Who'da thunk they'd even heard about dubstep up in West Palm Beach, let alone been in on the action? But it's true. The U.K.-birthed electronic music phenomenon is alive and kicking up in South Florida's third county. That either means those folks are hipper than we think, or we've been fooling ourselves all along. 
courtesy of Tara Ink
Perhaps it's a bit of both. Because with Respectable Street's Proper Dosage going down each and every Wednesday night, the West Palm Beach scene has proven that they too can be up to the minute.
Okay, so dubstep isn't actually very new. In fact, the form's been kicking around across the pond for a decade now. But SoFla only recently made it a habit. But like anything to which we become addicted, it's a habit that's gonna be damn hard to break.
Much of West Palm's newfound need is due to the efforts of a DJ named the Reazin, and his four partners: Milkman, Benjamin Linus, Chuck Nasty, and Rok is Dead. It was they who brought the idea of dubstep to Respectable's in the first place, convincing the club that this was just the thing to replace the long-running weekly After Dark party. And it is they who are ensuring that the bass-heavy import will throb its way into your subconscious for many moons to come.
In addition to his head-spinning up in the WPB, the Reazin, born Rene Aguiar, is also part of the Digital Felon Crew, a 10-strong collective of like-minded ops hell-bent on maintaining a place in the aural universe. And between Proper Dosage and Digital Felon, the Reazin seems determined to do no less than take over the world, one set of ears at a time.
A few weeks back he and his crew brought in Portland's Noah D, and packed Respectable Street to the proverbial rafters. Come March they plan on doing likewise with San Francisco's Babylon System. Only this time they'll be doing it over at Propaganda in Lake Worth, where the Reazin's also spins at the monthly LDUB parties.
But live productions are only part of Proper Dosage and the Reazin's master plan. By Winter Music Conference they intend to unleash a series of digital releases that will out-boom even the lowest-frequency-loving bassheads.
This Thursday night will find the Reazin in the booth alongside some of the Magic City's most manic beatsters for Get Low's tenth (month) Anniversary. He'll be in some heady company, and it'll be a discerning crowd. But with eight years of drum 'n' bass beneath his belt, and another deuce doing dubstep, the Reazin ain't worried. He's just mad to hit it with precision.
The Reazin's Current Top Five:
1. "Do You (Joker Remix)," Freeland
2. "Chainsaw Calligraphy (Jakes Remix)," 16 Bit
3. "Gizmo," Datsik
4. "Are You Ready," Simon Bassline Smith
5. "Sweet Shop," Doctor P
The Reazin. 10 p.m. Thursday, February 18, at the tenth edition of Get Low at Shake. The Vagabond, 30 NE 14th St., Miami. Admission is $5; age 21 and up; 305-379-0508; thevagabondmiami.com
Also Wednesdays at Respectable Street, West Palm Beach, and monthly at Propaganda, Lake Worth.
