So, when my friends at Sub Swara told me they had an album about to drop, I knew people would have to stand up and listen. Sub Swara consists of Dhurva Dhruva Ganesan and Dave Sharma from New York. Both are talented instrumentalists and percussionists who have refined their techniques in the studio, and now tour internationally smashing dancefloors whenever they touch deck. The Sub Swara sound pits musical refinement against genre bending bass weight, encompassing dubplate culture, live percussion, triggering and on-the-fly remixes.
The ‘Triggers’ LP is the culmination of 5 years on the road and in the studio, and after a handful of releases on both their imprint and others, really defines them as a talented force on the global dance music scene. Sub Swara melds everything from dubstep, dancehall, and jungle to breakbeat, midtempo, and glitch hop–mixed with a sensibility that engages and unites across cultural and musical borders.
There is a raw energy to this release, incorporating aspects of tribal, middle-eastern percussion with grimey street verse and elaborate production techniques. Tracks like ‘Speak my Language’ sound like they stepped straight out of the Ghetto Crunk scene, while ‘Bend You’ is a euphoric journey just waiting to burst into dancefloor mayhem and 4X4 beats.
No shortage of sonic exploration can be found as we move through the 14 track release, ‘Schemes’ introduces upfront keys, with beatbox beats and a shady sounding bassline, while ‘Steam’ sounds like a train slowly building momentum till dropping into a weighty Dubstep Rhythm.
‘Bird of Pray’ fuses flamenco style guitars, funky bass, sax lines and gut churning sub bass with masterful effect. ‘Tambores’ shows no sign of letting up with ragga style verses flowing over fast flowing timpani percussion and middle eastern strings.
As we move through the final 4 tracks, Sub Swara ease of the accelerator and take things warm and easy with ‘Flow’. ‘The Ripple’ is a melodic dubstep roller with fast arpeggio’s and rippling bass. Finally, ‘Nectar’ uses a beautiful female vocal to maintain momentum over layered back rhythms.
The album is an evocative testament to both the producer’s skills and their love of global beats and bass. In addition, Sub Swara are giving away one track from the album ‘Bend You’, and a remix of Big Boi’s ‘Shutterbug’.