accent the beat, suggesting forbidden rituals deep in the forest and showcasing Dubjavu’s granular attention to detail and talent for sound-design.
Track 05, “Brunt Lips”, recalls the nod to trap we heard on the first track, and brings the EP out of the murk and into the upper stratosphere. Dubjavu pairs light synthetic ambiences with heavy 808s, and it’s a powerful combination. There’s a remarkable minimalism at work here, and throughout the whole EP. Subtle sweeps and samples of melody move these songs forward while maintaining a thick, introspective atmosphere. If it's not obvious yet, Dubjavu isn't limited by tempo or genre: this track clocks in at 160bpm.
Track 06, “Mystickittens”, glistens at 140bpm with bells and chimes. It glitters like leaves in the sun after a storm passes. A shuddering bassline underpins the bright composition, and more organic, crunchy details compliment the drums. It evokes those euphoric pause-in-the-dance types of moments, an invitation to breath, take stock, and notice those sub frequencies rippling in your chest. The second half of this track brings us back to the core sound of the EP: stripped-back, spaced-out, and system-ready.
On the last track, JiiG steps up for remix duties. Returning to NightShade Family after his January release, JiiG rearranges “Shelter” with a careful mood-building into a trance-inducing head-nodder. It’s a powerful end to a powerful release, and we can’t wait to see what’s next, both from NightShade Family and Dubjavu.
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Written by: James Farrell
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