Building a Strong Bass

DJs Ryan Organ, Jon A.D., and Monkeytek are way ahead of the
curve on bass culture. Three years ago when they started Various,
Portland’s first dubstep night, the genre barely had a name. The idea
grew out of a few key bass-driven releases by artists like 6Blocc and
Starkey, and a desire to share the new sound with Portland.

“It was kind of like the whole grime and UK garage sound, but
different. We thought we’d have to sneak it in because it was a new
thing. Nobody knew what to call it,” explains Jon A.D., from behind the
counter of his newly relocated Anthem Records location in Chinatown.
“We’d anchor it with related styles like house and reggae, but over
time, the sound and our sensibilities with it have really grown.”

 Jon A.D. believed in the sound with such devotion that he used
his tax return money to launch the LoDubs imprint and release the
single “Dementia” from Philadelphia artist Starkey. The success of that
record set the stage for LoDubs to crank out 20 more releases in three
years, always with Various serving as a testing ground for upcoming
tracks.

The rampant spread of dubstep into different genres and commercial
territory has led to some grumbling from within the scene, but the
Various crew doesn’t seem to mind. Monkeytek shrugs, “Dubstep is
growing up, but it still has a lot of room to grow, and that’s
exciting.” Ryan Organ adds, “Every month we see new faces. They’re
coming from techno and house scenes, rock, reggae…. As all these
people come together at Various and other dubstep events, it’s pushing
the sound in different directions, and that’s a good thing.” Even
the infamously cynical Jon A.D. shares a similar view: “As long as it’s
undefined a bit longer, more creativity can get through. It’s a palette
for everybody to apply ideas and have a completely fresh perspective on
how to work on music.”

 It can’t hurt that as dubstep continues to grow, so does
Various, which consistently packs the dance floor and threatens to
vibrate the walls off Branx every first Saturday. “People look to the
thing in culture that is moving and follow it, and that’s what Various
was in the beginning, so we built a strong base early on,” says Jon
A.D., pausing to roll his eyes. “No pun intended.”