Sub Swara – Coup d’Yah
Reviewed by Sadie O., 8/7/08
Electronic/dubstep/ragga/dub dancehall with lots of international elements, from NYC. Very popular club outfit, akin to (and interacting to an extent with) the Surya Dub crew from SF. Heavy on the electronic whooshes, often trance-y. They really hit the mark, IMO, when they incorporate Bhangra riddims with the ragga/dancehall.
No FCCs detected – many vocals are cut up and processed.
All tracks very good; I like 7 and 10 in particular.
1. 4:32 **electronic percussion, Jamaican-accented dancehall vocals. Glitchy bits, midtempo dancehall with lots of electronic swoops.
2. 5:03 **glitchy intro, uptempo electronic dancehall/dubstep riddim with added percussion including tabla, American-accented hip hop vocals. Fun, gloopy electronics.
3. 5:36 **drums and horns/flutes with a bit of electronics, changing tempo and riddim. Exotic more than dance-y.
4. 4:31 ***horn blats and slinky midtempo syncopation. Hints of spy movie soundtrack.
5. 4:40 **midtempo electronic dubstep/dancehall, Jamaican vocals.
6. 5:09 **electronic bangs and echos, slowly merging with hand percussion into slow skank, hints of faraway female vocals.
7. 4:42 ****bhangra/dancehall mashup – engaging as hell!
8. 5:01 **random beats and lyricless female singing. Tabla and uptempo riddim comes and goes, strong Indian flavor.
9. 5:16 **slow and rather liquid electronics, with flute/horns, then slow dub skank with boops, vaguely Chinese feeling.
10. 6:19 ****wonderful processed handdrums, chimes, bits of male vocals. Increases in speed and complexity. Keen! Winds up a slow electronic Bhangra.
11. 4:58 **uptempo dubstep with hints of hand percussion, rather minimal and trance-y, until the big electronic whooshes start.
12. 5:11 **drones and hand drums, very slow; low-key, middle-eastern style horns, tiny bits of vocals, those whooshes.