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We don’t cover dance and electronic music all the time on Pigeons & Planes, but when we do, we bring you the best of the best. Each month, Plugged will take a look at certain aspects of the electronic landscape, filling you in on the artists, scenes, and music that you should be paying attention to, whatever your taste.
When it comes to electronic music, there’s one thing I truly despise: people who think dubstep is a monolith. Our look at what DMZ did in 10 years, especially when you consider the paths that the principle members took, should showcase how vast the sound truly is. One of the benefits of Mala branching off into a more soulful, jazzy sound is that he linked up with producers like Silkie, guys who have been maturing into more melodic, spacey craftsmen, bringing an R&B-influenced intergalactic funk to the dubstep scene.
Silkie got bit by the UK garage sound at the right time; at 13-years-old, he went from digging into his sister’s collection to hitting up rave as garage was just starting to get darker and morph into grime. By the age of 15 Silkie was already was already had a single (“Dark Square” with Harry Craze) under his belt, and by 18 he was opening for Mobb Deep. While his name was growing, so did his sound, which found Silkie linking up with Quest, Harry Craze, and others to form Anti Social Entertainment…all before the sound we now know as “dubstep” even had a name. As Anti Social’s name started to grow, they secured a show on (the then pirate radio station) Rinse FM, with their name and sounds eventually falling into the hands of Digital Mystikz’s own Mala, thus opening up a new chapter in Silkie’s burgeoning career.
Silkie’s sound has grown over the 12 years he’s been putting out material, and Distal’s Anarchostar imprint let Silkie helm the second chapter in their label’s “space opera” series with his latest album, Fractals. It’s a bright, energetic look at dubstep’s future through the lens of a producer who’s been around since before “dubstep” was a real term. For those who might not be up on Silkie’s past, let’s take a brief look at some of the dynamic classics he’s released pre-Fractals.
“Cyber Dub,” which was the flipside of a Digital Mystikz release on Skream‘s Disfigured Dubz, is a perfect example of Silkie’s approach to dubstep. Not too many producers can satisfy your bass-craving needs while perfectly utilizing some dubwise guitar strums as their topline. Pairing those with drums that are so full of vigor, this one gets eerie and emo at the same damn time.
When the Anti Social Entertainment crew finally linked up with Mala from DMZ, Mala made it a point to sign Anti Social members Quest and Silkie with the quickness. Released the same year as “Cyber Dub,” Silkie’s Deep Medi debut featured this pulsating number, “Sky’s the Limit,” that turned into one of his more definitive tunes. The way the tune builds is a feat in and of itself; he could’ve just left it as a moody rumbler, but he took the time to add in those airy elements, creating a symphony of sultry sound that few producers can truly wrap their heads around.
The Purple WOW sound that Joker brought to the forefront of the bass music scene was a perfect fit for the hazy spacescapes that Silkie would craft. While “Purple Love” got it’s own single release via Deep Medi, it was also included on Silkie’s first City Limits album in 2009, and it’s a magical journey.
French dubstep producer Von D called on Silkie for “Fryst,” a track from his Positive Energy album that highlights the hypnotic emotional side of the bass music scene. It’s an excellent track to turn down to, even if it has a rhythm that won’t let you drift into sleep. Hitting those warmer tones is key, and something that dubstep-detractors never think the scene can actually accomplish.
Silkie’s growth as a producer meant way more timeless melodies infused in future funky bass music tracks, which was right up the alley of Swindle, who collaborated with Silkie on a number of unforgettably excellent tunes like 2012’s “Unlimited.” It’s what happens when you hear a beautiful jazz record from your grandparents’ collection, get stuck on one particular movement, and transform that sound into something magical and new.
The last bit on Fractals takes all of what we’ve learned about Silkie as a producer, wraps it around a jungle-ish beat, and knocks it into the stratosphere. This is the kind of moody stepper that should be closing your albums, and a perfect note to end this trek into Silkie’s sound with. We almost end as we started out, taking what could be a pretty simplistic bassline and throwing all kinds of elements, herbs and spices into the mix, to the point where you almost forget that this started out very jungle-y. It’s the true mark of a master… allowing listeners to get so lost in the cozy bed they made for them.
Long live Silkie Rose.
Silkie’s new album Fractals is out now. Grab it here.
