One of the most exciting dubstep talents to emerge from New Zealand, Truth have finally given us their debut album Puppets. Many of their 12” singles were snapped up by qualitylabels such as Skream’s Disfigured Dubs, but this album is released on Aquatic Lab Records: the Australian label which brings forth the most talented dubstep and garage DJs of tomorrow.
Truth produce what I like to think of as ‘original’ dubstep, and Puppets has captured some of their best tracks and compiled them into one immense album. Their instrumental half-step tracks are all accompanied by ear-pounding baselines; the kind which deserve a huge sound system and the craziest of volumes in order to appreciate the extreme sub-bass. Their minimal vocals and snappy samples strip their tracks right back to the roots of dubstep - showing the listeners what true dubstep is (or was) all about.
Burglar sets the backdrop for the intensity of the album, beginning with synths and samples over a soft drum beat before mixing in the occasional razor-wobble; the kind which shakes your headphones enough to tingle your ears. The sketchy horror-movie vocals give the track that dark edge, and then you realise that you aren’t in for an easy ride.
Juno is one of my favourite tracks on the album. Played through some heavy duty speakers, the lengthy ‘wob wob’s are enough to shake your whole body from toe to head as the bass travels through the floor and up through your body- using you as a sound-current as you give yourself over to dirty dubstep at its best. The track has an immense build up half way through, when the beat drops and the bleeping of an ECG assures you that you’re still alive, before plummeting you back into the mix.
Under Current features none other than Pendulum MC Ben Verse, who has been taking a step back from the band and producing solo over the past couple of years. As illustrated on Aquatic Lab Records’ website, this alliance of minds can only be described as ‘drum-dub’- the dark dub synths meeting the beats of drum and bass to create a new fusion in-between. A futuristic edge hits Masters of the Stars as the track mixes in some sci-fi electronics, but the darkness continues throughout the album as Legion brings in a haunting piano with melancholic female vocals- suspending you in space before dropping you down into the depths of Truth’s heaviest wobbles. Only the filthiest of dubstep can be accompanied by sirens and vicious dogs as in More Dangerous. Conjuring the image of grimey urban streets at night, this track is one of the heaviest on the album.
Finishing the album is The Fatman, originally released on Deep Medi Musik. Elements of jungle fuse with the wobbles of bass, but the track doesn’t drop as heavy as More Dangerous. The loud snares and symbols combine with electronic samples to create more of a steppy sound, bringing Puppets to an almighty close.
Puppets will capture you, tie steel strings of filthy dub to your wrists and instruct you bounce to the wobbling bass. Once you lend Truth your ears, you won’t get them back.