As Dub Champions kicks off in Europe today, we were lucky enough to catch up with a staff member of OT301, the underground, DIY venue that plays host to Amsterdam’s forward-thinking music scene and more. Tahdeo “T” Sparks, an Amsterdam transplant, is a programmer at OT301, a spot that he enjoyed before becoming involved professionally. “What makes OT301 unique is the versatility of its programming and the diversity of the people who attend events or frequent the space. It is

A Thievery Corporation show is like your first hit of weed; it opens up doors. While marijuana may lead to some other, interesting mind-altering substances, Thievery Corporation will lead to exploring worldly genres from dub/reggae to trip-hop to bossa nova. With a variety of sounds from around the globe and tons of talented singers providing authentic peaks in to the world’s music, we’re going to explore these genres and make some suggestions based on a Thievery Corporation

Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and touring pal Subatomic Sound System have linked up for this massive dub/reggae cut that takes you deep. “Black Ark Vampires” and its instrumental dub version are a perfect display of vintage ideas and sounds being reformed with modern equipment. The Super Ape sound is here, give it a play below. The vinyl-only release is available for purchase here. #subatomicsoundsystem #dubchampions #leescratchperry #dub #reggae #leeperry

Thievery Corporation wanted to get in the holiday spirit today, so they uploaded their entire Burning Man 2014 set to Soundcloud. Performing live for the first time on the Playa, Rob Garza and company played a special set at the Robot Heart camp. A gentlemen who worked with the Robot Heart said the stage had to be built just for this performance. From “Lebanese Blonde” to “Radio Retaliation,” the crew kills it with a full-throttle hour+ set. Listen and download below! Thiever

Friday night Jon Hopkins got dark, hypnotic, gritty, aggressive – it was great.  The set, which lasted a little more than an hour, was suspenseful in the best way possible. With three “Korg Kaoss Pads” at this fingertips, he controlled Output’s Funktion One system with long and sharp sounds as he thrusted himself around behind the decks. The energy was contagious and similar to the last two shows, the crowd seemed entranced.  That said, while Output wasn’t able to support Hop

While inconvenient – I love an artist I can’t quite explain. Ex. Me: I’m going to Jon Hopkins at Output tonight, you should come! Friend: Oh tight; What are they like? Me: It’s hard to explain … ^^^^ Perfect. Which is why I’m excited for Jon Hopkins … I was lucky enough to see Jon at The Hudson Project this summer, then shortly after at Le Poisson Rouge. He’s a bit of an anomaly in a frequently predictable realm of music. They were both those types of shows where even the wor

Dub Champions brought Mad Professor to New York City last night, resulting not only in one of the greatest sets I’ve ever seen inside of a club, but yielding one of the greatest days I’ve ever had personally, in my entire life. Where to begin… I met Neil Fraser, aka Mad Professor, at a diner in Brooklyn around 2. We had a casual interview that touched on his new album, alongside deeper topics like spirituality in dub vs. dancehall. Push came to shove and the festival organize

Neil Fraser aka Mad Professor, enjoying a fresh cup of Brooklyn joe… The Dub Champions Festival kicks off tonight with Mad Professor & Francois K at Cielo. Before the big gig tonight, I had the opportunity to sit down for coffee with the legendary dub producer, discussing everything from weird dub concepts to American dubstep. Check it below and head to an event this week during the Dub Champions Festival. Chris/DubEra.com: So dubstep exploded and kind of ceased in UK & Ameri

Brooklyn’s True Groove Records has presented a brand new compilation, full of  unique styles that span across the world. It’s very Thievery Corporation-esque, as the groups move from dance-funk to 80s to worldly dub sounds. “AnnaRexia” is a dub-reggae tune regarding a eating disorder, complete with dancehall vocals and a fat bass line. “Funky World” is purely danceable funk, capable of getting your weekend started off right. “Sexy Cuty” sounds like Cee-Lo’s reggae-singin’ lit

Dub Champions Festival is bringing the noise that spawned sound-system culture to the Big Apple: dub reggae. The legendary Lee “Scratch” Perry will play the event’s cornerstone event at the Brooklyn Bowl on September 24th, but the action doesn’t stop there. On September 22nd the party kicks off with Mad Professor, who is largely regarded as one of the best producers in modern dub music. That party is at Cielo. On September 23, Lee “Scratch” Perry is hosting his first art show

Trouble & Bass is throwing quite the celebration for their 8th year. The Brooklyn-based label has partnered up with Verboten to co-host some epic lineups over the next couple months… August 16 Trouble & Bass + Say Yes: DJ EZ / NEVERMIND / DJ Technics / UNIIQU3 / Star Eyes / Tony Quattro / Jubilee / C0p0ut // Tickets September 18 Hyperdub Records 10 Year Anniversary: Kode9 / Mala / DJ Spinn b2b Taso / Ikonika / Scratch DVA / Jubilee / Star Eyes // Tickets October 3 Trouble & B

In many ways, I’ve been waiting to see last night’s show for a decade. As I found my way in to a dark manhattan basement, I was greeted with the experimental sounds of dub reggae that I discovered in my early teenage years, while really diving in to bands like Streetlight Manifesto and Less Than Jake. To take just a step back: dub is kinda like reggae on acid. It’s stripped down, instrumental reggae with crazy effects on the instruments that make really trippy noises. To be c

Minnesota proves time and time again that dubstep can still be done very properly and tastefully. This time, he serves his melodic, bass-driven remix of Collie Buddz’ “Come Around.” The reggae / dub(heavy)step is a perfect revamp of the song we all know and love. Of course it’s free because Minnesota is a hella cool dude. [soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/103136190″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] #colliebuddz #dubstep #rap #Minnesota #mu

Destroid’s Invasion hits stores on May 7th When we received word that Excision had a live dubstep project up his sleeve, we knew it would be insane. With all the hype surrounding the band, including the single, a slated performance at Metallica’s Orion Festival and Camp Bisco, I wasn’t really sure if Destroid would live up to the hype. However, at this very moment, I am listening to this crazy-ass drum & bass tune that Excision and Bassnectar collaborated on for the album and

The homies in Sounduo have just unleashed one hell of an EP. Dubbed Live For The Future, this free EP contains 5 songs of skankin’ bass music that cherishes its past just as much as the future. Here’s a message from the dudes themselves: We are so incredibly excited to present our second official release through Gravitas Recordings. Our ‘Live For the Future’ EP is a collection of five tracks that represent the evolution of Sounduo’s sound better than anything we have released

We linked up with Excision to ask him some questions regarding the latest Executioner tour, future projects and more. Check out what one of the biggest dubstep producers in the world has to say! DubEra.com: How did the Executioner stage show come about? Excision: The new stage “The Executioner” has been in progress since April of last year.  When we built Xvision, we learned what projection mapping is truly capable of, and with a bit bigger budget this year we were able to pr

Flux Pavilion’s Blow The Roof EP is slated for a January 28th release on Circus/Big Beat Records. This new single, a free download, is a trap-flavored dubstep tune that “makes your body wanna” go WILD. Check it out and be sure to pick up that new EP on the 28th. #bassnectar #downlink #avicii #edm #fluxpavilion #dubstep #datsik #dillonfrancis #tiesto #excision #dub #skrillex #reggae #majorlazer

1. Aura Music & Arts Festival – When the folks at AURA Music Group announced that they would be taking their fourth annual festival to the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park, we were ecstatic. Following that big news, they casted Papadosio, Perpetual Groove, The Heavy Pets and Conspirator as headliners, all of which are playing two sets. To top it all off, Kung Fu is doing a Stevie Wonder tribute set. BAM! More Information: http://www.auramusicfestival.com/ 2. Envision Festival –

UKF just uploaded some brand new Benga to start your week. It’s a heavy dub track, be sure to listen on some dope speakers and turn it all the way up. #downlink #fluxpavilion #dubstep #datsik #Caspa #skream #rusko #garage #excision #dub #skrillex #hatcha #adventureclub #benga

The collaboration between Major Lazer and Flux Pavilion has just been given the music video treatment. “Jah No Partial” is now accompanied by thousands of raging fans from all over the world. From Belgium to Philly, the international phenomenon Diplo is rocking crowds along with his group of hype men and dancers. Additionally, I think it’s really cool that they got Johnny Osbourne to sing a little diddy at the beginning. #bassnectar #fluxpavilion #dubstep #skream #dub #skrill