DJ Olive (aka Gregor Asch) has been there and back again, collaborating with the outward bound likes of Luc Ferrari, Kim Gordon and John Zorn, but always managing to bring it home for some seriously earthy solo dub. Witness his new full length, Heaps As: Live in Tasmania (The Agriculture), which was recorded live in Australia. It’s represented by two free downloads at the label’s website, both of them located somewhere between instrumental hip-hop and slinky dub, with i-hop’s attention to beat-for-beat’s-sakeness, and dub’s emphasis on dank grooves.
Now, “All’a’ya’alls” (MP3) may err a bit on the side of 1970s retro, but as it comes to its close the rhythm gets tortured, the horns a tad skronky, hinting at what must come next on the album proper.
And “Sub Bass Commandante” (MP3) is a must hear, the rhythm playfully flirting its way into the background, the chucka chucka beat edging ever forward, the whole thing simmering to nearly nothing by its close. And is that Nina Simone calling out from beyond the grave? More info at theagriculture.com.
Also, Olive/Asch was recently interviewed at the website of Ableton Live, the ubiquitous laptop performance software; the conversation is available in text and audio format (ableton.com, MP3).