Dark, dubbed

Deadbeat - Refund Me feat. Bubbz

I love me some good techno, and I love me some good dub music. Fortunate for me then to come across Deadbeat, one of many projects helmed by Montreal-based Scott Monteith. He also works with Stephen Beaupré (who I wrote about last year) as Crackhaus, and has participated in "Atlantic Waves", an improvised network music performance with Monolake.

His biography goes on and on about his genre-defying sound, but it seems more like he works in a couple of fairly well-defined genres in parallel. On his new album, Journeyman's Annual, Monteith goes way deep into the realms of minimal techno and dub styles, and produces something akin to that 'dubstep' genre the kids in the UK are into (but that hasn't really broken out too much over here in the US).

I put on the CD when I got it and immediately knew I should feature it here on MFR, because it doesn't really sound like anything else, and if you are curious about music the way I am, hopefully you will give this a chance. The album features a handful of contributions by Monteith's friends and associates, including vocal tracks by Moral Undulations, Jah Cutta, and this one with Bubbz. The opening track also features strings by Sophie Trudeau, a fellow Montrealer and former member of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and A Silver Mount Zion. Oh, and as a bonus track, the CD includes the Deadbeat remix of Saul Williams' song "Black Stacey", which is dark but excellent stuff.

Journeyman's Annual comes out in early June on Germany's ~scape, the label headed by fellow electronic dub-head, Stefan Betke aka Pole. Once it comes out (June 19th according to my records), you'll be able to buy it directly from the ~scape Shop, or via our friends at Forced Exposure. Recommended.