Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
Fri 26 May
Dubstep, for whatever reason, never really quite took hold in Cardiff as it did across the water in Bristol, which became one of the sound’s most fertile and progressive breeding grounds. Submerge, however, have been one of dubstep and bass music’s only representatives in the city through the sound’s boom-and-bust years.
For this instalment of their parties, held to celebrate the launch of Croatian soundsystem festival Outlook’s 10th instalment, they welcome Compa. He’s signed to Deep Medi, the label of Mala – the Digital Mystikz man and dubstep OG, which is as good a barometer of his quality as any. The Gilles Peterson-approved whippersnapper will be pushing Clwb’s soundsystem to the limit with one of his strictly vinyl-only sets.
Finwa, meanwhile, is a resident for Leeds’ long-running and influential SubDub night, which helped fire the eager minds of Ben UFO, Pangea and the rest of the Hessle Audio crew. He’s known for forays into the deeper, edgier recesses of dubstep, grime and dub so expect things to get pleasingly dark. They’ll be joined by the able hands and ears of residents Ransom, Blokeye and Effigy.
If that’s not enough, Cardiff’s Concrete Junglists crew will be ramping up the BPM in the second room with their customary brand of drum’n’bass if you’re in need of a lift of tempo. All in all, a chest-rattling night of heavy bass is to be expected.
Tickets: £10. Info: 029 2023 2199