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Dubwise Techno & Downtempo Flora from Sydney artist Cousin
Cousin’s latest EP HomeSoon is out now via Vancouver-based label Mood Hut.
Followers of this site will know that we’ve been in a collective dubwise headspace here at In Sheep’s Clothing. Reggae, dub, and various tripped-out electronic sounds (chillout, trip-hop, downtempo, etc.) have recently taken up about as much or even more of our listening space than the usual ambient, folk, and jazz known to be played at our hi-fi bars. Is it just a phase? Hard to say, but for now space echo and spring reverb seem to be constantly swirling through our speaker systems.
One of the most exciting newcomers in this zone is Sydney-based producer Jackson Fester aka Cousin. A master of sub frequencies and subterranean atmospheres, Cousin follows a rich history of sound system culture in Southern Australia while also drawing inspiration from sub-heavy club genres like dub techno, deep house, bleep, and dubstep from the UK, Germany, and beyond. In a breakout year, Cousin released five acclaimed EP’s in 2023 ending the year on his most headline release yet with cult Vancouver label Mood Hut. A new collaborative project with Priori was also announced just the other day…
Below, we’ve highlighted five of our favorite Cousin releases. If you’re into bass meditations and psychedelic club sounds, we also highly recommend checking out Cousin’s DJ mixes.
Catsu (Mood Hut)
Cousin’s final of EP of the year HomeSoon landed a few weeks ago on Mood Hut. “Home” seems to be a consistent source of inspiration for Cousin (see 2022’s “Ohm Alone”) with the natural sounds of the neighboring bushland informing the producer’s psychedelic excursions. Opener “Catsu” is a gorgeous dubwise ambient track that pulses along a sub bassline and modular synthesizer melody. Like many of Cousin’s productions, the track strikes a perfect balance between futuristic and organic with found sounds and samples blended seamlessly into the electronic soundscape.
A Message From Q (Moonshoe Recordings)
After a few well-received releases as Freda & Jackson, Cousin emerged with his debut solo EP on Moonshoe Records in 2020 and immediately became one to watch. The title track “A Message From Q” is a 120-bpm cruiser mixing vocal scratching with psychedelic textures and hand percussion. Elsewhere on the EP (“Faun”), echo’d out trumpets create an otherworldly atmosphere that we imagine would sound absolutely perfect at a forest rave.
Nemo’s Dream (Nummer Music)
An infectious three note bassline sets the stage for “Nemo’s Dream.” Aside from that bass and some subtle drum work, the majority of this subaquatic deep house track is made up of a continuous swirling haze of ambient textures and filtered dub chords with so much spring reverb that it sounds like they could be coming from inside a cave. Like the best deep house, “Nemo’s Dream” is simple at first listen, but subtly intricate when examined closely; the type of track that reveals something new with each play-through.
Posm – Pouched (Mad Habitat Recordings)
Posm is a band formed during the long Australian lockdown by Cousin and friends. “An obsessive catharsis for socially starved marsupials,” the free-form jams sound something like bushland psychedelic kraut/jazz improvisations with synthesizers, guitar, and various organic instruments (saxophone, flute, drum kit, percussion). As expected, a dubwise approach covers the entire album in a thick cloud of smoke.
Unsolicited Joints – Joint 1 (Butter Sessions)
A collaboration with “brother” Ben, Unsolicited Joints is a collection of functional dancefloor tracks salvaged from the Festers’ Hudson Hideout studio . “Joint 1” feels like a slow descent into the depths with ambient bliss, 4/4 deep dub, and a beautiful liquid acid line that doesn’t emerge until the half-way mark. “Joint 5” is maybe the biggest track we’ve heard from Cousin. Subterranean dubstep, bass music, whatever you want to call it, the track makes an incredibly tasteful usage of the lost and ill-fated wobble bass.