Dubsquare Records 001 (UK 12″)
Izc: Sand
Different styled & tricky grooving dubstep - TIP!

IZC - Sand (Dubsquare Records 001)
Spärliche Informationen. Aber dafür verdammt unerwartete Musik. Das sollte viel öfter passieren. Der erste Track wirkt auf mich ein wenig wie ein 2Step-Detroitsound, den es nie - warum? - gegeben hat. Vertrackte Melodien wie zu den besten Zeiten von Morgan Geist, an die sich heutzutage kaum noch wer erinnert, eigentümliche Grooves, in denen schon mal eine einsame Cowbell heldenhaft aufblitzt, dann so ein deep-verwirrtes Stück galaktischer Housemusik für den Jungle - ich musste erst nochmal nachsehen, ob die Platte wirklich aus dieser Zeit stammt. Die Rückseite spielt ein wenig mit Dubstep, das aber auf eine so ungewöhnliche Weise, dass man sofort begeistert ist. 4 perfekte Tracks jenseits aller Richtungen. Wer Platten liebt, die neue Wege zeigen und sich von nichts beeindrucken lassen, der wird Dubsquare lieben. BLEED
(De:bug 124 Juli/August’08)

Dubsquare Records is a brand new dubstep-label based in Vienna, Austria. Being emerged from a lively scene in Central Europe, the label represents a deep, dark and percussive end of the spectrum, with strong detroit-influences. DSQ 001 is a 12 inch vinyl with four tracks by IZC, pre-listening can be found at virb.com/dubsquare, available from June 9, 2008 at BM Soho (London), Bounce (Vienna), Chemical (Bristol), Dynamic (Vienna), Juno (London), Phono (Graz) and Substance (Vienna).

mastering: Transition, London
artwork: Boris Kopeinig, Vienna
pressing: RAND, Leipzig
distribution: z-audio, London

Pulsating subbass, stumbling percussion and the metallic snare are the leading elements of Sand (A1), the opening-track of the record. Over constantly mutating rhythmical patterns a ghostly synth-pad comes in from time to time, hovering on top of everything. Cyma (A2) combines elements such as midrange-wobble-skeletons, deranged plastic-reggae-skanks and 80s synthesizer-clouds to a kind of ultra-slow sci-fi-step.

On the flip, Optomagnetic (B1) is probably the most dancefloor-orientated tune on the record, with a rhythm full of verve and a forward pushing bassline combined with a slightly pathetic chord and a panorama of dubbed machine-sounds in the background. Sand Robotic (B2) returns to the opening theme, picks up its elements while exchanging its metallic aggressiveness with synth-pad-melodies charged with machine-romanticism. A robotic voice from the off is fueling boyish technosex-fantasies and radical cyberfeminism alike.

I’d like to thank bb, boris, mm, petjula, herb/rhiz-crew and everyone supporting.
Special thanks out to Alex, Jason & Marco, not least for their trouble-shooting-commitment! ;)
002 is scheduled for autumn 2008, details soon.
For more info or for sending dubs/promos, please contact records (at) dubsquare (dot) net.

Just letting You know that a _very_ limited number of white-label-promos is available now at Bounce Records (Vienna) and Phono Records (Graz). Pre-listening at virb.com/dubsquare.

For downloading the artwork for DSQ 001 as EPS (cmyk, printable & still less than 1MB), please click the right mouse-button and save-link-as:

Vienna-based DJ & producer IZC is at the forefront of a lively Central-European dubstep-scene. His very unique take on dubstep is strongly influenced by his deep-rooted enthusiasm for dub-reggae and west-african sounds as well as for 2step-garage and techno.

While IZC’s sound is clearly targeting the dancefloor, he’s not trying to rely too heavily on the obvious crowd-pleasing techniques of the genre. Beyond forward-pushing skanks and a heavy subbass foundation his tracks take the listener on a journey through the darkness of the club, provoking spatial imagination of sound and light.

Headlining several dubstep events in cities such as Berlin, Bratislava or Budapest throughout 2007 and 2008 underpinned his reputation as a versatile DJ. In his weekly radio-show on Sub FM, the emphasis on dubstep is seconded by regular excursions to historically related music-genres, and unreleased music by fresh talent is strongly supported.

IZC’s own tunes enjoy support from DJs across different genres, including the likes of 2Krazy (Freakcamp, Berlin), Blackdown & Dusk (Rinse FM, London), Bleed (De:bug, Berlin), Boomnoise & Pokes (Sub FM/DMZ, London), Bunzer0 (Sub FM, Brussels), Patrick Pulsinger (Disko-B, Vienna), Reso (Urban Graffiti, London) or TRG (Hotflush/Hessle/Immerse, Bucharest). His debut »Sand« published in 2008 on his own Dubsquare-imprint, was recommended by Berlin’s legendary Hardwax Recordstore as »different styled & tricky grooving dubstep - TIP!«, while De:bug Magazine wrote about »four perfect track beyond genres«.

Please check out the DJ-schedule and tunes at www.myspace.com/djizc.

Previous gigs:

Dub Phase w/ Jay-S, DST, Gumilap, Kebab & myself @ Mono/Budapest, Oct ‘07