basslines is about sound, culture, mind and affectivity. it is a column in the printed edition of the zweikommasieben magazin written by marius ‘comfortnoise’ neukom (a.k.a. new.com).
the column critically introduces book publications that relate in various ways to dub culture. it contextualizes each publication, describes its guiding principles, and expands on its author’s thoughts.
on this blog we provide annotated versions of the columns with supplemental sound and text references.
>>> see related blog entries to basslines
zweikommasieben zweikommasieben is a swiss magazine that has been devoted to the documentation of contemporary music and sounds since the summer of 2011. the magazine features artist interviews, essays and columns as well as photography, illustration and graphics.
>>> get some additional info to the making of zweikommasieben magazin here
basslines 9: space of involvement / raum der teilhabe
space of involvement is the ninth issue of basslines: it appears in the 18th edition of zweikommasieben magazin on november 2018 and features kries, eisenbrand & rossi’s night fever: design and clubculture, 1960 – today (weil am rhein: vitra design museum, 2018) and denk & von thülen’s der klang der familie: techno, berlin und die wende (frankfurt a/m: suhrkamp, 2014).
the text can be downloaded in an extended version here:
→ english: Basslines_9_Space_Of_Involvment_Footnotes (pdf – download with right click & ‘save as’)
→ german: Basslinien_9_Raum_der_Teilhabe_Fussnoten (pdf – download with right click & ‘save as’)
basslines 8: ding dong vs. pum pum
ding dong vs. pum pum is the eighth issue of basslines. it appeared in the 17th edition of zweikommasieben magazin on june 2018 and features donna p. hope’s inna di dancehall: popular culture and the politics of identity in jamaica (university of west indies press, 2006).
the text can be downloaded in an extended version here:
→ english: Basslines_8_Ding_Dong_vs._Pum_Pum_Footnotes (pdf – download with right click & ‘save as’)
→ german: Basslinien_8_Ding_Dong_vs._Pum_Pum_Fussnoten (pdf – download with right click & ‘save as’)
→ see also the blog entry “the essential, annotated DUB LIBRARY” for further dub related books & movies
I and I is the seventh issue of basslines. it appeared in the 16th edition of zweikommasieben magazin on november 8th, 2017 and features beth lesser’s rub-a-dub style: the roots of modern dancehall (beth kingston, 2012).
the text can be downloaded in an extended version here:
→ english: Basslines_7_I_and_I_Footnotes (pdf – download with right click & ‘save as’)
→ german: Basslinien_7_I_and_I_Fussnoten (pdf – download with right click & ‘save as’)
→ see also the blog entry “the essential, annotated DUB LIBRARY” for further dub related books & movies
basslines 6: roots, dancehall, and karaoke / roots, dancehall und karaoke
roots, dancehall, and karaoke is the sixth issue of basslines. it appeared in the 15th edition of zweikommasieben magazin on may 24th, 2017 and features lloyd bradley’s bass culture: when reggae was king (penguin books, 2000).
the text can be downloaded in an extended version here:
→ english: Basslines_6_Roots_Dancehall_Karaoke_Footnotes (pdf – download with right click & ‘save as’)
→ german: Basslinien_6_Roots_Dancehall_Karaoke_Fussnoten (pdf – download with right click & ‘save as’)
→ see also the blog entry “the essential, annotated DUB LIBRARY” for further dub related books & movies
basslines 5: disrupted patterns / unruhe stiftende muster
disruptive patterns is the fifth issue of basslines. it appeared in the 14th edition of zweikommasieben magazin on december 8th, 2016 and features hardy blechman’s disruptive pattern material: an encyclopedia of camouflage (firefly books, 2004).
the text can be downloaded in an extended version here:
→ english: Basslines_5_Disruptive_Patterns_Footnotes (pdf – download with right click & ‘save as’)
→ german: Basslinien_5_Unruhe stiftende_Muster_Fussnoten (pdf – download with right click & ‘save as’)
basslines 4: roots and routes / roots und routes
roots & routes is the fourth issue of basslines. it appeared in the 13th edition of zweikommasieben magazin on june 20th, 2016 and features paul gilroy’s the black atlantic. modernitiy and double consciousness (harvard university press, 1993), paul sullivan’s remixology. tracing the dub diaspora (reaktion books, 2014) and nicolas nova’s 8-bit reggae. collision and creolization (near future laboratory/volumique, 2014).
the text can be downloaded in an extended version here:
→ english: Basslines_4_Roots_and_Routes_Footnotes (pdf – download with right click & ‘save as’)
→ german: Basslinien_4_Roots_und_Routes_Fussnoten (pdf – download with right click & ‘save as’)
→ see also the blog entry “the essential, annotated DUB LIBRARY” for further dub related books & movies
basslines 3: the message of the medium / die botschaft des tonträgers
the message of the medium is the third issue of basslines. it appeared in the 12th edition of zweikommasieben magazin on december 20th, 2015 and features dominik bartmanski & ian woodward’s vinyl. the analogue record in the digital age (bloomsbury academic, 2015).
the text can be downloaded in an extended version here:
→ english: Basslines_3_The_Message_of_the_Medium_Footnotes (pdf – download with right click & ‘save as’)
→ german: Basslinien_3_Die_Botschaft_des_Tonträgers_Fussnoten (pdf – download with right click & ‘save as’)
→ see as well this collection of crucial quotes from bartmanski & woodward
basslines 2: everything can be dub has no end? / alles ist dub hat kein ende?
everything can be dub has no end? (yeah, that’s how the english title should be!) is the second issue of basslines. it appeared in the 11th edition of zweikommasieben magazin on june 20th, 2015 and features michael e. veal’s dub. soundscapes & shattered songs in jamaican reggae (wesleyan university press, 2007).
the text can be downloaded in an extended version here:
→ english: Basslines_2_Everything_Can_Be_Dub_Footnotes (pdf – download with right click & ‘save as’)
→ german: Basslinien_2_Alles_ist_Dub_Fussnoten (pdf – download with right click & ‘save as’)
→ see also the blog entry “the essential, annotated DUB LIBRARY” for further dub related books & movies
basslines 1: poltergeists / poltergeister
poltergeists is the first issue of basslines that appeared in the 10th edition of zweikommasieben magazin on december 20th, 2014. it features simon reynolds’ retromania (faber & faber, 2011) and mark fisher’s ghosts of my life (zero books, 2014). it is accompanied by an illustration that has been specifically created by the zürich based streetartist sierpinski ‘stvan’ triangle (see comfortnoise podcast 039-0413).
the text can be downloaded in an extended version here:
→ english: Basslines_1_Poltergeists_Footnotes (pdf – download with right click & ‘save as’)
→ german: Basslinien_1_Poltergeister_Fussnoten (pdf – download with right click & ‘save as’)
→ see as well the collections of crucial quotes from reynolds and from fisher
© STVAN, 2014