Chord Marauders - Polar Bear

In August 2018, London-based dubstep producer Geode was unable to perform at the Chord Marauders showcase at Shambhala Music Festival due to the severe illness of Ola, his partner. Her illness has persisted, and so Chord Marauders, the innovative label Geode co-founded around 2013, releases Polar Bear, a charity LP compilation to support Ola. All proceeds will go towards Ola's medical bills, particularly towards a costly new medication not yet covered by British healthcare. The compilation features each of the Marauders’ label artists - B9, Congi, FLO, Geode, and Jafu - and a number of their associates. Ola, we hope you're comfortable, because our ears are certainly feeling plush on your behalf.

Polar Bear is a striking assertion of the label's usual ideals, with opener “Jazzy” by legend Sub Basics properly setting the mood through a smooth and dusky lounge aesthetic. There’s a strong attraction to the warm fuzz of a soulful ‘80s synth, with this and other conventional instrumental samples giving the arrangement a completely organic sound. Contrast this with the closing track, “Feeling This Way About You” by Marauders co-founder Congi, a bare-bones lo-fi dub, which is cold, emotional and isolating with its plucked guitar tears. The space between is the realm of melodic intrigue the Marauders have carved out for themselves in the speculative territory of “third wave dubstep”.

Fellow co-founder Jafu turns in “Eyes Down”, a by-the-numbers Jafu track that manages to be one of the best on the compilation, bouncing and popping on a skanky two-step. Geode encourages healthy breathing with “Peppermint”, a layered pep-up track with classy Casio sounds and a low-key hand-drummed finish. Co-founder B9 teams up with Circula to bring us “Stage”, which balances a delicate off-kilter synth melody with a noire-dipped horn while jungle breaks drive the mood. Geode returns towards the end of the compilation in a more experimental and emotional mood to deliver “Cluster” (feat. Alicia Kiah), an ode to cluster chords with moving violin and vocals.

Polar Bear is highlighted by a six-and-a-half-minute epic from Phaeleh, a well-known supporter of the Chord Marauders. The veteran producer is in full form here. His fast yet calming contribution “Roller” goes through progressive shifts in tone and rhythm, grounded by wooden flute, bird calls, and the wind in the trees. Yet it’s up-and-comer Kercha who puts in our favorite track on the compilation, “Ninja”. It's a sly, low-profile dub with impressive sound design moments and moody synth key work, but in the context of the compilation it’s “the banger”. By contrast, a straightforward dub with steel drum roots like “Far Out” by Somah & Surreal feels almost ambient. Also notable is Gerwin's contribution “Reach Out”, which fits most firmly in the Chord Marauder aesthetic of all the contributions from non-label artists. The slow-n-low boom bap shuffle induces a trip-hop mindset before the arrival of a glittering pulse of synth chords and steel chimes.

The Chord Marauders never fail to suspend the audience within their particular sonic spaces. With a deep and talented network of supporters, labelmates, and associates, the label continues to integrate their sound into the greater musical consciousness with this forceful, beautiful compilation. George (Geode) brings the full strength of that network to bear in loving support of his partner. Listeners can show their support, too, by purchasing the compilation or a track or two. We wish the best for Ola - more life, more music!

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Shambhala Music Festival - Chord Marauders [Interview]

Gaz Frost, one half of the producter/DJ duo Congi out of Nottingham, UK, agreed to sit down for an interview representing the Chord Marauders at Shambhala Music Festival 2018, but was too exhausted from travel on Saturday to sit down with us. The Chord Marauders, a jazz-infused 140 bpm artist collective and record label, have been pushing one of the most original sounds in dubstep since forming in 2012. Shambhala, which rarely curates spotlights or showcases on its lineup, booked the Chord Marauders for a label showcase at The Grove stage on Sunday.

Looking for Gaz Frost that Saturday, I ran into Jafu, one of the Marauders’ four founding artists, and learned a bit about him (James) personally in the process. Not only does Jafu not play many shows, he also doesn't attend many shows either; Shambhala 2015 was not only the first actual “show” (certainly festival) he'd ever played, it was also the first show he ever attended, and the first time he ever flew on a plane.

With that kind of magic relationship with Shambhala, it felt appropriate that he too sit down for the interview, which we were able to conduct on Sunday morning. Eager to investigate the hows and whys of the fantastic burgeoning sounds of their unique dubstep, I got on well enough with them to learn about some of their early influences, the place Shambhala held in their development, and the next steps the label wanted to take to push their sound further into the North American scene.

The Chord Marauders' first signee FLO, performing while Congi sets up at the Grove Stage at Shambhala Music Festival 2018 (Credit: JoeyRootPhoto)

The Rust: Chord Marauders began forming in 2012. What were those early years like, what was the culture amongst yourselves, what was the energy in the air?

Gaz Frost: When things in dubstep started to get big, there was a trickle down of subgenres. I remember a time when George [Geode] would send music to James [Jafu], or we would send music to him, or Travis (B9) in Australia would receive music; we kind of a built like a little network literally sending tunes to each other, and it was kinda like a sound that wasn't really...

James: There was a little bit of lacking in that department.

Gaz Frost: Absolutely! It was kinda unheard in a way.

James: Yeah, I always liked tracks like “Alicia” from Mala, “Show Me” from Von D, stuff like that. Just a more soulful sound.

Gaz Frost: Sure, like drawing on the jazz influence and the more RnB stuff as well. And I think that's where we honed in, kinda made that area our own.

The Rust: Did George mostly find you guys?

James: Yeah, George was the one who got us all together in a group and pitched the idea that we should all form a collective.

The Rust: What's the culture between producers? Do you send each other tracks early on? Is there much collaboration or do you mostly share completed work?

James: These days we've been doing everything pretty complete. Especially with the Groove Booty compilations, we'll source stuff, feed off each other, see what's good, what's going on.

Gaz Frost: There is a lot of times where we'll swap half-finished tunes. Like the tune you [Jafu] sent me just the other day; there's always some stuff kinda floating around.

James: Tons of unfinished bits.

Gaz Frost: Absolutely, there's also tons of stuff that each producer finishes on their own, and stuff we work on together. I guess it's really just the cohesion of the sound [of the label] that makes it possible.

The Chord Marauders' first signed artist, FLO, performing at the Grove Stage at Shambhala Music Festival 2018(Credit: JoeyRootPhoto)

The Rust: How are the curated artists for the Groove Booty compilations found, and who decides what makes the cut?

James: Usually it'll be a group decision who makes the cut; if we all really like the artist, they'll probably make it on there. And usually we get sent a lot of stuff and we'll source things from SoundCloud (we love SoundCloud).

Gaz Frost: Yeah, we get sent a lot of music from up-and-coming artists.

James: And a lot of those guys send great stuff.

The Rust: How did FLO become the first artist to be signed to Chord Marauders?

Gaz Frost: I don't really know, it's mad! I think George was being sent bits from FLO, shared it with us.

James: It's cohesive enough.

Gaz Frost: Yeah like, it fits, but it's got a different edge to it. But he's got the thing, you know...

The Rust: Gels with the aesthetic?

Gaz Frost: Yeah, absolutely, for real!

The Rust: With this Shambhala showcase, Chord Marauders is getting more attention in the North American market. Any upcoming tours on the horizon or plans for breaking the wave?

James: We can't say for sure, but they’re definitely possibilities we're looking at in the US and overseas.

Gaz Frost: I think the US is the next one we want to try to occupy, because there's quite a demand out there for this. We just need to arrange it.

James: Yeah, there's St. Louis area and Denver so far.

The Rust: Really, St. Louis?

James: Yeah, do you know a guy named Yo Adrian? That's what he goes by on Facebook, he's an event coordinator in the area. Does lots of EDM stuff, some IDM stuff, he's a big event coordinator we've been in touch with.

Jafu performing at the Grove Stage at Shambhala Music Festival 2018 (Credit: JoeyRootPhoto)

The Rust: What's next for Chord Marauders as a releasing label?

Gaz Frost: I think Flo's got an EP ready to go. We've been working with a guy named Soma, he's got some amazing stuff; just got an EP from him. Hopefully will be releasing that this year. Other than that, just looking to stack for the next compilation.

James: And we're all always working on getting our next releases out. I've got an LP I'm working on right now.

The Rust: How did you guys first start listening to electronic music, and dubstep specifically?

James: I had always imagined electronic music to be a specific sound. When I was growing up, it was all just techno/rave/hardstyle, so my opinion on it was completely filtered through that. After I discovered Aphex Twin, I was more open to organic sounds being used in electronic music, for a different approach. In 2009, I was introduced to the song “Skeng” by The Bug, and that song was the one that changed it for me. It was a different sound than I'd been hearing, turned me onto the scene massively.

Gaz Frost: For me, it was all about early grime music. When grime music first started being made, everybody was listening to it. Everyone had it on their phone, everyone was an MC, that was just the time that it was. That was how I grew up, you know what I mean? I was like 13, 14, Dizzee Rascal came out with Boy in the Corner, I thought that was the sickest album. That was my first taste of electronic music, like “what are these sounds, how are these sounds being made?!” That was like 2003-2004, somewhere in there.

The Rust: How did the Congi project start? Where did you and Tulip meet? What was the scene like in Nottingham?

Gaz Frost: We've got a friend called Ninja who produces lots of beats, he's a mutual friend of ours, met at his house. I didn't know Tulip, Tulip didn't know me, but we actually went to school together. He [Tulip] and I got to know each other, started to mix together. He'd always bring his vinyl around, he taught me how to do that kind of thing. Yeah, we just started meeting up and making music together. It was fun, like we didn't plan it or nothing! From there we started to get, like, quite serious with it, find an outlet to release. The scene in Nottingham was really interesting, there was a lot of guys doing dubstep. Like there was this one guy, Geome, he's massive. For me, he was really important at the time, [representative of] the really good stuff that was going around. And that's also sort of how we [Tulip and I] became friends, mutual friends recommending the same nights to us, stuff like that.

The Rust: What are some inspirations for the Congi project?

Gaz Frost: God man, it's vast. Like, there's a lot of influence. There's a jazz project out of the UK called the Ezra Collective, a lot of really young jazz players. I've got a friend called Yazmin Lacey, she's an amazing singer. A lot of hip-hop, early grime, so like early Dizzee Rascal. That's the kinda stuff that really sculpted our sound. And there's a lot of R&B as well, like we both really like Destiny's Child and Jagged Edge, that kinda stuff.

The Rust: Best shows you've played? In terms of crew, crowd, production value, whatever.

Gaz Frost: Denver was sick. Also last year here [Shambhala], man! I'd never played in Canada before, last year was really fun. The overseas ones are always the best ones. I've played a little in Europe (Portugal a couple weeks ago), but the vibe over here is definitely different. From home, especially, home's a little bit weird! It's more appreciated out here, I feel.

The Rust: Interesting! When did you feel that shift occurred?

Gaz Frost: I don't know! I dunno how it happens, but at festivals like this, you can play what you want, and you don't have to worry about making people dance. That's the best part, you can try something out that you're not too sure about, and the crowd's really receptive to what you want to play. That's the big difference, I feel.

--

We spoke about Shambhala this year and what was different (the lack of bridge at the Living Room shocked both of them). They were stoked to see Joe Nice, who was the “the undisputed dubplate king of America” according to these two. James mentioned the Jafu sound had evolved since his first Shambhala three years prior, based largely on said prior experience, saying he wanted to get the audience to skank more this time. Gaz Frost spoke about playing out in Brooklyn and a small show in York, Pennsylvania, which he felt was noteworthy for have a really strong, tight-knit community vibe. These are the only places besides Denver where Congi has played in the US, but Gaz maintained that Cervantes' Masterpiece was the best one-night show he'd ever played, ever. Overall, they both gave big ups to the dubstep following in the US and at Shambhala. How encouraging it is, they said, to be able to play for and interface with some of the most stoked fans and engaged audiences they've seen.

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Shambhala Music Festival - Chord Marauders Showcase

For the Chord Marauders, 2017 was an important year. The London-based, jazz-infused label is a collective between artists Geode, Congi, B9 & Jafu and a beacon of originality in the dubstep universe. The year saw label head Geode's first full-length release Beluga, as well as Jafu's first LP Second Impressions, making him the last of the four founders to release on the label. All of this solidified their label as a major force on the heels of Groove Booty Four, their most successful compilation release to date, which featured a release with Ago of Innamind/Blacklist, a groovy lounge track from circula (sic), and coverage in Vice's THUMP. The compilation was also their first vinyl release, a trend they have kept up with that's put them on the radar of the crate-diggers and audiophiles which frequent any genre that traces its roots back to Jamaican sound system culture.

2017 was also the first year Congi played in North America outside of Denver, the most hipster place to live in North America if you like bass music. He was booked for Shambhala Music Festival at the Salmo River Ranch in British Columbia, Canada where B9, Geode, and Jafu (a native Canadian himself) played in 2015. Since then, the label has only achieved greater success. As a result, Congi, Geode, and Jafu will hit Shambhala Music Festival on August 10-13 for what appears to be one of the only label showcases in this legendary festival’s history. They’ll play at "The Grove", an intimate stage much favored by dubstep-heads. Vigilant fans of Shambhala's dubstep culture have had the privilege of watching the slow build of Chord Marauders unfold before their very eyes. This year, their showcase will likely be one of the most enchanting and brilliantly original blocks of music all weekend. As each of the label’s members continues to ascend in their career paths, this unique moment will likely become the most monumental achievement yet for the jazzy and melodic sound they champion.

In 2012, when Chord Marauders began to form, the word “dubstep” had gone through major upheaval. What was once a small but solid underground sound that had slowly grown from UK garage, 2-step, and other hardcore fuzzy bass noises in London (particularly the Croydon area), transformed into an aggressive genre of EDM, and become an international sensation in the meantime. Scarcely more than a decade after the creation of Forward>> - a club night that was the incubator for the fledgling new noise - the whole concept of “dubstep” had undergone a shift from the hush-hush darkness and grit of deep bass culture in London to the bass growls and high screeches of what dubstep purists call “brostep”. This new evolution paid more lip service to the neurofunk (an offshoot of techstep, itself a drum n bass concept) era of London bass music, encouraging less atmosphere and more big snares, often with a jumbled arrangement of speedy drums.

The vibe had died and been replaced with more of the soulless junk that had inspired movements towards the dubstep sound in the first place. In this brave new world of dubstep's mainstream acceptance and coopting by EDM culture, the phrase “melodic dubstep” can all too easily signal songs you'd find reposted by Suicide Sheep on Youtube: popular feelings in easily consumable verses, glossy drops for the smiling dancers, and dramatic frequency shifts to drive home the “heavy metal” (read: pop-emo) influence. It means wide-eyed proclamations of “feels”, it means a community more into progressive trance than dub reggae, and it means Chord Marauders faced (and faces) an uphill battle to market their sound. This was the state of affairs when the Marauders began to connect to each other, trading project files and contemplating a go at their own music label to breathe new life into the stagnant dubstep community.

Each of the four projects under the label's banner (Geode, Congi, Jafu, and B9) has a distinctively melodic bent, usually using the synth keys to drive the mood, but there is rarely a time where the mood is uplifting, making it unsuitable for highly commercialized “raves”. Trapped in the “melodic dubstep” box, they would each have a low likelihood of both succeeding as artists and retaining their unique voices without one another's support. With their unity, each have been able to release a full-length LP without losing sight of the goal of pushing the now-antiquated dubstep sound back into a new and challenging territory. They lead this effort alongside the slick badmen of Deep Medi and the cerebral technicians of Innamind/Blacklist. Indeed, their leadership has netted them a release by FLO, an up-and-coming artist from Slovenia, so it is safe to say they are actively changing and challenging bass culture with their association.

Having built such rapport with Shambhala as to be able to promote their label through the festival, Chord Marauders is slated to totally redefine “melodic dubstep” and bring listeners back to the roots of the sound. We've seen Shambhala lift the appeal of acts that refuse to neatly fit a populist mold, with Stylust and Stickybuds as great examples. The Chord Marauders showcase suggests that Shambhala’s attentiveness to dubstep purity will be like steel in the face of the festival’s ever-rising popularity. In other news, Skream still plays house.

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