Heard It Here First

Since its inception in 2014, everyone’s favorite deep dubstep label, Deep Dark & Dangerous, has grown into something so much more than its founders, Truth, ever could have imagined.

The label has not only served as a foundation and sanctuary for fans of sound system culture but simultaneously become a residence for a vast roster of heavy hitters and emerging artists who share a profound cultivation of atmospheric sounds and truly everything “deep, dark, and dangerous.”

This year, the label is celebrating its tenth anniversary the best way it knows how, with the release of Decade, compiling not one but two full-length albums, thirty tracks in total, showcasing multiple artists that laid the foundation and built the label into what it is today, and some of their favorite new kids on the block that are helping push the imprint into the future.

Deep Dark & Dangerous has evolved into far more than just a “deep dubstep/140 dubstep” label. Over the years, the label has seen a sizable upswing in releases that break the boundaries of varying genres. My latest favorite additions to the DDD community include Caspa, ASHEZ, Bukez Finezt, and Nautical Divine.

Here’s what Truth had to say on the release of Decade and what this release means for Deep Dark & Dangerous:

“The journey that we’ve been on has gone further than we ever could have comprehended. 

Through this, we have made connections with an unimaginable array of amazing artists and talented people, be it in music, design, art, production, performance, and those who make it all work behind the scenes – we’ve met and become part of an incredible community of human beings, who bring so much joy into our lives. 

DDD is more than a label to us. It started off as our baby, a tiny idea and concept in our minds – but has now grown to the point that it has a life of its own and we can’t wait to see how this develops in the years to come.  

Decade is a celebration of where we’ve come from, but it’s all about looking forward. We don’t want to rest on our laurels. We’re always moving. 

With this Decade project, our mission was very simple: to put together what we believe is the best dubstep album of all time. Every single one of the artists involved in this project is phenomenal in their own right. It was a real struggle to keep it to just 30 tracks – which shows how healthy the scene is right now. 

We have fresh faces and stalwart veterans who have been with us from the very beginning, and everything in between.

We love running this label, we love the scene around it, we love the creativity involved, and most of all we love the incredible community of like-minded people and fans of 140 bass music – which is still what we are at heart.

Yes this is a Decade, but really it is just the beginning. We’re keeping it Deeper, Darker & Dangerouser for life!

Decade showcases the best of where DDD’s at but also what the future holds for the scene it calls home. Here’s to the next decade.”

 – Truth

Decade features many of DDD’s top contenders, including some of my personal favorites, Mythm, Isded, Ternion Sound, The Widdler, Kwizma, ColtCuts, Wraz, Khiva, Distinct Motive, ENiGMA Dubz, Basura, Stylust, and Abstrakt Sonance. There are also lots of new faces that Truth is proud to welcome to the family; Kowta, Drumterror, Breathworkz, Konka, Klinical, Kali, WAVHART, Sectra, Darkimh, Sentient, and Combine are making their official Deep Dark & Dangerous debut!

Decade Volume One

Volume One starts with the label heads themselves. Truth offers an ominous submission with “The Illuminated.” The song title fervently praises the all-star assemblage of intercontinental talent featured in this ten-year celebration that is ahead. The kingpins truly laid the groundwork for the following artists, this track is the perfect amount of spooky with just the right amount of upbeat energy to get listeners hyped.

I particularly love the wide range of styles featured in Decade. Tracks like Ternion Sounds’ “PartyTool_001”, Mythm’s “Goodfella,” and Breathworkz’s “Hydra” are perfect examples of the thought behind Decade, proudly offering a glimpse into the future of Deep Dark & Dangerous.

Some of my top song contenders are Darkihm’s “Said The Spider” with its reverberating percussive bassline and emotive vocals, Isded’s menacing “Worn” with seismic low-end basses and foreboding lyrics, and Stylust’s genuine contribution, “Dark & Dangerous Dub,” absolutely knocking your socks off with its playful approach and upbeat groove.

Volume One also features three next-level collabs, fusing styles to create next-level production masterpieces. Two of DDD’s most prolific names, Khiva and Wraz, released their long-awaited “Exclusive Style.” A fitting name for a dark and grimy track that is a flawless homogenization of these two accomplished artists. Substance and Kowta came together for their shadowy deep dub ground shaker “Wasteland,” and Combine and WAVHART delivered a brain-scrambling heater with “Relocation” that takes listeners on a journey as it blends through deep dubs, heavy basses, and wavy textures.

Decade Volume Two

Straight off the line, Boylan, Youngsta, and Brassic come out swinging with the humorously titled “Don’t Spill My Pint.” I loved the simplicity of this one with its melody as it builds into heavy punching subs and an intricate bassline. Your neck is gonna hurt after this one.

There was no shortage of truly stanky dubstep on Volume Two. ENIGMA Dubz floored me with “Liquid Artifacts.” You could feel the tension build in this one and just know you’re in for a wild ride. The rich, sonorous pitches he hits complement the reverberating bass and make for such an insane banger. I gotta give it to The Widdler on his submission, “Gom Jabbar.” The title reference the “high-handed enemy” or cyanide-needled tip that was used against the iconic anti-hero Paul Atreides in Dune II. It actually samples a woman in her bathroom that he found on Youtube shorts. The emotive vibe, meticulously layered textures, and vast soundscape paired with one of the biggest films of 2024 delivered such an astronomic payoff in this world-building composition.

Like Volume One, Volume Two paired up serious heavyweights in the bass music industry. Seeing a Distinct Motive and Wraz collab, I knew that it would be a partystarter before even listening to it. For“Wallace,” these two accomplished artists bring their best, no wonder they already share a massive catalog of releases on DDD.

Bukez Finezt and Sentient with “Kolloide” and Hypho and Noer The Boy’s “Tekkie” both impressed me with pristine compositions and out-of-the-box thinking. The layers of atmospheric textures, syncopated rhythms, and intricate sound design show off these artists’ years of experience and wild creativity.

Turn up the bass and clear the calendar for the day because Decade will take you to another dimension between these thirty mind-bending bass songs. All I know is I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the magnificent dubstep operation known as Deep Dark & Dangerous.

Who do you hope to see drop a release on the esteemed label next? Let us know in the comments below or on our socials!

If you’d like to own Deep Dark & Dangerous Decade on vinyl, follow this link to DDD’s Bandcamp page and snag it for yourself.

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