Anyone from the (g)olden days of dubstep will remember Bar 9. The duo from Leicester made incomparable waves on the scene circa 2009, with big floor movers and bass-face instigators like Motion, Murda Sound and my personal favourite – Piano Tune. Known for combining melodic rifts with disgusting drops, Bar 9 were the best – bar none.
Bar 9 are back! After what feels like years of silence (the wait for a new Bar 9 release echoes that of the Nero wait), I give you: Flip The Switch.
There’s always a fear when dubstep DJs disappear off our radar for long periods of time that they may have been working on that ‘new sound’ that they “can’t wait” for you to hear. Have faith, because Bar 9 have stayed true to their style and Flip The Switch is like flipping the switch on a time machine, you’re instantly taken straight back to that very first head-nodding moment: This is dubstep.
Credit where credit’s due, this is not all down to Bar 9. The original by Excision protégée Destroid is not bad by anyone’s standards. The rift is slightly catchier and it gives you more bounce for your buck; but the drop simply does not match up to Bar 9’s years on the scene, and has more of that new sound than old. Destroid’s version does however have a very distinct Exicision tone to it, so perhaps it’s less of a case of old vs new and more a case of Brit vs good old US of A. This is a big fat burger of a tune, and with all the trimmings. Bar 9 is a good cut of roast beef washed down with a fine wine. Savour it – it could be another few years before you get another cut like that.
Flip The Switch (Bar 9 remix) is available now on Beatport and iTunes.
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