[Hyperdub]

Truly deserving of the tag future dub, the music created by Kevin Martin of The Bug and vocalist Roger Robinson sits somewhere to the left of dubstep entirely, occupying a cavernous chamber of otherworldly bass and washed out soul stylings. With only two original tracks to their discography, it may seem a tad early in their history to be releasing an EP of versions, though I suspect any new King Midas Sound material will be welcomed by fans ahead of their hugely anticipated debut full length.

“Dub Heavy” applies the title’s brush to three tracks, “One Ting” being the only cut which has so far seen the light of day via the sublime Dabrye remix on last year’s crushing “Cool Out” release. Opener “I Dub” sets the mood for the EP; ethereal sci-fi tones fire off around the soft, pillowy bass making it sound like a haunting sound system mash up at the compound of the Mysterons. His remix samples Derrick May and Carl Craig’s Detroit classic “Interval 1,” but apart from those fragments it’s hard to know exactly what Dabrye added to the original “One Ting” (seeing as how we haven’t been graced by its presence yet). Those impossibly sweet swelling orchestral sweeps are at least partly preserved on “Ting Dub.” Martin layers stolen vocal phrases of Robinson’s over a bass line that stretches to King Tubby proportions and while it doesn’t touch the mastery of Dabrye’s interpretation its presence as a dub is more than justified. “Too Long Dub” is presumably another version of an album cut and sees the influence of Robinson’s Trinidadian heritage come to the fore with brief licks of rootsy vocals. Tinkling melodies and the hiss and crackle of studio noise which are a constant presence on this EP supply much of the texture on these dub wrought excursions. “Dub Heavy” is a bit of a teaser for those waiting on the long player from King Midas Sound but nevertheless is a crucial EP, and as an indicator of what’s to come it’s positively thrilling.