BALUT004: Kalbata – Oh Gosh 21.12.09
September 21, 2009
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Kalbata, real name Ariel Tagar, is a bass music pioneer based in Tel Aviv. Regardless of genre, his distinct musical approach comes through in everything he does – a deep affection for the lowest of frequencies and a collection of vintage effects and instruments which guarantee his razor-sharp beats will always have a warm analog feel, floating in a pool of endless ripples and echoes. With a series of high profile remixes for Spank Rock, Ben Mono, Sunship, Roll Deep & Fat Freddy’s Drop, and a feature on Slices magazine, Kalbata’s dark-star is on the rise.
Oh Gosh, the latest release from Kalbata comes hot on the heels of his recent dubstep banger, the “Ninja We Ninja” white label, championed by such heavyweight DJs as Toddla T, TRG, RSD & N-Type (who included it in his Rinse:09 mix-CD), and his two twelve inches for the legendary Soul Jazz label.
On the A-side, Oh Gosh is an instant classic, dripping late night soul sentiments into the 2-step-garage/dubstep continuum, backed by a mean bassline rumbling beneath it. The short vocal samples come courtesy of Tel-Aviv’s pop-tastic songstress Onili. Karl Butter on the B-side is a more straightforward dubstep/breaks affair, fusing 8-bit analog bleeps with bouncy beats and killer breakdowns into total dancefloor mayhem, which cannot be fully appreciated until heard on a large soundsystem.
Get this on Botanika Shop
BALUT005: NDV – South Bridge EP
South Bridge is a big, shiny scaffold, connecting the southern hemisphere continents, namely Africa and South America, with an imaginary spot in London. It’s linking the London heritage of heavy bass, broken beats & UK funky with Afro-Latin rhythms and percussion – from afro-techno beats to acidic cumbia.
The South Bridge EP is inspired by the fresh attitude of the UK Funky sound, but tries to take it another notch up, making the tracks a bit more than just DJ tools, injecting it with more emotional substance, melodic twists and more fully realized arrangements.
NDV is one half of Polar Pair and part of the Botanika label / DJ crew.
Southbridge EP cover was designed by Tubi, a local designer and fellow DJ.
South Bridge EP is released digitally on October 19th Through Botanika Records.
NDV – South Bridge EP by Botanika
Get this on the Botanika Shop
BALUT003 – Polar Pair – This is What Happens. Out now
This Is What Happens, the third release on the Botanika label, is a story of two cities: Tel-Aviv, Israel, represented on the A side by Polar Pair; and Detroit, USA, represented by both Atlantis, with a ferocious spoken word delivery, and Mark Flash, whose classic Detroit soulful techno remix occupies the B side – both of whom hail from the Underground Resistance collective.
The collaboration between Polar Pair and Atlantis, the voice behind UR’s classic Transitions, came about after a meeting in Tel Aviv in Spring 2007, and now the dubplate is creating serious club-buzz in the underground scenes of both cities, as in the UR related forums.
Polar Pair is the ongoing production team of Malkiel Grossman and Nadav Ravid (aka NDV). They have collaborated with Maddslinky, Shawn Lee, Daz-I-Kue, Sinden, and have remixed the likes of Al Haca, Bonde Do Role and Black Devil Disco Club.
Punk-Funk, cut-up breaks and classic UR techno colliding on the third release of the Tel-Aviv based label – representing the cutting-edge diversity of the artistic/musical collective behind it.
The delicious artwork was designed by Heela Harel, based on a picture taken by Dania Heller
BALUT002: Sabbo – It Is The Time EP – Out now
It Is The Time EP is the first solo release by Sabbo, a sought after DJ and producer, one of the busiest beat-makers in Israel, and one fourth of DJ/producer team, Soulico.
Sabbo describes his style as Bounce-hall: a lethal combination of reggae and dancehall riddims, infused with heavy bass and a party bounce feel, informed by Club, Dubstep and Electro.
The vocalists on this EP were recorded in Jamaica by Sabbo and his long time partner (on many other projects), Kutiman. Also featured are vocals by Zulu, Chicago’s leading dancehall artist.
Sabbo’s tracks have received heavy support on many blogs and websites such as Discobelle, Mad Decent (where he is now a regular contributor), as well as a great review on the mighty Pitchfork Media.
Sabbo has worked with some Jamaica’s finest – Steven Marley, Damien Marley & Turbulence, to name but a few. Locally, he collaborated with some of Israel most notable musicians, while producing many chart topping hits for a new breed of artists, refreshing the stale Israeli airwaves with a much needed dose of B O O TA Y.
BALUT001: Polar Pair ft Shawn Lee – Ever Happy
‘Ever Happy’ is the debut release on Botanika Records. It´s a soulful, infectious guitar-driven bubbler with a beat-centric heart; Featuring the magnificent Shawn Lee, on vocals, this record really will put a smile on your face in these trying times. This is the first release of a series of singles scheduled for 2009.
The incredible artwork was designed by Heela Harel, based on a picture taken by Dania Heller
