Deadbeat

Synth Drive

Shadow Play (Explicit)

Waking Life

Wax Poetic For This Our Great Resolve

2 Lp version. Deadbeat is Scott Monteith, a long-time Montrealer and recent Berlin ex-pat who has been releasing his own special blend of dub-laden, minimal electronics since 2000 for labels such as Cynosure, Musique Risqu‚e, ~scape, and Spectral, to name but a few. This is his first full-length release for Wagon Repair. The album is aesthetically informed by his long term collaborative friendship with Robert Henke (Monolake), the creative relationship with Wagon Repair, the close proximity of his fellow artists in Berlin and the opportunity to collaborate with Paul St. Hilaire. It is no surprise that an album of such vast scope be largely inspired by the artist's own transition from Montreal-based producer releasing on Berlin label ~scape for 5 years, to Berlin-based producer releasing on a Canadian label. An uncanny logic is present throughout, weaving a fluid narrative from disparate influences and styles. Opener "Rise Again" is the first of two collaborations with St. Hilaire, whose beautiful rasta lament is supported by a huge bass sound. In recording all of the virtual instruments through mic'd speakers as one would do with a real band, he's given the track a distinctly "live" feel that is a thematic element of all the tracks on the album. The title track transcends the 140 bpm dubstep standard, and closely resembles some of Deadbeat's earlier releases on ~scape. "Grounation (Berghain Drum Jack)" is a dramatic percussive onslaught that draws parallels between ritualistic rasta drumming and Berghain's own pummeling percussive endurance tests. "Xberg Ghosts" explores a distinctly Berliner Basic Channel/Chain Reaction sound that's been a big influence for Scott over the years, while "Deep Structure" employs a truly roots production style using spring reverb, bucket brigade delays and heavy compression -- applying these older tools to a more modern house groove and exploring the ties between modern dance music and its roots in dub. The late night jam of "Night Stepping" and lazy afternoon dub of "Sun People (Dub Divisionaire)" lay a path for closing track "Babylon Correction," which again features St. Hilaire. Frustrated that the recent renewed interest in dub seems to mostly encompass "minor key, sad, dark sh*t," this is Deadbeat's attempt to capture the righteous and uplifting side to the style that is the key to his favorite classic dub cuts, with St. Hilaire contributing vocals so massive, they might just knock you off your seat.

Synth Drive

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