13 tunes from 2006 that still sound banging today
Put your lighter up for '06
Kode9 & The Spaceape 'Nine Samurai'
Without The Spaceape, aka Stephen Samuel Gordon, Hyperdub may not be as revered as it is today. The MC and spoken word artist, who sadly passed away in 2014, regularly worked with the boss, Kode9. This is a shadowy dubstep creeper, with a horn sample from Fumio Hayasaka's 1954 'Seven Samurai OST' running throughout, which explains Kode's track title choice. As the production croons in slo-mo, The Spaceape takes on the mantle of a sinister overlord to talk about money, pain and time, accompanied by a sample of Lee 'Scratch' Perry reciting "A stone'll be thrown at the state, and a stone will be thrown at the churches". The Spaceape is missed, but his legacy lives on.
Shackleton 'Blood On My Hands'
Shackleton and Appleblim’s Skull Disco imprint may sadly now be defunct, but the former’s ‘Blood On My Hands’ outing on the label is an immortal track that we don’t ever see losing its impact on dancefloors. It was revolutionary when it dropped, showcasing the experimental edges dubstep could be pushed to, featuring intricately constructed percussion and 9/11-referencing lyrical darkness. Ricardo Villalobos is a big fan, and turned in a 20-minute remix of the track in ’07. But to this day, the original cannot be beat.
