Dub FX

Last updated

Dub FX
Dub FX.jpg
Dub FX performing at Larimer's Lounge in Denver, CO 6 October 2012
Background information
Birth nameBenjamin Stanford
Born (1983-06-11) 11 June 1983 (age 41)
Origin St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia
Genres Dub, hip hop, dubstep, drum and bass, jungle, Reggae, Ska, Dancehall
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, vocalist, record producer
Instrument(s)Vocals, beatbox, loop station, effects pedal, guitar
Years active2003–present
LabelsConvoyun.ltd
Website dubfx.com

Benjamin Stanford (born 11 June 1983), better known by his stage name Dub FX (stylised as Dub Fx or DubFx), is an Australian musician and worldwide street performer.

Contents

Born in St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia, [1] at the start of his career he was singing in a local alternative rock and rapcore band initially known as Twitch, which would later change its name to N.O.N (Never or Now). In 2004 they released a debut and the only album Exeunt Omnes. [2] [3] Soon after he moved to Italy and began a solo career. His trademark is creating rich live music using only his own performance aided by live looping and effects pedals combined with his voice. [4] [5] He creates intricate hip hop, reggae, and drum and bass rhythms. [4]

During the COVID-19 pandemic Dub FX moved from Victoria, Australia to Lisbon, Portugal with his wife Sahida, and two daughters Sahara and Kalila. [6]

Associated acts

Stanford used to travel and perform with his former fiancée Shoshana Sadia aka Flower Fairy. [1] [7] Dub FX first met her in Manchester, after which she joined him on his travels around the globe to busk for the public. Flower Fairy would usually be seen selling CDs during Dub FX's performances or on stage alongside Stanford when they perform several tracks together. She is also featured singing on tracks from Everythinks a Ripple, "Wandering Love", "Flow", and "Time Will Tell". To his travels also joined his friend and manager CAde, who is on tracks with Stanford like: "No rest for the wicked" , "Supernova Pilot" , "Easy" , "Fresh" and others...

Two songs from Everythinks a Ripple, "Flow", and "Wandering Love", feature a street saxophonist named Mr. Woodnote, who also uses similar looping techniques as Dub FX, using a saxophone.

After his first summer traveling through Europe in 2006, he came home to Melbourne where he shared a flat with Melbourne-based producer Sirius. Stanford showed Sirius this new style from the UK called dubstep. and by 2010 together they released the album titled Dub FX and Sirius – A Crossworlds. Dub FX does not beatbox on this album. [8] [ citation needed ]

Dub FX is also part of the dubstep act Kila Mega Giga Tera, the other half being Glade Kettle (Distro)(aka Sirius). To date they have released one song on Aquatic Lab Sessions Volume 1, a CD and limited edition vinyl compilation released in 2009. Kila Mega Giga Tera also released an album, which was released in 2010. This album is called A Crossworlds. [ citation needed ]

Music

Dub FX is completely independent, using only live performance, word of mouth, internet social networking, and a number of easily accessible free samples. Dub FX is also the main founder of the label Convoyunltd, which could be described as a co-op label for Dub FX's own work and that of other artists. [4] To date, artists that have released albums on Convoyunltd are: Flower Fairy, Sirius, Mr. Woodnote, and Dub FX, with additional featured artists on separate songs of each album. Every album released through Convoyunltd has been produced by Dub FX with the exception of Dub FX & Sirius's release, A Crossworlds, a collaboration album released in 2010 which revealed a much darker and instrumental sound.[ citation needed ]

Dub FX's lyrics address both general world events and contemporary angst, while suggesting individual-based revolution through self-determination and engagement. He also addresses issues of social importance, the most notable example being the song Society's Gates, loosely based on the life of the philosopher Socrates.

Political views and controversy

The musician publicly supports protests calling for an end to the "genocide of Palestinians" and attended several protest marches with his family. He shared short videos of this events on social media. [9] When he was asked about the victims of the Re'im music festival massacre in Israel. " [...] or are you okay with killing Israelis, but not okay with killing Palestinians?" he made the following public statement:

"[T]he amount of death destruction and humiliation committed by Israel before October 7th far outweighs what happened on October 7. Hamas was created by Israel and funded by them right up to that attack. They wanted this so they had an excuse to do what they are doing now." [10]

This led to discussions between commenters and some fans expressed their incomprehension, since he had performed in Israel in September 2022. While he got a lot of support for his political views, some expressed their disappointment about his one-sided statements about the victims and announced that they would unfollow him as a result. [11]

Discography

Albums

List of albums, with selected details
TitleDetails
Live in the Street
  • Released: 2007
  • Format: CD, digital
  • Label: DubFX
  • Compilation of live street performances
Everythinks a Ripple
  • Released: 2009
  • Format: CD, digital
  • Label: Convoy Unltd.
  • Debut studio album
A Crossworlds
(with Sirius)
  • Released: 2010
  • Format: CD, digital
  • Label: Convoy Unltd.
Everythinks a Rmx
  • Released: July 2011
  • Format: digital
  • Label: Convoy Unltd.
  • Remix album
Theory of Harmony
  • Released: 2013
  • Format: CD, 2×LP, digital
  • Label: Convoy Unltd.
Thinking Clear
  • Released: 2016
  • Format: CD, 2×LP, digital
  • Label: Convoy Unltd.
Roots
  • Released: January 2020
  • Format: CD, LP, digital
  • Label: Convoy Unltd.
Branches
  • Released: March 2020
  • Format: CD, LP, digital
  • Label: Convoy Unltd.
Infinite Reflection
  • Released: September 2023
  • Format: Digital
  • Label: Convoy Unltd.

Awards and nominations

Music Victoria Awards

The Music Victoria Awards are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2006.

YearNominee / workAwardResultRef.
Music Victoria Awards of 2020 Dub FXBest Reggae or Dance Hall ActWon [12] [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shy FX</span> Musical artist

Andre Williams, better known as Shy FX, is a British DJ and producer from London. He specialises in drum and bass and jungle music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reel Big Fish</span> American ska punk band

Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California. The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold-certified album Turn the Radio Off. Soon after, the band lost mainstream recognition but gained an underground cult following. As of 2006, the band was no longer signed to a major record label and has since been independent. After numerous line-up changes, frontman Aaron Barrett is the last remaining founding member still performing in the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chali 2na</span> American rapper

Charles Stewart, better known as Chali 2na, is an American painter and rapper, associated with the groups Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli. He is known for his bass-baritone voice and quick delivery rapping style.

Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken beat, grime, and drum and bass. In the United Kingdom, the origins of the genre can be traced back to the growth of the Jamaican sound system party scene in the early 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oki (musician)</span> Musical artist

Oki Kano, known professionally as OKI, is a Japanese musician of mixed Japanese Ainu ancestry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital Mystikz</span>

Digital Mystikz are a dubstep production duo consisting of Mala, and Coki from the South London suburb of Norwood. Along with Loefah and SGT Pokes, who make up the group ASBO, they operate the DMZ record label and host the influential bimonthly nightclub DMZ, held at the Mass club complex in Brixton, London. BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel was an early supporter of Digital Mystikz, eventually putting them in his annual 2004 top 50 list at number 29. They are among the scene's most famous producers. Their song "Anti War Dub" appeared in the 2006 film Children of Men, although it wasn't included in the soundtrack. In the summer of 2008, Mala was chosen to headline the night portion of the Sónar Festival in Barcelona. In April 2011, Mala travelled to Cuba with Gilles Peterson who was returning to Havana to produce the second installment in the Havana Cultura series. While Peterson recorded new material with local musicians, Mala began work on a new album Mala in Cuba, which was released in September 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skream</span> English electronic music producer

Oliver Dene Jones, known as Skream, is an English electronic music producer based in Croydon. Skream has released records on several British record labels, such as Tempa, Tectonic, and Big Apple Records, and has performed throughout Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, and Japan, as well as the UK. Skream is known as an early and influential architect of the dubstep genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kode9</span> Musical artist

Steve Goodman, known as Kode9 is a Scottish electronic music artist, DJ, and founder of the Hyperdub record label. He was one of the founding members of the early dubstep scene with his late collaborator The Spaceape. He has released four full-length albums: 2006's Memories of the Future and 2011's Black Sun, Nothing (2015), Escapology and Astro-Darien (2022).

Rob Ellis, better known as Pinch, is a British dubstep artist from Bristol, England, noted for his fusion of styles such as reggae, World music, and dancehall with dubstep. He released his first album, Underwater Dancehall in 2007, on Tectonic, which he founded. One of Pinch's most well-known tracks is "Qawwali", released on Planet Mu records, which references the devotional singing of the same name, and featured samples of harmonium and singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. His songs appear on compilations such as Box of Dub: Dubstep and Future Dub 2, Science Faction: Dubstep, 10 Tons Heavy and 200. More recently, he has moved away from dubstep towards the UK bass scene, working with producers such as Mumdance and Adrian Sherwood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alborosie</span> Italian-Jamaican reggae artist (born 1977)

Alberto D'Ascola, better known by his stage name Alborosie, is an Italian reggae artist. He is sometimes called the "Italian Reggae Ambassador".

George Simon Stanford is an American singer and songwriter, who was signed to Mercury Records. He was member and lead vocalist for the band "Townhall".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macklemore</span> American rapper (born 1983)

Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, better known by his stage name Macklemore, is an American rapper. A native of Seattle, Washington, he started his career in 2000 as an independent artist releasing: Open Your Eyes (2000), The Language of My World (2005), and The Unplanned Mixtape (2009). He rose to international success collaborating with producer Ryan Lewis as the duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (2009–2016).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Cat Empire discography</span>

The discography of the Australian jazz and funk band the Cat Empire consists of nine studio albums, three live albums, three compilation albums, two video albums, four extended plays, and forty-two singles. The band has scored two number-one albums and six top ten albums on the ARIA Charts. They have been nominated for twelve ARIA Music Awards, of which they have won one. They were formed in 1999 by founding members Felix Riebl, Ollie McGill, and Ryan Monro. Long-term members Harry James Angus, Jamshid Khadiwala and Will Hull-Brown joined the band in 2001. The group independently released a live extended play, Live @ Adelphia, in December 2001, and their first live album, The Sun, in July 2002. In October 2003, "Hello" was released as the lead single from The Cat Empire. Later that month, the album was released under Virgin Records, peaking at number 15 on the ARIA Charts and giving the group mainstream recognition. It went on to be certified 3x platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipment of 210,000 copies in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OVO Sound</span> Canadian record label

OVO Sound is a Canadian independent record label, founded in 2012 by rapper Drake, producer 40, and manager Oliver El-Khatib. The label operated as an imprint of Warner Records from its formation until 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DJ Hatcha</span> British producer and DJ

Terry Leonard, better known as DJ Hatcha or simply Hatcha, is a South London producer and DJ notable for his seminal work in the musical genre dubstep. He had a regular show on the prominent pirate radio station Rinse FM in the early 2000s, before bringing dubstep to a wider audience with his regular show on mainstream radio station Kiss FM.

Rajpal Singh Kalsi, better known as Kromestar, is a British Sikh dubstep and grime record producer from South London.

Shay Hugi, known professionally as Shayning, is an Israeli dubstep producer and disc jockey (DJ). He is the founder of ElectroZilla Records and former drummer of Israeli death metal band Uranium. His music incorporates triplet drum patterns with heavy metal influences and he is commonly regarded as pioneering Psystep music subgenre, his music is best known as a mixture between classic traditional Psychedelic trance and Dubstep. He has released tracks under ElectroZilla Records, Ring Mode Records, Midijum Records

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seven Lions</span> Musical artist

Jeff Montalvo, known professionally as Seven Lions, is an American DJ, record producer, instrumentalist and remixer from Santa Barbara, California. Active musically since 2010, his music combines styles as diverse as trance, melodic dubstep, drum and bass, glitch hop, and electro house. He has released eight EPs, multiple singles, and official remixes for record labels such as Casablanca Records, Owsla, Viper Recordings, Anjunabeats, Republic Records and Monstercat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virtual Riot</span> German DJ and electronic music producer

Christian Valentin Brunn, better known by his stage name Virtual Riot, is a German DJ and electronic music producer. He has released seventeen extended plays and two studio albums, most notably his 2016 extended play Chemistry, which peaked at 20 on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Albums charts and his 2018 extended play German Engineering, which peaked on the Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart at the No. 11 position. He was signed to the independent music label Disciple Recordings in 2014. On 16 April 2019, he announced a publishing deal with Skrillex's OWSLA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rumpistol</span> Danish producer and musician

Jens Berents Christiansen, also known as Rumpistol, is a Danish producer and musician, who writes and performs electronic music. He has been releasing music since 2003 and has received positive reviews from magazines such as Intro.deDe:Bug and Danish magazine GAFFA. The latter gave Rumpistol 6/6 for his 2008 album Dynamo.

References

  1. 1 2 Moses, Allan (2010) "Dubbing into Dub FX", The Hindu , 26 November 2010, retrieved 9 April 2012
  2. "N.O.N". 16 October 2006.
  3. "N.O.N on Bandcamp". Archived from the original on 30 January 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 Wickrematunge, Raisa "Dub FX in Sri Lanka Archived 27 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine ", Sunday Leader , retrieved 9 April 2012
  5. "London City Guide | Dub_FX review May 08". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
  6. Popielarcheck, Stephen O'Regan, Rita Ansone, Kate (18 June 2023). "DUB FX o músico de rua que fez sucesso a partir de Lisboa". Mensagem de Lisboa (in European Portuguese). Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. Banerjee, Debesh (25 November 2010). "Medley Score". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 26 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  8. "The Philosopher Street Musician | Kortars". kortars.com. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  9. Dub FX [@dubfx11]. (January 14, 2024). At the march! [Reel]. Instagram. Retrieved June 05, 2024, from https://www.instagram.com/tv/C2FhsAwtKtk/
  10. Dub FX [@dubfx11]. (May 28, 2024). stop the genocide already [Reel]. Instagram. Retrieved June 6, 2024, from https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7hSukXtolm
  11. "DUB FX LIVE | 10.9.2022 | Gagarin TLV". Secret Tel Aviv. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  12. "Previous Nominess". Music Victoria. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  13. "Previous Winners". Music Victoria. Archived from the original on 31 July 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2020.