Disrupt: Foundation Bit
Werk Discs

The dub-dubstep-dancehall fusion dominating Disrupt's debut album, Foundation Bit, sounds so organic and authentic, it's hard to believe it's largely laptop-generated. Leipzig-based Jan Gleichmar (who co-founded the Jahtari label in 2004) drowns ten smoky cuts in a humongous production style so echo-drenched and reverberant it'll leave you reeling, even if there are no narcotic stimulants in the room. Ultra-heavy bass lines slither while voices, guitar stabs, synths, clavinets, and sci-fi effects swim in Disrupt's oceanic mix for forty lo-fi minutes. “Tubby Rom Module” sets the mood with a slow skank of collapsing rhythms and spacey themes, followed by the jauntier “The Stars My Destination” whose space-dub Gleichmar sweetens with horns. The title cut introduces a metallic dimension that pushes Disrupt in the direction of Basic Channel-Chain Reaction and Deepchord, while the mid-song interjection of a tenor sax warms the cool fire. For those who like their dub served gritty, rootsy, and raw.

January 2008