Kalbata, real name Ariel Tagar, is a bass music pioneer based in Tel Aviv. Regardless of genre, his distinct musical approach comes through in everything he does – a deep affection for the lowest of frequencies and a collection of vintage effects and instruments which guarantee his razor-sharp beats will always have a warm analog feel, floating in a pool of endless ripples and echoes. With a series of high profile remixes for Spank Rock, Ben Mono, Sunship, Roll Deep & Fat Freddy’s Drop, and a feature on Slices magazine, Kalbata’s dark-star is on the rise.
Oh Gosh, the latest release from Kalbata comes hot on the heels of his recent dubstep banger, the “Ninja We Ninja” white label, championed by such heavyweight DJs as Toddla T, TRG, RSD & N-Type (who included it in his Rinse:09 mix-CD), and his two twelve inches for the legendary Soul Jazz label.
On the A-side, Oh Gosh is an instant classic, dripping late night soul sentiments into the 2-step-garage/dubstep continuum, backed by a mean bassline rumbling beneath it. The short vocal samples come courtesy of Tel-Aviv’s pop-tastic songstress Onili. Karl Butter on the B-side is a more straightforward dubstep/breaks affair, fusing 8-bit analog bleeps with bouncy beats and killer breakdowns into total dancefloor mayhem, which cannot be fully appreciated until heard on a large soundsystem.
Stain, from New Delhi, combines regional melodies with jumpy drum & bass rhythms on an EP that confounds & inspires. Bandcamp New & Notable Dec 12, 2020