Do you love dubstep so ear-piercingly shrill, so motor-function-impairingly gritty, that you can seldom listen for extended periods of time without fear of migraine or permanent cochlear damage? Yeah, me neither. However, sometimes you’re just looking for that tasteful slice of grime to energize your day…and to justify your slightly-too-aggressive soundcloud-induced head nod at the office. We understand, and we think we’ve found the solution: Ganja White Night.
If you’re unfamiliar with GWN and enjoy highly innovative dub, you should immediately stop what you’re doing and go dig through their discography. An active member in one of Europe’s most prominent artist collectives ThemApples (which features other dubstep heavyweights such as 50 Carrot, Habstrakt, and Eptic), Ganja White Night candidly describes their approach as music centered around “bass wobbling” that, at its core, tries to deviate from clichés as much as possible. Furthermore, the Belgian duo is of a very special breed: one that is seemingly able to turn almost every track they touch into gold, which couldn’t be more apparent with their 11th single release Blackberries.
“Blackberries,” the title track and our personal favorite, is a signature GWN approach to the above mentioned bass wobble technique. While the track starts off with melodic chants and light percussion, it quickly becomes clear that this track was not meant to be enjoyed while sitting still. Showcasing an incredible grasp of musical synthesis, the drops contain a handful of distinct growls that are masterfully automated to taste and all kept in time against a backdrop of a swingy, yet minimal tribal beat. Much like a number of other Ganja White Night creations, what really seems to distinguish a track like “Blackberries” from the rest of the pack is its remarkable ability to create energy without becoming overpowering. You can definitely feel the heat, but it’s not in-your-face to the point of repulsion, which is a problem many modern dubstep tracks struggle with.
“Wild Vine” features Salt Lake City bass music aficionado Grimblee (who played a massive set at Infrasound earlier this year) and is slight return to a more classic dubstep format. The beauty of this track lies in the fact that it actually sounds like a perfect amalgamation between the styles of both producers, which is always refreshing to hear. Signature Grimblee blipps and zaps can be clearly heard during each breakdown, while laid-back reggae guitar stabs set the mood and give credence to GWN’s presence within the mix. These all build into drops that scream a thoroughly collaborated effort and helps secure “Wild Vine” as the heavy hitter within the EP.
“Blue Sage” is definitely the standalone track amidst the 3 and and delivers an almost electronic-rock style hybrid, full of epic strings, alternative vocals, atmospheric tension and rolling synth stabs. A welcome departure from the uptempo direction of the previous two inclusions, this track proves that the duo is just as competent making their audience think as well as move.
While no free download exists, you can grab all three track below on their bandcamp for €2.5 (or $2.72). A small price to pay in helping support unique artists bring you quality music, no?
Although Ganja White Night has yet to make an appearance in the US since last spring, they’ve thankfully confirmed an extensive North American tour in September of this year to showcase the two brand new albums they’ve been tirelessly working on. What’s more, they still have a few tour dates left to be filled, so if you’re interested in seeing incredibly unique bass music in a city near you, do yourself a favor and have your local promoter contact Alex@darkhorsetalent.com. We promise you won’t regret it.
Connect with Ganja White Night
https://www.facebook.com/GanjaWhiteNight
https://twitter.com/ganjawhitenight
https://soundcloud.com/ganjawhitenight
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