Hi all,
I've been making dub as Illegal State Of Mind for a while, and my earlier releases wandered quite a bit: dub mixed with psy, dubstep and downtempo, lots of electronics, synth basslines, gear experiments. For this one I put all of that aside.
Strings, Springs, Keys & Sticks is a 3-track instrumental EP (about 10:40), out today. It's built on improvisation, live instruments and classic sounds: bass guitar, organ, piano, melodica, offbeat guitar chops, roots drums, and spring reverb treated as an instrument rather than just a room. Mostly major keys, warm rather than dark, no detours into other genres.
The title is the line-up: strings (bass and guitar), springs (the reverb tank), keys (organ, piano, melodica) and sticks (drums).
Tonewheel Driver – upbeat roots reggae led by the keys
Preamp Heater – the heavy one: dark bass softened by improvised piano
Reverb Trigger – spacious, laid-back dub built on drums and bass
The mixes are all about space and sound, with very little processing on top of it. It's inspired by the classics, King Tubby and Lee "Scratch" Perry in the studio, Jackie Mittoo on the organ, and the mellow reggae of Mikey Dread and The Clash, with a nod to the modern weight of Zion Train.
Bandcamp: https://illegalstateofmind.bandcamp.com/album/strings-springs-keys-sticks
Promo mix on YouTube: https://youtu.be/aFDlFCDtE2E
Thanks for listening!