Rinse:16 — Ben UFO
Over the last couple of years, the boundaries around the sound that was once simply known as ‘dubstep’ have disintegrated, allowing outside influences to work their way into its DNA. Ben UFO has been at the forefront of these developments in every capacity: as club DJ, as co-founder of the increasingly singular Hessle Audio label, and as host of Hessle Audio’s Rinse show, where brand new cuts from the UK underground rub shoulders with house, techno and experimental music from across the globe.
“Even though in 2009 or so people were maybe looking outside of dubstep and garage, in the UK now it’s like the borders for everything have widened, even over only two years,” Ben says. “So if people are playing house now, they’re looking beyond just what’s being made on their doorstep – they’re listening to European stuff, they’re listening to old US stuff. It feels like those possibilities have opened up a lot in that space of time. It’s still possible to have something personal to say, even if you’re delving into lots of different areas in order to say it.”
The energy released in these fusion reactions in turn re-infects the UK scene, triggering further mutations within our own homegrown sounds. Rinse:016 captures a snapshot of that process in action, where dubstep’s 140bpm skank slows to house’s heartbeat pulse, and where excess fat melts away to leave little but tough percussion and wispy melody. What remains as a hallmark, though, is the presence of sub-bass – a thick tar that binds together everything from the acidic electro of ‘Swims’ to the barely-there techno of Actress’ ‘Ghosts Have A Heaven’.
The results of this blending process aren’t necessarily all positive. The sheer volume of influence currently pouring into UK music ensures that dancefloors often lack the sense of focus that the dominance of one single genre provides. It’s easy to get lost in the internet-assisted rabbit hole that is modern music. So now more than ever, DJs and record labels are required to act as guides, carving paths and drawing connections between different areas of this blur of information.
Ben UFO’s role in the current musical climate is clear then: a crate-digger in the broadest and most adventurous sense, his Rinse FM show and club DJing are like signposts, daring listeners to delve further. So it makes sense that during Rinse:16’s final minutes he looks away from the club, as Pearson Sound’s noxious remix of current anthem ‘Sicko Cell’ disintegrates into abstract noise from Andrew Coltrane and How To Dress Well’s gorgeous beatless R’n’B. Like his show, Ben’s Rinse mix purposely avoids limiting notions of genre, geography and modernity.
“The selection that made it on to this CD isn’t hugely upfront,” Ben explains. “A lot of the tunes are really introverted, quite strange and spaced out. I definitely think that once someone’s gone out and bought a CD, they’re going to have a willingness to focus their attention on it in a way that might not be possible with online mixes, or even sets in clubs. I wanted to use the flexibility that gives you as a DJ – and hopefully that comes across in the selection.”
Starting with the house music that forms the backbone of his sets, deep cuts from Aaron Carl, Kassem Mosse and STL, the UK gradually makes its presence felt in Karenn’s convulsive ‘Caretaker’ and Jam City’s hyperactive grime. As the two styles meld together, house’s four-to-the-floor throb begins to break apart even as tempo remains fixed, leaving the exquisitely broken hybrid that’s defined 2011 so far. Even as the music approaches dubstep tempo towards the end, it retains the stripped-back tension that’s made Hessle Audio’s output so distinctive. Dissolving into dissonance and finally silence, Rinse:016’s construction mirrors the fluid nature of its contents; like Ben’s shows, it practically demands that you immediately start exploring further.
Rory Gibb
London, July 2011
TRACKLIST
01 Crucified (XDB Edit) — Aaron Carl
02 012A — Kassem Mosse
03 Extended Epic — Dro Carey
04 Andy — Third Side
05 Dark Energy — STL
06 Caretaker — Karenn
07 Winamp Melodrama — 2562
08 Swims — Unknown
09 Tanned Legs — Lerosa
10 Arpjam VIP — Jam City
11 Future (Carl Craig Remix) — Mister Monday
12 Cactus — Objekt
13 Sensitivity — Champion
14 Ghosts Have A Heaven — Actress
15 Nibiru — Snugs
16 Dunkel Jam — Elgato
17 Lady Science (Tek Mix) — Soul Capsule
18 Keep Your Love (Def Club Mix) — Ordinary People
19 Sweet Love (Remix feat. General Levy) — M Dubs meets Fierce
20 Hex — Pangaea
21 Stacks Riddim — Helix
22 Deadman — Shackleton
23 Curbside — Unknown Artist
24 Pump It Up — Bassboy
25 Ice — Kode9
26 Silo Pass — Bok Bok
27 Sicko Cell (Pearson Sound Remix) — Unknown
28 Systems of Chaos — Andrew Coltrane
29 Escape Before The Rain — How To Dress Well
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