Just like jungle in the late '90s, garage has evolved from light to dark.
Turn on a pirate station and apart from the odd 4-to-the-floor old schooler, there's various shades of dark.
Breakbeats are less common now, '8bar' beats the norm but by far the most interesting flava is 'dubstep'.
Using the same dark starting point as 8bar, namely the early works of Steve Gurley, Zed Bias and El-B's Groove Chronicles, dubstep ignores the need to be biggest and baddest.
Instead it's about groove, depth and beautiful beats.
If you've ever had a passing interest in riddim technicians like jungle's Photek, nu-jazz's Seiji or break's Ills, then you need 'Dubstep Allstars Vol 1'.
Geographically speaking, dubstep's a Croydon thing, with many of it's key players - El-B, Hatcha, Horsepower, Benga, Skream, Menta, Jay Da Flex and Big Apple Records - in the general vicinity.
But musically speaking, the view from Croydon takes in Kingston JA, Detroit, Laos, Cologne, New York and Bali. It's quite a panorama.
This is the first ever compilation to use the term 'dubstep' and as an introduction it does it justice. Just as like his sets at club Forward, Hatcha's mixing is tight and precise. The 19 track selection is breathtaking.
Classics like Ben from Horsepower's collaborations with Goldspot ('Sholay') and Hatcha ('Highland Spring') are staggering in their fresh originality.
'Classic Delux', with it's soca rhythm, Apache break and Mr Fingers warmth remains electric. El-B dubs like 'Amazon' shows the master can still step to new boys like Benga and Skream.
The latter two have created quite a fuss with their new, clipped electronica/tribal influenced dubs that have so peppered Hatcha's sets.
Selection wise, this CD does slightly tail towards the end, if perhaps only from 'anthem' to 'strong'.
Few compilations this year can boast such strength, nor can claim to be 'the' original dubstep session.
This can.
by Martin Clark