Pulshar

Techno dub is typically associated with one country: Germany. But along come Barcelonan duo Pulshar, who sound much chillier than their origins would suggest. The minimal yet inviting beats drop right away in "Dub By The River" but a more fluid sound emerges quickly. There is a greater sense of traditional songwriting and adherence to Jamaican elements than usually evident in most examples of this genre, right down to the slightly affected Caribbean-isms of the vocal phrasing. The duo aren't unsympathetic to the smoother textures of Viennese dub, as demonstrated on "No Meditation," where vocals billow outward from a bright, yet languid, roots-meets-clicks construction. The Studio One referencing "Ashmatic" is as straight-up as it gets on Brotherhood, but they show impressive sonic freedom with a riff from what sounds like an electronic Moroccan sintir on "Nospheratu." The drum & bass-leaning "Bullets" sounds a bit dated but Pulshar never lose their way completely. This strong disc bears witness to the ever-growing branches of dub.