If you travel to the middle of the ocean and dive to the extreme depths of the seafloor, you may happen upon little balls of rock made of magnesium, cobalt, nickel and copper spanning for possibly thousands of miles. Scientists have recently discovered that each of these polymetallic nodules carries a voltage potential that, when combined with neighboring nodules, remarkably produces oxygen in complete darkness through a process called seawater electrolysis. I am convinced that if one were to repel a microphone 20,000 feet below sea level to these icy pressurized abyssal plains and record these processes between nodules, the result might sound eerily similar to the mystically immense sounds produced on The Bug and Ghost Dubs‘ new split LP Implosion.
The first word that comes to mind when I think of The Bug (aka Kevin Martin) and Ghost Dubs (aka Michael Fiedler or Jah Schulz) is heavy. Well folks, I am happy to say that Implosion not only delivers on this maxim but it might just be the heaviest thing Martin or Fiedler has ever done. This thing feels like the entire weight of the ocean has drowned out any familiar notion of modern production you may have had. It takes you to an uninhabitable, subterranean world where throbbing bass and minimalistic dub reign. It has zero interest in wanting to comfort its audience and in fact will completely devour you.
The Bug strikes first on the aptly-named opener “Hooked” with his signature gloomy and groovy style. Indeed you’ll be instantly caught like a fish, wild-eyed and unnerved, after hearing its booming noise and atmospheric dub. Later on “Duppied”, The Bug somehow gets even more pneumatic. The bass is cranked up to a celestial level due to the highly pressurized atmosphere that threatens to drown it out, so much so that your ears will be sore by the time the track ends. “Spectres” and the single “Alien Virus” are other standouts, both adding to the record’s apocalyptic intentions.
The Ghost Dubs tracks are equally as impressive, his style somehow being even more minimalistic than The Bug’s. “Down” sounds like an abandoned submarine on the ocean floor, its rusty metal bolts squeaking and moaning like some alien creature. “Hope” creeps along a wobbly surface, sounding like a drunken sailor recounting a strange nightmare from the night before. Other tracks like “Into The Mystic” and “Waterhouse” build on the record’s uncanny and unearthly ambience.
Overall the most impressive thing here is the exquisite production, which was certainly perfected with the help from Stefan Betke (aka POLE) at Scape Mastering studios. Time and again I found myself taking off one of my earbuds because I thought someone (or something) was stalking nearby, only to find that it was some strangely manufactured clamor shifting along the parameter of Implosion’s spectral setting. These delusions added to the record’s inherent paranoia and only made the experience more thrilling. If you ever need revenge on your neighbor, I recommend putting on Implosion at full blast. It’s a thundering behemoth.
