aaamusic | On 11, Mar 2012

London based Robot Elephant records teamed up with record label Tundra Dubs, from Oakland CA. for this collaborative effort. Split in two, the first half of the record features artists from Robot Elephant’s roster and is curated by its founder, Sebastian Weikart. These include the industrial-tech ‘Flowers’ by Husband, from Bologna; Ritualz’s ‘Heat’, which incorporates European trance synths with the essentially Caribbean rhythms of Reggaeton, and Bucharest’s Hipdiebattery’s, making their debut appearance with ‘Bones’, this haunting, dub based ballad is a sneak preview of what their debut album, released later in the year, will be like.

Tundra Dub’s effort, put together by Ben Tundra, certainly lives up to the label’s name, moving away from RER’s Euro based trance/tech sound, this is heavy dub from our American cousins. Californian duo ∆Aimon begin the Tundra side with their aptly titled track ‘Low’, aptly titled as it a dark, dubby and doom-ridden track. Funerals and Mascara continue the dub vibe. The highlight, possibly of the entire collaboration, is Ben Tundra’s own contribution from his alias, Grimm Soundsystem. His track ‘Korby Bryers’, contains a healthy balance of tech and dub that sets it apart from the rest of the album.

Overall, whilst Robot Elephant vs. Tundra Dubs may not be a party-starter for anyone other than those with specific tastes in dance music, the album does provide an interesting insight in to the harmony of two well respected DIY labels from both sides of the Atlantic.

 

Will Pye