Four. Four years of inappropriate. Four years of irresponsible. Four years of setting the trend, and not following those trends simultaneously. As any promoter knows, it’s hard enough to run an electronic music night for four months, let alone four years in today’s competitive marketplace. This hasn’t been much of a problem for the basic guys though, as their night continues to grow in terms of its recognition throughout the city.

Goodlife has been BASSIC’s home since their very first party, which I was lucky enough to attend, way back in the summer of 2007. Although it was a small group of people on a humid Wednesday night, everyone in that room had a certain degree of excitement for music in general. Many people in the room that night such as myself came from a drum and bass background and were curious to hear what dubstep sounded like on a massive system. Either way, there was definitely a vibe amongst the 50-or-so people there.

Over the years, BASIC continued to build a following, but not by mass-flyering Facebook event spamming. They did it via word of mouth and letting the events themselves do the talking. In fact, much of the promotion has come not from founders Chris Ward and Damien Silva, but rather their customers! This is a sure sign of a successful night, and I have little doubt that whatever happens in the rapidly changing landscape of dubstep and bass music right now, BASIC will be here four years from now, pushing the envelope of what is hot in the UK and beyond.
Although dubstep still plays a pivotal role at BASSIC’s events, it should be noted that these guys, along with many of the headliners they book, are crafting beats that do not necessarily fall within the framework of said style. As the walls between sub-genres melt away at a pace never thought possible several years ago, there are lots of opportunities to hear everything from house, to UK funky, garage, juke, techno, minimal, and what some are simply calling ‘bass music’ in the basement of the Goodlife. I think it’s best to simplify ‘bass music’ to just ‘music’ at this point!

The first basic party showcased the DJ talents of Ward (C-Dubs), Damien, and the production wizardry of Dan Dabu, along with local favorites Selector Moldy and Grapes. Going back to, er, basics, for the 4-year, it’s going to be the C-Dubs and Damien, along with residents Scotch 1, Grizzly, and Steppe.
Want a bit of a warm-up for what’s to come this Friday? Check out a fresh mix from C-Dubs, which he sent to me last week. This mix rolls nice and deep and it’s been the soundtrack to much of the blog writing I’ve been doing over the past several days. The dubstep he plays here is about as real as it gets: no anthems, no trendy stuff, no tracks that are ‘hot’ today and forgotten about tomorrow. He shows several local producers, including Grizzly and Prism, some love, and is loaded with exclusives from one cover of the book to the other! Tracklist and download link below.
C-Dubs: No Respect (May 2011)
(320kbps, 59 minutes)
Transporter – Grizzly – DUB (forthcoming TUBA)
Cold – TMSV – BoxClever
Cicadia – DJG – DUB
Translucent – DJG – DUB
Crime Doesn’t Pay – Seven & Elvee – Subway
Tempted – Lurka – BLKBXXX
Protected – J. Kenzo – Tempa
Who’s There – Seven & Youngsta – Subway
No Respect – DJ Madd & Chris SU – BLKBXXX
No More No Less – KrypticMinds – Blackbox
Pressure VIP – DJG – DUB
Secrets – DJ Madd – Wheel & Deal
Nocturnal Feelings – J. Kenzo – DUB (Forthcoming TUBA)
Jungle Fever – Cymatic – Box Clever
Cane Cutter – Be-1ne – Area Recordings
Stabilizer – Lurka – Box Clever
And one quick side note from the man himself: All dubs are approved for this mix and have been cut to 10in acetates. All other tracks on this mix are vinyl. There was NO Serato, NO Traktor, NO cdj’s used whatsoever to record this mix. 2 technic turntables and a Vestax PMC07 mixer were the only devices touched. The mix was recorded using Ableton Live with some light mastering done via Izotope’s Ozone 4 plug-in. Ain’t no bullshit tricks here.
Oh yeah, get there early to avoid the line and score a T-shirt before they sell out. And dress FANCY to avoid the cover!!!
Goodlife, 28 Kingston St, Boston
21+
$5, if you ‘stay casual’