I know I tend to wax poetic about Brooklyn’s Studio BPM, but in New York City, where people obsess over finding the next, best thing, it’s always important to value what’s happening right now. Not to be confused with Studio B in Greenpoint, Studio BPM is a lesser known performance space run by true music enthusiasts, and the veritable home of the Better Borough’s finest analog dub sounds (not to mention our annual ScissorSounds party). Produced by DJ DRM of Bastard Jazz Recordings, The Dubwise Sessions held at BPM have set the standard for good vibes and great dub in NYC and have introduced me to the analog revival that has firmly entrenched its roots here in the outer boroughs.

Ticklah, aka Victor Axelrod is one of the scene’s central personalities, and a present or past member of three of Brooklyn’s finest musical exports — Afrobeat orchestra Antibalas, The Easy Star All-Stars (Dub Side of the Moon, Radiodred) and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. An ardent supporter of the tradition laid down by King Tubby and Lee Perry, Axelrod clearly honors their less championed musicianship in addition to their much lionized engineering skills and production values. He, like the rest of the BPM faithful love it deep, and “Two Faces” proves it indelibly.

RIYL: Lee Perry, King Tubby, Scientist, Easy Star All-Stars, Victor Rice, Rob Symeonn

By Steve Marchese