Deadbeat & Om Unit Root, Stalk, Leaf And Bloom

Description

Deadbeat and Om Unit combine forces to explore their shared love of dubbed-out electronics.

Starting a thread from Montreal to Bristol, this mini LP is rooted in the tradition of dub and techno, but with tinges of roots and acid as well as the etheric ambience they are both known for.

Root, Stalk, Leaf and Bloom is contemplative but heartfelt, with a sense of momentum and positive purpose. (via Label)

Deadbeat and Om Unit are among artists I listen to whenever they put something out, whatever it is. While very different in their sound, they share originality and curiosity, making their music unpredictable. Deadbeat is a vigorous experimental dub techno innovator (with an impressive 23 albums under his belt). While harder to categorize, Om Unit has his strength in what seems like an unquenchable appetite for exploring different electronic music styles.

This album spans just four long tracks that jointly make up the album title and describe the four central elements of a plant. Excellent conceptual work there. This concept is, even more interestingly, transferred to the musical characteristics of the album, too. Each track is unique and different, but with a symbiotic, common denominator that binds them together in a mightly elegant way.

Root, the opener, is an echo-laden dub track that is very true to its Jamaican musical roots with beautiful horns, lots of reverb and a long, beatless beginning. Only the baseline and drum programming later in the track reveals that this production comes out of the electronic music domain. You would probably categorize it as dub techno, but its unlike any dub techno Ive heard before. The closest reference in sound I can think of is the mid-90s British trio Bandulu and their highly acclaimed New Foundation EP from 1997.

Next, Stalk is a much darker, more experimental electronica track that starts slow before picking up a 4/4-kick drum and moving into the more danceable territory. Its dubby at least by the sheer amount of reverb and echo but far from the kind of dub that opened the album.

Leaf introduces slowly evolving acid-basslines, which are so subtle that they almost arent acid-basslines. At least not by classical conventions. But the trained ear will quickly identify the 1983 Roland TB-303 bassline synth in the back (or some synth emulation). A slow burner of a track with an enticing melody.

Lastly, Bloom takes us back into more conventional digital dub music. Its vaguely reminiscent of Berlins Rhythm & Sound, as made by Mark Ernestus and Moritz von Oswald back in the 90s but with a quintessential uniqueness, signed by Deadbeat Om Unit.

All in all a real banger of an album on which the two very different and highly versatile artists have found a joint sound that unites their two signature styles in a highly potent cocktail. (via Medium)

Label: Midnight Shift Records
Format: 2 x Vinyl, 12″, 33 RPM, Mini-Album
Released: 2021
Genre: Electronic
Style: Dub, Dub Techno, Acid

File under: Singapore Titles // Electronic