Omar Santana & Evan Gamble Lewis – Dubterranean 2 “ILL SKILLZ”
Reviewed by Sadie O., 12/11/12
“Hardhop”/Dubstep from NYC. Well-known DJ/producer with outstanding pedigree. Amazing hardcore Dubstep production determined to split your head right opem. Sadly, quite a few FCCs in the spoken word parts.
CD 1 – I’d avoid tracks 1 and 2 altogther, play tracks 3, 4 and 10 during Safe Harbor, and the other tracks con gusto and frequently.
CD 2 – avoid track 3, 6, 8, 10, play track 1 (and maybe 9) only during Safe Harbor, other tracks (esp 11) long and often…

CD 1:
1. 5:50 FCCs – multiple **plodding beat, pulsing qweebles, rather alarming, heavy dubstep.
2. 5:18 FCC? Not sure… If it is “fuck”, it’s repeated over and over… **very slow, whooshy and woobly, grunty screeky.
3. 5:02 FCC “get your damn hands up”… maybe “oh shit” as well. **march of the insect pianos. Bouncy syncopation. Amazing dubstep gronches.
4. 5:23 “Damn” repeated (in 2-line chorus) over and over. **very faint spoken word intro, then slow ponderous Dubstep.
5. 5:21 ****slow 4/4 high-hat with flying things and spacemen. And ponderous as hell dubstep.
6. 5:50 ***whistles, syncopated beat, flying burps and farts. Rather insidious at first, then outright disturbing.
7. 5:02 **ting ting ting on the high-hat, then more ponderous plodding with woobles. “Juggernaut” pretty much describes the whole record.
8. 6:00 **screechy metalics, but nice slow one-drop sound, subterranean organics and epic noises. OG sing-jay. Kinda cute!
9. 5:09 ***chimes and ponderous beats. Large and slow and buzzy, demented circus feel.
10. 5:11 FCC? ***slow with all sorts of gronchy noises. The stupid voice tells us to stick our middle fingers in the air – is that an FCC?
CD 2:
1. 5:22 FCC “fuck” **mellow chords, plings… slow one-drop with fast overlaid percussion. Massive dubstep starts after while.
2. 5:21 ***slow mellow, gentle plinks and chords, almost meditational… Goes all large and brain-frying after a minute and a half or so. Extremely processed female vocals. Gnarly.
3. 5:22 FCC – “shit” repeated **very slow beats, gwoobles.
4. 5:43 ***slow blattyfarts, bits of beatless sound collage… Then HUGE dubstep. March of the giant robot flamingos!
5. 5:17 ***very slow, beatless bits with deeply processed bass vocals, then ponderous screechy things.
6. 5:31 FCC – “fuck” several times ***large chords, chittering squeebles.
7. 7:09 **cymbal plinks, randomosity, chimey things. Fades out and back in with big stuttering hisses. I think there’s something in there channeling Robert Plant for just a moment, too…
8. 5:27 FCC – “fuck” a few times **drips, angels and monsters, bits of processed voice, piano… Serious woobles.
9. 6:22 May be a single FCC…**slow beat and kind of ethereal noises, then big thumps, ominous. Something approaching a song, for a bit. Then grunts, bangs and screeches – and flutes.
10. 5:49 FCC: “cum in your mouth” etc etc etc. Don’t play.
11. 4:15 ****chirps and gronches, midtempo 4/4 march. Buzzes, all sorts of terrible noises, yay!