Sub Killaz - Wake The Beast EP
San Diego-based jump up stalwart Sub Killaz returns to the Serial Killaz imprint with four cuts of visceral drum and bass.
Over the past decade, Sub Killaz have concocted some of the most face-twisting jump up to have graced the face of the earth. By virtue of a unique sound characterised by the seamless interplay between guttural sounding basses and tasteful chromatic melodies, a string of releases with Serial Killaz was inevitable as the label continues to showcase diverse musical offerings from the realm of jump up.
Opening with Hacksaw, Sub Killaz pays tribute to the heritage of drum and bass whilst keeping one eye firmly on the horizon. An iconic Cutty Ranks sample is paired with an exhilarating two-step drum pattern and a wobbling bassline which leads into a drop featuring an equally steppy call-and-response bass pattern supplemented with shuffling percussion.
Psycho (in collaboration with Gum-B) draws from another iconic sample, this time taken from the eponymous Hitchcock film. This choice builds musical tension from the outset, only to be resolved after 16 bars by weighty basslines and thumping drums.
Konduit joins Sub Killaz on Train Track. A jungle-tinged intro quickly reaches a furious climax; a syncopated bassline and ephemeral kick rolls marking the end of phrases throughout the drop create a peak-time banger sure to cause some serious damage on the dancefloors.
The title track, Wake The Beast, closes the EP. Descending bass wobs, growls, and stuttering screeches are accompanied by vicious, pumping drums and capture the raw energy of jump up; gritty, playful, and hard-hitting.
