E3 – ‘To The End / El Mahdy Jr. Remix’ 7″ [Boomarm Nation]

Boomarm Nation come strong again with a good looking and even better sounding 7″ from Portland based producer E3, backed with an El Mahdy Jr. remix that’s as dope as you’d expect.

There seems to be a really nice scene in Portland at present, built around Boomarm Nation, PDXINDUB, ZamZam Sounds and associates. Through releases on the latter two we’ve often seen E3 associated with Alter Echo, regularly collaborating on wax and tape drops, with E3 also having founding and continuing to run the ZamZam Sounds label with Tracey Harrison.

The ever-good 7″ label is now over thirty plates deep despite only being established since 2012, and boasts the likes of DJ Madd, RSD and Egoless as part of their catalogue. All big tunes, buy on site styles, with quality screen-printed sleeves to boot.

Digging a bit deeper and it was only recently that I became aware that E3 is actually an alias of Ezra Ereckson, formerly of BSI Records, best known to us as the cat’s who released a handful of Bryn Jones aka Muslimgauze records in the early 2000’s.

The man knows his stuff, and it’s no surprise then that this solo outing is a heavy drop, produced to perfection.

‘To The End’ is a brilliantly crafted blend of club bass, street sounds and rough bouncing samples. In place of a dub siren comes a jagged overly filtered electronic wave, the vocals are too dirty and reverbed to distinguish properly and the whole affair travels across the top of tough drums of slowed down jungle distinction.

El Mahdy Jr. took the track to pieces and signed it off in his own distinct style, adding a more live and field recorded vibe to his remix on the flip. It sounds rougher and the bass is pushed to the front creating a ragga-dubstep vibe you’ve likely not heard before.

To top it all off the record comes in a double-stamped sleeve that’s nice enough to hang on your wall. Great release, limited to 500 so get on it quick.

via Boomarm Nation

As the needle drops, a haunting overdriven voice cries out from a cavern of distorted marimba pulses. “People sell them souls for a slice of bread…” A stark statement of realness, conviction, and the choices we all make. This is sound system music for the citizens of the world, welcoming the struggle and darkness that unites.

With “To The End” E3 creates a meditative musical darkness enveloped fully in the spiritual warmth of syncopated sub bass, rolling watery hi-hats, chopped vocals that sing like a call to prayer amidst powerful throws to the dub siren.

Real recognize real here in PDX.

Eager to work together again after Alter Echo & E3 remixed El Mahdy Jr’s “Phantomatik” on his mesmerizing debut LP for Boomarm Nation, E3 sent Mahdy the tune to remix, and was floored by what the Algerian master of space-time turned in: an epic, swaggering riddim erupting with guttural growls and spectral vocals turned inside out, full of declamatory power but with meanings no longer intelligible to surface-dwellers. Intense and powerful beat music for your next subterranean bashment. Fresh off his new LP for Discrepant, this track will linger in your psyche long after its 3 1/2 minute runtime.

Channeling the DIY spirit of both Jamaican sound system culture and American punk rock, our man E3 aka Ezra E Ereckson is a long time staple of West Coast sound system music. Based in Portland, Oregon together with his wife, artist and designer Tracy Harrison (Polygon Press), they run the renowned ZamZam Sounds, a vinyl only label releasing exquisite DUB music from across the world, packaged in stunning hand-printed jackets. A long-time DJ, producer and vocalist, E3 distills his talents and vision into this breakout solo release for Boomarm Nation. Known for his string of ZamZam Sounds releases alongside partner Alter Echo – particular after last year’s “Nubian Dub” / “Warning Dub” 7” became a sought-after underground hit – E3 has lately been making moves with solo remixes of artists as diverse as Ishan Sound and Peter Broderick.

Mixed in the Boomarm DOJO by Gulls and E3, and mastered by Timothy Stollenwerk.
Pressed in an edition of 550 7″ vinyl, housed in hand stamped heavyweight chipboard sleeves designed by Polygon Press.