Various Artists, Steppas´ Delight: Dubstep Present to Future (2 CD Soul Jazz)

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Like the pervasive influence of dub in the nineties, dubstep is now proving to be more than just a club style. Rather, it is more of an approach, a skeletal structure of deep bass and prickling percussion that proves liberating to move about within for many artists with many different preconditions to their music. A recent review had Alva Noto of all artists drawing on dubstep for his rhythms. But then again, of course.

Hot on the heels of its two "Boxes of Dub" and many vinyl singles, Soul Jazz presents Steppas´ Delight, a more comprehensive collection organized in such manner as to satisfy the collector and geeky historian within. This double set is comprised of numbers which have "made" the scene through club play and pirate radio rotation, like Shackleton´s "Blood on My Hands" and Kode9´s "Samurai" - and newer stuff showcasing the genre´s inherent variety. Reggae influence sits comfortably alongside the rantings of techno animals.

Disc One opens majestically with Kode9´s above-mentioned, cinemascopic death march "Samurai", after which we get yelled at by Plasticman´s spokestoaster Spekta ("Intensive Snare") and are subjected to jittery, space-invaders electronica by Benga´s "Evolution". Uncle Sam´s rollicking organ-skank ode to (male) sexual promiscuity "Round the World Girls (Tes La Rok Mix)" is immediately shot down with a "Poison Dart" fired off by Warrior Queen and The Bug (the latter of whom must be by far the elder statesman of this crowd, having of course curated the essential 4 CD "Macro Dub Infection" series back when dub first broke across genres). Also worthy of praise is the odd, spectral soul of TRG´s "Broken Hearts".

The second disc actually lacks the depth and variety of the first; it seems less organized, as if the selector overextended him or herself on the first disc´s mix and just threw together what was left onto the second with no thought about sequence. At the end the last track breaks off sloppily, just when your appetite for something nice, dark and rumbly for dessert had been properly whetted.

Still, there are interesting moments. Joker scores a shlock-horror movie theme song. Geiom picks apart structure and the hackneyed r´n´b vocals of Marita ("I´m reminiscin´ missin´ you") with the precision of a Swiss watchmaster. A minor triumph. Honourable mention also to Goth Trad, first for the name, and secondly for "Genesis", which opens with an "X Files"-like fanfare before bongomania and too-wobbly electronic bass overwhelm the artist.

Despite the plethora of dubstep compilation discs out there, Soul Jazz continues to show the way as far as depth and breadth are concerned.