October 17 catch RSD a.k.a. Rob Smith from Bristol, UK at Surefire Sound at Triple Crown, Octavia St. at Market, in SF.
RSD (Smith & Mighty – Bristol, UK)
Bristol, UK’s Rob Smith is the veteran dub producer behind the RSD moniker. Smith has been at the center of UK sound system culture since 1987, working alongside Ray Mighty in the influential dub/downtempo electronic outfit Smith & Mighty. The duo are rightly considered as influential as Bristol greats like Massive Attack and the Full Cycle crew and their 1995 album Bass Is Maternal (More Rockers/!K7) is considered a trip-hop classic. In ’02 Smith released the huge dubby garage track “B-Line Fi Blow,” while more recently he turned his subbass skills toward dubstep audiences with a slew of material on Peverelist's Punch Drunk label and Pinch's Tectonic and Earwax outlets, connecting Bristol's sound system heritage with today’s styles. This year RSD released the singles collection Good Energy on Punch Drunk. Surefire Sound is proud to present this dub and bass legend at its monthly event at the Triple Crown.
MANEESH THE TWISTER ( Surya Dub – SF)
Maneesh the Twister is founder of Surya Dub, a groundbreaking monthly club night that established the Dread Bass sound. His vision is to unite all dubwize communities from roots reggae, dubstep and ragga to breakbeat, drum ‘n’ bass and bhangra. He was also co-founder of the Dhamaal Artist Collective, which championed South Asian audio hybrids for over seven years. Maneesh has varied tastes and spins dub reggae, dubstep, breakbeat, drum ‘n’ bass, dancehall, global beats -- anything with bass. Being heavily influenced by dub reggae, he is also a resident of the US’s longest running weekly dub and roots club night, Dub Mission, which is 12+ years and dubbing!
TOMAS A.K.A. Dub I.D. (Umoja Hi-Fi, Voltage Music Label - SF)
DJ Tomas is a San Francisco and LA music mainstay. In 1993 the Bay Area native co-founded the six-man reggae/jazz/soul/hip-hop Umoja Hi-Fi sound system in LA producing clubs like B-Side and Goa Dub while broadcasting KXLU-FM’s main reggae radio show for seven years. In 2000 he co-founded the Voltage Music label, one of America’s first dubstep imprints. Tomas produces music as Dub I.D. and Double Identity for Voltage and other labels and is a co-host on KUSF’s weekly Friday Night Session radio show. Since March ’09 he’s held down the monthly Roots Roadblock night at Koko Cocktails in addition to guest appearances at Dub Mission, Afrofunke (LA), Underground SF and more.
Hosted by MC DUH (Shelter - SF)
MC Duh, or Max to his friends, is one of the Bay’s most versatile microphone doctors, with the ability to switch from ragga-style chats to freestyle hip-hop MCing on a dime. He’s blessed the mic at raves all over the US and notable for his long-standing residencies at drum & bass nights like Eklektic and Shelter. Expect the unexpected with this much respected master of rough and rugged poetry.
