Pedro Capelossi – The Dub Chronicles [Refraction Records]

Refraction Records opens the autumn season with a new EP from label boss Pedro Capelossi. Brazilian born, Spain based artist Pedro Capelossi has been at the cutting edge of electronic music for the better part of a decade. Comparable to the path of his contemporaries, Pedro has found a way to create a personal universe by exploring electronic sounds, and ultimately finding his own place in the trend-driven state of underground dance music. Fully formed within the creative confines of his Barcelona studio, Pedro's first Refraction project 'Supernova', not only served as the imprints inaugural offering, but continued his mission to create contemporary club tools and destabilizing sound explorations. With the success of Refraction sweeping across the first two quarters of 2024, Pedro returned to his flagship imprint in August, teaming up with Brazilian talent Aeikus for a collaborative effort of dubbed out grooves. Now, for the label’s fifth offering, Pedro takes the reins once again, this time in solo capacity with ‘Dub Chronicles’, alongside remixes from OHM, Dubtommy and Francisco Aguado.

The cruising vibes of ‘Cosmic Void’ sets any preconceived ideas of Pedro’s music alight, forecasting meditative propulsions and unfolding textual drifts. As somewhat of an extension of his previous experiments, Pedro’s dubbed out chord stabs provide an enduring main theme, while a wonderfully detailed second act is sure to cast a spell over the dancefloor. ‘High On Your Own Supply’ follows in fine style and further hammers down Capelossi’s elusive vision. Dizzying, broken-beat sequences, granular textures and heavily manipulated synths travel to the very edges, making for some of Pedro’s most club-adjacent rhythms to date, while frosty pads, thought-provoking vocal samples and guitar-like sonics bend and shift for the ultimate array of colour and texture. The third and final original ‘Before AI Takes Over’ elevates pace and tempo, steering further into shadowy transgressions, while consciously withholding energy as grooves pulse and effects orbit, creating a tension that eventually gets resolved as atmospheric phrasing melts down into a finale of subterranean kick drums.

Making his label debut with the lone interpretation of ‘Cosmic Void’ is OHM. Long a student of the game, Iceland born, Denmark based artist Bjarnar Jonsson aka OHM has stayed true to the spirit of techno for the better part of three decades. With an amalgamation of deep, dub and charmingly meditative techno, the Copenhagen resident has more than etched his place in the genre’s history. Recent offerings via Greyscale, KONTAKT, Nordic Voyage, spclnch and his own OHM Series imprint, continue to show Bjarnar’s deft production hand and borderless approach, one that often lands in a creative space that works well for a broad range of astute selectors. Now, following a spring remix of ‘Conclusions’ by Philipp Priebe, OHM adds Refraction to his resume with a stunning rendition of ‘Cosmic Void’. Staying true to the qualities of the original, but lovingly reshaped and rearranged into something familiar, yet new, OHM applies some soulfully intricate 4/4 pressure, which makes for a version that is percussive and rhythmic, with just the right amount of atmosphere, the ultimate dancefloor weapon if you will.

Also making his Refraction debut with the lone interpretation of ‘High On Your Own Supply’ is Dubtommy. Dutch producer Tommy Lemmers aka Dubtommy first emerged in 2021 with ‘Covenant’, a three track showcase for Germany’s Mixcult Records which earned praise from renowned Russian artist Andrey Pushkarev. Immediately noted for his immersive soundscapes and evolving dancefloor constructions, the Amsterdam resident would go on to record a series of new projects for Mixcult across the next two calendar years, while also adding Electrolux Real MusiQ, Limitation Music, Superordinate Dub Waves and his own Stately Records imprint to his discography. Always selective in his projects, Dumtommy now arrives on Refraction in fine fashion with his first release of the year, a deep mesmerizing take on ‘High On Your Own Supply’. Opting for a decidedly more minimal and straight forward approach, Dubtommy brings the production closer to the dancefloor with billowing tonal themes, wispy atmospheric refrains and a mature no frills approach to arrangement.

Rounding out the release with the lone interpretation of ‘Before AI Takes Over’ is Francisco Aguado. With signings to Cultivated Electronics, Greyscale, spclnch and Pablo Bolivar’s Seven Villas, Francisco's sonic creations have captivated audiences across the globe. Beyond his accolades as an electronic music producer, the Spanish artist's prowess extends to his electrifying DJ sets, where he takes listeners on a journey through the depths of deep dubbed out house and techno. In a year that has seen Francisco scale back his release schedule, the Almuñecar resident now adds Refraction to his resume for his first project of the year, putting his own unique stamp on ‘Before AI Takes Over’. Club cinematics are the name of the game here, from exotic drum arrangements and compact kick drums, to panning dub manipulations and fog-like drones, an energetic take which snakes through a four to the floor labyrinth that’s sure to be a treat for all the dub connoisseurs.

Buy: https://tinyurl.com/bdxefbkn

Release Date: 11-10-2023

Release Promo: http://releasepromo.com

🎹 Spotify: http://bit.ly/ProgAstroSpotify
► YouTube: http://bit.ly/ProgressiveAstronautSubscribe
► Soundcloud: http://bit.ly/ProgressiveAstronautSC
► Website: http://bit.ly/ProgressiveAstronautWEB
► Facebook: http://bit.ly/ProgressiveAstronautFB
► Twitter: http://bit.ly/ProgressiveAstronautTW
► Instagram: http://bit.ly/ProgressiveAstronautIG