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  SUBTROPIC: Brighton based producer of phreakbeat electronica for the
mischevious Fused & Bruised label in London, Jake Smith AKA Subtropic is
probably best known in NZ for the slinky grooves of the 1995
Reflective-released CD "Homebrew", which came about after a year living in
downtown San Francisco. Ranging from deep & dusky drum and bass, downright
dirty electro and supremely chilled funk, Homebrew sounds as fresh in `99
as it did when first released, and the new Subtropic album on FAB
"Compression Point" follows through with plenty more warped breakbeat
tuneage. .A true UK underground figure (c.f. his mates Squarepusher, Luke Vibert, T-Power , Autechre), Jake comes correct in April and May, going where no other overseas DJ has gone before - travelling for four weeks thru NZ in a campervan no less. Smile if you see Subtropic on the road this month and tell them - less dark more funk please, we like it that way ... SUBTROPIC NZ DATES These are the tour dates at present. More shows still to be addeed.
17/4/99 -Wanaka (venue tbc)
SUBTROPIC/ Fused & Bruised bio Jake Smith is the one-man outfit who produces the electro-phunk that is Subtropic. Whilst currently residing in the dance mecca of Brighton he is no stranger to a bit of globetrotting. Jakes introduction into the world of dance music began with a year-long stint in San Francisco where he made numerous connections which resulted in his first album release, "Homebrew", on one of America's most respected electronic labels, Reflective records. Receiving critical acclaim in drum'n'bass and ambient arenas, and becoming 'album of the month' in many a dance magazine, it remains a classic. Upon his return to the UK he was snapped up sharpish by Fused and Bruised Recordings who realised his potential for future electronica. Since then his style has branched out to cover a far more eclectic sound. His first release for the label, 'Lifetime Mission' (FABR009T), introduced a new sound that was equally well received by fans of funky electronica and polished drum and bass. His second single 'Public Service Announcement' (FABR017T) followed suit with a similar sound that had just gained the moniker of "Nu Skool Breaks" and was being lapped-up by an electro-hungry audience. Subtropic's album "Compression Point", was released last autumn and plots a path through various different styles both downbeat and dancefloor, but all maintain his trademark of minimalist electronica. Phunky bleeps and deep jungle basslines come conviniently wrapped within smooth strings, whilst clinical beats are pasted together to give a slight retro / Detroit feel. Since completing the album Jake has been travelling the world on various DJ missions. Tours of Poland, Germany, Canada and New Zealand are all in the pipeline for 1999. He is also currently writing new material and with the help of Austrian vocalist Belinda Reinhardt is exploring new territories in electronica. The autumn should see the arrival of Subtropic live, in the meantime you can catch Jake hanging out with Fatboy Slim and the Skint crew, playing devasting DAT exclusives regularly at JUNGLISM and EXPERIMENTS IN SOUND in Brighton, as well as DJing at his various residencies including: D:FUSED (Cross bar - London), Used and Abused (Dog Star - London), Lun'arcy (Volks - Brighton), Brighton Bassed (Zap - Brighton).
For more info log on to http://www.fab.uk.com or contact John Pell Basstech PO Box 9360 Wellington NZ voice & fax +64 4 801 8821 mobile +64 21 491 835
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