Ben Green and Jerry Birch have been producing dubstep since before the term was thought of (well so they say anyway). Ben is the beat producer and Jerry’s the DJ who has variously appeared at Bestival, Big Chill, Notting Hill Carnival and London Jazz Festival (blimey, is that the ideal CV?).

Anyway, as this weekend is the Bestival Camp and we’ve just got over Good Times -London (Norman Jay’s annual Carnival release) and that Mary Ann Hobbs in sorting out Dubstep Warz 2 (see Mr. Beatnick’s ‘I Know All The Bitches’), Akashic 11 come in with a suitably anti-knife/gun message on ‘Leave The Area’. They say their influenced by RZA, Tricky, J.Dilla and Nick Cave (Nick Cave on FLY!) and where/what is Akashic?. Apparently an Akashic Record is a record of all knowledge and human experience held in the universe. Well if you think that’s deep, “each individual’s soul records every moment of its existence”.

Don’t let that put you off, ‘Leave The Area’ and the dub instrumental features the vocals of roots reggae singer Paul Fox, some MAH (that’s Mary Ann Hobbs) basslines and some serious horns. Along with the bonus ‘Total Control’, this reminds me of what the Lightning Head was doing a few years ago with a minimal touch of the Ragga Twins (currently on tour!) and what the dubsteppin’ crews are doing today.

So it’s a bit different without gimmicks and roots orientated. That reads as a bit special for me and it’s already getting the props form the dubstep forums, Carbon Logic and Mixmag.

Reviewed: Akashic 11 - Leave The Area (Raw Records) Cat. No. RR05 Release date: 28th July 2008
Tracklisting:
1 Leave The Area (Vocal) (4:27)
2 Leave The Area (Instrumental) (4:27)
3 Total Control (5:00)

Links
www.myspace.com/trickola
www.grinderman.com
www.myspace.com/grinderman