Never Judge an E.P. By Its Cover

Here’s a little something awesome for those who like their U.K. dubstep both spotless and scuzzy. “Sun Goes Down” opens Dubba Jonny’s 2011 EP Never Judge an EP by Its Cover with a neat and tidy-sounding production. Over strutting beats, dramatically pulsing synthesizers and soulful singing set the tone before big distorted bass moves in. “New Day” follows suit, with similarly impassioned vocal parts floating over skittering keyboard sections and polished synth lines. Less than a minute into the song, keyboard tones break up with a speaker-blowing crunch to play like vintage videogames being smashed by angry giant robots. It’s a beautiful contrast that Dubba Jonny perpetuates throughout the EP. Maldito’s manly vocals make the beginning of “Shatter” sound like proper radio pop until big bombastic beats and grimy bass dirty up the song in all the right spots (dig the drum and bass speed-up at the end). “Equation” closes with classic house piano butting heads with a deep and dirty low-end buzz.