One of the DMZ’s original badmen (and dubstep originators — sorry Korn) is back in the forefront with his signature take on the sound of 140 BPM music with sub-bass. Considering that the dilution of dubstep has come to a point where nu-metal bands have taken credit for the genre’s inception and pop stars are using dubstep tracks as either inspiration or backing tracks, you can say the genre has come a long way –and a strange turn. When DMZ began pushing dubstep earlier in the last decade, the idea wasn’t a mass-media frenzy involving headphones, cereal or anything else the generalized take on the genre is representative of now; It was all about the vibe, the space, and the emotions that carry the bass throughout those four-to-seven minutes. Dubstep’s roots are deep within the sounds of its originators, embedded within their minds forever. Such is the mind of Coki, who puts out his latest release on the beloved label staple of DMZ; and damn, this is a pure reminder of what the genre’s truly about.

Despite being just four tracks, the release is a stunner from beginning to end; with “Tree Trunk” providing the eerie harshness that’s evident in previous Coki tracks (see “Road Rage”) while maintaining a strong sense of sub-atomic explosiveness due to the thunderous bassline. “Lower Octave” takes those same themes and just elevates all things maddening to another level by just expanding on it with pitfalls and build-ups that will shake the foundations of a proper club. “Think You’re Wrong” and “Celestial Dub” embody the influence of dub while incorporating the previously mentioned eerie vibe, along with some serious head-bopping basslines that will make anyone want to get down (or get their green on). The release isn’t anything groundbreaking, rather it’s just a continuation of something that is pure and powerful.

Real dubstep is still alive and with labels like Deep Medi and Tectonic (and many more) still about, it’ll be hanging about for a long time coming. It certainly helps when the badman Coki comes around, steps up and says: “OK, let’s get this shit going again.” That’s what this release symbolizes: a return to true dubstep escapism.

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