Alter Echo & E3 - Heights / The Sound Tonight

Recording info

Alter Echo & E3 return for their third chapter on ZamZam with a dark, low-slung steppers featuring the one Rider Shafique of Bristol's esoteric Young Echo crew. AEE3's first collaboration with a vocalist, "Heights" provides a rockstone riddim for Rider to step forward with a powerful lyric, a declaration of principles and intention to trod outta Babylon, tearing off mental chains along the way with total focus on the destiny of liberation for those with the will to persevere. Rider's presence transforms every track he graces into pure message music, as heard in recent months on collaborations with Gorgon Sound, Ishan Sound, Gantz and more.

"Heights" rocks with swirling atmospheres and pointillist detail, powerfully psychedelic dubbing at once organic and metallic, always with fundamental dub principles anchoring and propelling forward, ever forward. The version "The Sound Tonight" strips the vocal out completely, using that space to push the kick, bass and ricocheting snares further forward with extra dub flourishes, mirages, and sample grinding.

Preferring quality to quantity, Alter Echo & E3 have become a duo to watch, particularly after last year's "Nubian Dub" b/w "Warning Dub" 7" on ZamZam sold out instantly, becoming an immediate underground hit. Both tracks have spawned heavyweight remixes by Egoless, Ishan Sound and DJ Madd, all of which will see release later in the year on a pair of limited Khaliphonic 10"s. Stay tuned.