Dubrunner continues to shape out a vital, modernist slant on the soundsystem tradition with this second drop on his label Menace. In keeping with the approach set out on 2023’s Ruthless EP, his firm foundation of steppas, dub and digi is a springboard for explorations of broader club styles, taking in elements of breakbeat hardcore, techno and plenty more besides.

Fallen Tree builds on the promise of his debut with four further meditations. Lead single ‘Shangdao’s Revenge’ is a monolithic, moody half-stepper electrified with dub techno chord shimmers and elastic breakbeats, and spaced out with deep wells of atmospheric processing.

‘Fallen Tree’ locks into a tight 4/4 march driven by detailed percussion, with a classic steppas bassline, off-beat chord chops and distant melodica touches paying tribute to hugely influential UK steppas pioneers Alpha & Omega and their apocalyptic cut ‘Ground Is Shaking Dub’. The presence of log drums remind you Dubrunner is bringing his own fusions to the table, drawing on the amapiano explosion as fuel for this hybridised fire.

‘Overruled’ strikes a more forthright, political tone, as Dubrunner foregrounds his values in a fierce statement against the oppressive systems of state control, capitalism and racism. The vocal samples come from Sankara Future Dub Resurgence, whose focus is on Africa’s defiance of its colonial history. The taut, high-definition construction around the message takes its cues from the explosive sonics heard at Darwin’s bassweight REEF sessions in Berlin.

The breakstep lead-in on ‘Pressure’ tells you to prepare for a drum-focused workout, and that’s precisely the approach Dubrunner takes as he chops up the percussion and maintains a light-footed impact in contrast to the broad, cinematic heft of the other tracks on the EP. It’s a potent demonstration of the versatility in the Dubrunner sound, while still maintaining that grounded sense of soundsystem meditation which courses through everything he turns out.

Tracklist: 
A1 Dubrunner - Shangdao’s Revenge
A2 Dubrunner - Fallen Tree
B1 Dubrunner - Overruled
B2 Dubrunner - Pressure

Mastered by Subvert Central
Artwork designed by Alex Kubis

Dubrunner - Fallen Tree

Local Menace
@menace_intl

*b3b Yushh & Breaka // Brushhrunner
** b3b Katiusha & Breaka

⩵« 2025 »⩵
24/1  Brushhrunner* ⥰ Strange Brew, Bristol
24/1  Dubrunner ⥰ Noods Radio
7/2  Brushhrunner* ⥰ Ormside Projects, London
21/2 Duty Free Merger ⥰ Ohm, Berlin
28/2  Dubrunner ⥰ Noods Radio
14/3  Acid Dub Studies ⥰ Jazz Cafe, London
21/3  FUEGO w/ Protoje ⥰ Razzmatazz, Barcelona
28/3  Dubrunner ⥰ Noods Radio
28/3  Palestin3 Fundraiser ⥰ The Cause, London
12/4  SXSE x RSD25 ⥰ The Bear London
3/5  Percolate x LNS* ⥰ Colour Factory, London
23/5  Punani & Friends ⥰ THF/Torhaus, Berlin
30/5  FUEGO* ⥰ Razzmatazz, Barcelona
29/6  ⥰ Fusion Festival, Berlin
3/7  NLDC ⥰ Cu Dalston, London
24/7  Outlook Festival* ⥰ Tisno, Croatia
28/7  Outlook Festival ⥰ Tisno, Croatia
8/8  WubWub ⥰ THF Radio, Berlin
9/8  WubWub ⥰ Fitzroy, Berlin
30/8  Buss ⥰ Carpet Shop, London
6/9  Strøm Festival ⥰ Fredens Eng, Copenhagen

⩵« 2024 »⩵
13/1  Dubrunner ⥰ SWU FM
23/1  Tañ & Dubrunner ⥰ Rinse FM
23/2  Boiler Room ⥰ Beaverworks, Leeds
12/3  Dubrunner ⥰ Void Radio
29/3  FUEGO ⥰ Razzmatazz, Barcelona
18/4  No Edits ⥰ Carpet Shop, London
10/5  Cutting Hair ⥰ West Harlem, Kyoto
17/5  Star Festival ⥰ Fuminnomori Hiyoshi, Kyoto
19/5  Dubrunner & Moova ⥰ SWU FM
24/5  Dubrunner ⥰ Wild Pearl Radio
24/5  ⥰ Off Track, Singapore
25/5  NESC ⥰ Tuff Club, Singapore
1/6  Dubrunner  ⥰ TSUNAGU Studio, Tokyo
1/6  Zudub 頭バー ⥰ ZUBAR Shibuya, Tokyo
27/6  Querfeld ⥰ Fusion Festival, Berlin
30/6  Räuberhöhle** ⥰ Fusion Festival, Berlin
16/8  REEF ⥰ Berghain, Berlin
25/8  Pelican Dub ⥰  Secret Location, Amsterdam
14/9  Sudan Fundraiser* ⥰ Ormside, London
4/10  10 Years of Sinai ⥰ FOLD, London
11/10  Dubrunner ⥰ The Lot Radio
12/10  Dubrunner ⥰ Mansions, NYC
13/10  Effervescent ⥰ Bossa Nova, NYC
30/11  Kiss The Ring ⥰ Hifi, Leeds

⩵« 2023 »⩵
5/1  Dubrunner & Sourpuss ⥰ Netil Radio
21/4  Jamz Supernova Pres. ⥰ Village Underground, London
29/4  Stretchy Dance Supply ⥰ Fitzroy, Berlin
6/5  Stretchy Dance Supply ⥰ Wire, Leeds
26/5  Project 6 Festival ⥰ Brockwell Park, London
26/5  Brushhrunner* ⥰ The Love Inn, Bristol
10/6  Philo & Dubrunner ⥰ Callshop Radio, Köln
31/7  Outlook Festival ⥰ Tisno, Croatia
12/8  23 Degrees ⥰ Colour Factory, London
18/8  Iota Festival ⥰ Ile D'oleron, France
26/8  Baihui presents ⥰ Jar, Xi’an
29/8  Future Bounce Takeover ⥰ Rinse FM
2/9  ⥰ Qiao! Festival, Chengdu
3/9  ⥰ Tag, Chengdu
8/9  ⥰ Pools, Dali
15/9  Organic ⥰ Hum, Guiyang
16/9  Toybox ⥰ DaDa, Kunming
20/9  Tatami ⥰ Wigwam, Beijing
22/9  DCYY ⥰ Wigwam, Beijing
23/9  Bouncy Bouncy ⥰ Elevator, Shanghai
30/9  Floating ⥰ Loopy, Hangzhou
7/10  Stretchy Dance Supply ⥰ Wire, Leeds
18/10  Tryptch ⥰ Wire, Leeds
9/11  Acid Finky & Dubrunner ⥰ THF Radio
11/11  Reef Afters ⥰ OXI Club, Berlin
11/11  Dubrunner ⥰ SWU FM

⩵« 2022 »⩵
5/2  Stretchy x Keep Hush ⥰ Sheaf St, Leeds
28/7  Outlook Festival ⥰ Tisno, Croatia
20/8  Dubrunner ⥰ Worldwide FM
29/8  Leeds Festival ⥰ Leeds
3/9  Stretchy Dance Supply ⥰ Dalston Den, London
10/10  Dubrunner ⥰ Radio Raheem
2/11  Dubrunner ⥰ HÖR
16/12  Jay Carder & Dubrunner ⥰ Rinse FM

⩵« 2021 »⩵
2/2  Scuffed Recs ⥰ Reprezent Radio
10/3  Zoe P & Dubrunner ⥰ Noods Radio
16/4  Tañ & Dubrunner ⥰ Sable Radio
28/5  Manami & Dubrunner ⥰ Worldwide FM
29/7  Keep Hush ⥰ Old Red Bus Station, Leeds
29/8  NS: Goldie ⥰ Headrow, Leeds
11/9  Outlook Festival ⥰ Tisno, Croatia
17/9  Scuffed Recs ⥰ Reprezent Radio
17/9  FABRICLIVE ⥰ Fabric, London
1/10  Subdub ⥰ Beaverworks, Leeds
16/10  Stretchy Dance Supply ⥰ Wire, Leeds
13/11  NS: Adaptations ⥰ Belgrave, Leeds
11/12  ⥰ Wire, Leeds

⩵« 2020 »⩵
10/1  Scuffed Recs ⥰ Wharf Chambers, Leeds
27/2  Deep Fry ⥰ Wharf Chambers, Leeds
11/3  SWTCH ⥰ Distrikt, Leeds
17/10  Tribe Records ⥰ Freedom Mills, Leeds

⩵« 2019 »⩵
2/2  NS ⥰ Headrow, Leeds
15/2  Stretchy Dance Supply ⥰ Wharf Chambers, Leeds
15/3  Stretchy Dance Supply ⥰ Assembly House, Leeds
27/4  Stretchy x Crispy ⥰ The Fenton, Leeds
24/5  World Island Festival ⥰ Headrow, Leeds
6/6  Salemango Festival ⥰ HPBC, Leeds
27/9  NS: David Rodigan ⥰ Headrow, Leeds
29/11  Crispy Aromatic ⥰ Blueberry Hill, Leeds
30/11  ⥰ Wire, Leeds
7/12  NS: LTJ Bukem ⥰ Headrow, Leeds
13/12  Stretchy Dance Supply ⥰ Sheaf St, Leeds

⩵« 2018 »⩵
2/2  Stretchy Dance Supply ⥰ Wharf Chambers, Leeds
25/2  Repulsive Wax Club ⥰ Belgrave, Leeds
16/3  Stretchy Dance Supply ⥰ Wharf Chambers, Leeds
1/4  Repulsive Wax Club ⥰ Belgrave, Leeds
30/5  Flux ⥰ Beaverworks, Leeds
6/6  Salemango Festival ⥰ HPBC, Leeds
29/9  NS: Call Super ⥰ Headrow, Leeds
5/10  Stretchy Dance Supply ⥰ Wharf Chambers, Leeds
16/11  Stretchy Dance Supply ⥰ Wharf Chambers, Leeds
8/12  Cabin Fever ⥰ Grow, London

kinda mad u no