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Dave Tipper: Pioneer in Electronic Music & Sound

dave-tipperDave Tipper is one of the most influential producers in the breakbeat, and underground hip-hop scene, known best for his signature wobbly bass and twisted soundscapes. He’s been cranking out mind blowing tunes since the late 90’s and has produced, remixed and mastered material for countless other influential artists. Tipper was one of the first DJs to mix and spin in 5.1 surround sound and he used to hold the record for the loudest car in the world. Sub frequencies have always been a huge part of his music as he loves the way it makes people feel “all warm and wobbly.”

At 16, he got into rave and drum & bass but eventually grew bored of the fast repetitive beats. After much experimentation in 2000, he slowed things down for his debut full length release, The Critical Path. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever heard. It’s a dark electronic album full of morphing synths, beats and tempos. It has beautiful pads blended with crunchy stuttering drums and soft female vocals—glitchy alien synths, haunting atmospheres and loads of ridiculously cool sounds.

In 2001, Tipper released his second full length, Holding Pattern. This album is slightly cold compared to The Critical Path, but took sound and tempo manipulation to a new level. The 2003 release, Surrounded, was one of the first electronic albums to be mixed in 5.1 surround sound. Where it lacked in dancefloor breaks, it made up in thick haunting atmospheres and chilled out downtempo beats. The ability to change up one’s styles effectively on every release is a sign of a true artist and Tipper has no interest in spending too much time in one genre.

In 2005, Tipper released Tip Hop, his first hip-hop album. He told Clash Magazine that he had offered all he could to the breaks genre and wanted to focus on new styles. The 2006 album, The Seamless Unspeakable Something, dug deeper into sound design and quirky melodies. By 2008, Tipper’s releases had surpassed categorization. Wobble Factor transcends all previous conventions of electronic music. It’s an incredibly fun ride through sub bass anarchy and sonic manipulation. Tipper confesses that he just loves to make strange noises, regardless of their lack of chart success. He makes music solely for himself. The fact that so many of us can’t get enough is beside the point.

A new downtempo album called Broken Soul Jamboree was supposedly coming out at the end of 2008 but I haven’t been able to find out any more information on it. I would love to post Tipper’s entire discography here for those that haven’t heard his music yet, but unfortunately, I can’t do that. Since one track isn’t nearly enough to encompass his wide range of styles, I’ve included five.  ~ tom

MP3 1: Rare and Plentiful – Relish the Trough (2005)
MP3 2: outsideinsideout – The Seemless Unspeakable Something (2006)
MP3 3: Sort Code – The Critical Path (2000)
MP3 4: Paperthinreality – Tip Hop (2005)
MP3 5: Over the Coals – Surrounded (2003)

*Use the right and left arrows to scroll back and forth through tracks.

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Nine Inch Nails and The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble Collaborate on Summer Release

the-kilimanjaro-darkjazz-ensembleThis summer, Nine Inch Nails fans can expect something totally different. The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble and NIN are currently collaborating on a full length release called Here Be Piggies. It’s a companion album to TKDE’s upcoming album, Here Be Dragons. The 6 track, 66 minute long album will be released by Ad Noiseam by the end of summer 2009. Both bands are working side-by-side so we can expect something much more exciting than a typical remix album. The new NIN line-up for the release (which seems absolutely ridiculous) includes Armando Acosta, Terminator X, Jasmin Wagner and HP Baxter. Since I got this from Ad Noiseam, I’m assuming it’s correct. But it could just be a stunt to boost TDKE’s popularity. Either way, I’m sure it’ll work.

This is what Trent Reznor had to say about the upcoming release: “I wanted to try something different, something genuinely more underground and boundaries-pushing. Getting away from mainstream rock has been my wish for years now, and I found in TKDE the perfect people to jam with. Partying with TKDE / Bong-Ra’s Jason Kohnen also helped me get over my straight-edgeness, and releasing on Ad Noiseam brings me back to the times I was a struggling musician scraping for money. I am having fun again, finally.”

If you’re unfamiliar with TKDE, they’re an experimental 7-member band that got their start composing music to silent films. Their current sound is a mix between creepy jazz, downtempo, industrial and IDM. It’s dark and beautiful. Definitely check them out. TKDE are currently on tour throughout the UK. Below is a track from their second release, Mutations EP.

MP3: The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble – Shadows

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