Inkspot, Cardiff
Fri 28 July
The big news with Cardiff’s Submerge crew, who since 2013 have been throwing parties whose playlists tend towards dubstep, jungle and other musics with ribsticking bass frequencies, is that their bespoke soundsystem is complete and ready to foist on the world. Accordingly, at the end of July they’ll drag it into Inkspot – the arts centre venue in a former church over Splott way – and put it through its paces with some seriously strict heads conducting the tests.
The two marquee names on the bill both come from Bristol, and drink deep from its history of bass culture and multiracial sonics. In the case of RSD, in fact, he’s done a lot to shape that history – as Rob Smith, he was one half of Smith & Mighty in the 1980s and 90s. The duo’s spin on dub, hip-hop, soul and house presaged and influenced Massive Attack and Portishead among many others, while his solo releases have embedded him into the dubstep scene which, again, his earlier productions anticipated.
Joining RSD in the main room will be Halcyonic & G Roots, a duo who describe themselves as, simply, “soundsystem music”. They’re slated to deliver a quasi-live set here, with a succession of dubplates fortified by trilling melodica and live saxophone (courtesy of Tailored Sound). Tom Bateman and Blokeye warm up, while the second room is on a junglist tip and features Ital Lion among others.
Tickets: £10/£8. Info: 029 2049 0254 (NG)