DZ & XI - Guns At Dawn EP

One day it may take a biographer some time to sort out all the aliases used and collaborations made within the dubstep community of Toronto and Ottawa. From Loetech and High Deaf to Kingpin Sound and Bombaman / Matt Carl / Etc, it's a bit hard to sort out who's who within each production half the time. This particular co-work between DZ and XI may lack some of the mystery of many of the aforementioned names, but easily makes up for that in raw power. ‘Guns At Dawn’ is easily one of the most anticipated productions associated with DZ yet to come forward, even considering his relentless list of best selling 12"s on labels from Black Acre to Off Road and Hotflush in recent history. Essentially a more hip hop influenced track in the syncopation of its rhythm and melody, the space between these two frenetic arc points fills such a massive area in any space when heavily amplified that the sheer physical force of those elements creates an enormous push and pull of air from the soundsystem, akin to a lumbering, mythical beast breathing deep. First heard on the LoDubs ‘Analog Clash’mix CD, it now arrives in full unedited vinyl glory, pounding into view like Black Sabbath’s interpretation of Ted Hughes’ Iron Man, all heavy boots of lead filling victims full of dread. Previously unreleased pairing ‘Showtime’ and ‘Annapolis’ on the B side may not be as dramatically overpowering but are no less characteristic of genius at work, the former being built around a pummeling stab of an FM synthesis styled bassline, and the latter an unusually driving vocal piece.

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