You seriously have to forgive me for just repeating myself, over and over and over — but dubstep is NOT dead. Not in the least. The only reason I keep bringing it up is because I keep hearing it. This past week, we’ve already seen epic new EPs from Protohype, xKore and Teminite. However, what I’m about to show you, in my humble opinion, blows them all away.
I’ve been saying for a long time that Kairos Audio is one of my new favorite labels. Run by Colorado-natives Dirt Monkey and Jantsen, the label has taken in many young and fresh faces that are reinvigorating the scene. Most notably, and most relevant to this post, would be Ray Volpe. He’s always on my list when people ask about new up-and-comers to look out for and I’m glad that he has the skills to back me up. This Lion EP is relentless in its efforts to get you moving and out of your seat.
The EP begins with Clinton Sly on vocals on ‘Lion’ and only gets better from there. The track feels a lot like a Skrillex vs Zomboy track, but the sound design is on point and even still it sounds fresh. ‘Honor’ has some great Snails-esque bass samples and a spacious sound that draws you in and then smacks you right in the face. ‘Barbarossa’ has some massively groovy basslines and some sick growls. ‘Fortune’ rounds off the 4-track EP with some more varied bass growls and some more uplifting synths.