Location: riled

According to channel 4 Hackney is the worst place to live in the UK.
Thanks, Russell-Brand-inflicting channel 4. Anytime you want to stop by for a cup of tea or whatever, you're more than welcome.



Check out Bass Clef's guide to Hackney Central and judge for yourselves...

week ending

Got played on Radio 3 on friday night! Mixing it played "cannot be straightened" and "subwoofer loveletter" back to back. It was a great moment ( I vividly remember hearing Pole for the first time, years ago, on Mixing It) and couldn't have come at a better time, as I had had a miserable day, culminating in me getting home from work to realise I'd left my keys at home and was locked out, and then having to go to Canary Wharf and wander around for an hour and a half looking for my better half who was out on a works night out...
Anyways, here is my world tour itinerary 2006:

Saturday 4th November - Rooted records, Gloucester road, Bristol (instore)
Saturday 4th November - Cosies, Portland square, Bristol
Friday 17th November - Buffalo Bar, windsor place, Cardiff
Sunday 26th November - Prince Albert, Brighton
Sunday 3rd December - International Bar, Dublin
Sunday 21st January 2007 - Old Blue Last, Curtain road, London

Album due on 30th October - watch this space for downloadable preview mix - soon come...

Picadilly records - reggae single of the week!

"Bass Clef could easily be record of the week in dubstep or electronica, but in the end I went for reggae as main track "Clapton Deep" is absolutely immense.
Beginning his musical career as RLF, Ralph Cumbers, aka Bass Clef, had a handful of releases on Bristol labels Hombre and Sink & Stove, as well as a couple of 10"s on XL offshoot Rex. Hailing, unsurprisingly, from Hackney, the Bass Clef sound is an ingenious hybrid of contemporary and retro dub styles, seen through the eyes of an IDM connoisseur. The resulting fusion being neither one nor the other, instead a fresh, mesmerizing cacophony of foot-tapping grooves. "Clapton Deep" had me looking over at the deck every few seconds to make sure it was playing at the right speed, so slow and low are its dubwise inclinations, while "Life's Great In E8" is a funky Afro-tribal electroid wonder. Lastly, "You're The X On My Treasure Map" fuses Indian-sounding pitch-bending strings with dirty acid and fucked-up breaks (think Tackhead and other early On-U-Sound stuff)."

Thanks guys!

Hackney Centralist

It's finally arrived!
Out now - Hackney Centralist e.p. on Blank tapes

A Clapton Deep
B1 Life's great...in E8!
B2 You're the X on my treasure map

I've ripped a couple of minutes of each track from the vinyl for you to download - so get going!

link to downloads

“It's deep, lazy skankin' dub vibes all the way on 'Clapton Deep' with it's melodic Basic Channel style chords and super intricate, crisp percussion. The track progresses gradually under layers of echo and delay. One for the smokers. The tempo increases on the flip with cut up, shuffling breaks and a wonky, almost 8-bit sounding bassline on 'Life's Great... in E8'. An unconventional and refreshing take on dubstep / post jungle. The excellent skittering drum programming continues on 'You're The X On My Treasure Map' with a growler of a bassline and a middle eastern sounding string. Quality gear straight outta Laaaandaaan. Anyone for jellied eels???”
SINGLE OF THE WEEK, NORMAN RECORDS

"This is without doubt one of the finest expeimental dubstep releases of 2006. This veers close to electronica in places and is essential if you like Kode 9, Burial or Rhythm And Sound"
JUMBO RECORDS

"The latest signing to Blank Tapes, Bass Clef is an ex-Bristol lad who makes the kind of gloopy dubstep that ensures the thunderous low-end is kept in check by a top shelf of piquant melodies that can't help but recall the boy Skream. Opening with 'Clapton Deep', Bass Clef (aka Ralph Cumbers) gnaws at the cochlea through a sticky blast of bass that almost folds in on itself through sheer might and power. Expanding and retracting like some kind of concrete beast, 'Clapton Deep' is as debased a hunk of dubstep you'll ever hear - a situation that is quelled somewhat on the more electro flavoured b-side of 'Life's Great...In E8!'. A bit like walking through an unfamiliar city after a few to many drinks, 'Hackney Centralist' is a slightly threatening but predominantly enjoyable experience that drips with urban attitude. Bass in your face!"
BOOMKAT

Yes, Blank Tapes have released a rather excellent Dubstep record proving that you don't need to release the same genre of music each time you put something out. Hackney-based Bass Clef gets to grips with some serious underground sounds that are dub-laced, full of deep, moody flavours and some superbly chopped-up beats. There's a skillful malevolence to the sound with some really atmospheric background sounds and chord stabs that border on Basic Channel / Berlin style at times. A wicked piece of work that's well up there with all yer usual Dubstep bods.
SMALLFISH

Vague lullabies, part three

(beautiful photo from this wonderful japanese (?) site)

Something that filled the Gas-shaped void in my twilight.

marsen jules - aile d'aigle

buy marsen here

and you've surely read the backstory for this, towers collapsing, tape loops decaying and all that.
This is the sound when your last set of walkmen batteries fade. The slurred end of a heartbroken mixtape.

william basinski - disintegration loops part 2

buy basinski here