DREDUB | INTERVIEW + TRACK REVIEW
Growing up in Cabarita Beach, surrounded by the laid-back chaos of Australia's east coast but raised on a steady diet of UK grime and punk, DREDUB's musical identity was never going to follow a conventional path. Those seemingly opposing worlds have become the foundation of a sound that refuses to choose between the aggression of rock and the rhythmic intensity of hip-hop. But beneath the distortion, attitude and relentless energy sits something surprisingly personal: an artist learning to turn the circumstances of his upbringing into a reason to push forward rather than hold back.
His latest project, SPIRIT BOMB, takes that philosophy and turns the volume up. Created alongside Mikey Hardy, the five-track release draws inspiration from the raw urgency of Silverchair's Frogstomp, the explosive energy of Rage Against the Machine and the people who have helped shape DREDUB's journey. It's a project built on collaboration, ambition and the freedom to make something without worrying whether it belongs in a particular genre. From the grounded determination of Black Air Ones to the self-belief driving POWER, there's a recurring message beneath the noise: you don't need much to start chasing something, but you do need the courage to back yourself.
What makes this chapter particularly interesting is that DREDUB doesn't seem especially concerned with what happens after the music is released. Having first reached a wider audience through his appearance on JK-47's Guess Again, he's now discovering what his own voice can become when pushed into unfamiliar territory. Working with Hardy has challenged him as both a songwriter and performer, opening the door to a heavier, more unpredictable live sound that feels like the beginning of something rather than the culmination of it.
We caught up with DREDUB to explore the unlikely musical influences of Cabarita Beach, the creative chemistry behind SPIRIT BOMB, the lessons hidden inside adversity and why, sometimes, the most powerful thing an artist can do is stop worrying about what everyone else thinks and make something that feels entirely their own.
TRACK REVIEW -
DREDUB wastes absolutely no time making an impression with POWER. From the opening moments, we're thrown into a hard-hitting collision of drums, bass and unapologetic attitude. There's something about the production that brings to mind the explosive energy of Genesis Owusu, with that same ability to make rhythm feel almost confrontational. The confidence in DREDUB's delivery is infectious, and you can practically picture this track tearing through a massive festival stage, with the crowd bouncing in unison. It's bold, relentless and packed with the kind of energy that demands a physical response.
What really makes POWER shine, though, is the attention to detail in its production. Just when the intensity feels like it's reaching its peak, the track pulls back for a moment of breathing room before those rapid-fire sixteenth-note hi-hats come charging through. It's such a simple production choice, but those little rhythmic shifts are what keep the arrangement feeling alive and unpredictable. Throw in that enormous breakbeat, and suddenly the whole thing feels ready to explode all over again. There's a brilliant understanding of tension and release here, with every change giving the listener another reason to stay locked in.
POWER is an absolute powerhouse of a track, driven by fearless delivery, punchy production and an undeniable sense of momentum. It's the kind of song that feels destined for a sweaty festival crowd, where the energy between artist and audience becomes almost impossible to contain. DREDUB has completely devoured this one, and frankly, we're here for every second of it.
Cabarita Beach feels geographically and culturally removed from the cities that shaped UK grime and punk. What did growing up there give your music that you couldn’t have learned from those scenes directly?
My mother is from the uk and my brothers and i always had uk grime and punk pushed on us by her relatives over there I’ve been sent grime by uncles growing up and fell in love with it. The rock/punk side would probably come more from the Aus shores but caba has taught me that having fun smashing beers with your mates in the studio and not caring what anyone thinks can really help you find your sound or self
You first reached a large audience as a guest on JK-47’s Guess Again. When a collaboration becomes bigger than anything you’ve released alone, does it feel like a doorway into your own career or a shadow you have to outrun?
I've never thought about the shadow thing much but that feature taught me so much and put me in front of so many new cool people that I then formed relationships with like Mikey for example I shared the stage with him multiple times because I was performing that song and now I have a 5 track project with him, so it was definitely a doorway I would say
SPIRIT BOMB takes its name from an attack that only works by borrowing energy from the living things around it. Whose energy went into this project, and what part of yourself did you have to surrender to release it?
When naming this project I focused more of the fact that the spirit bomb was a massive ball of energy and related that to the project quite a lot but in saying that yes the spirit bomb does draw energy from nearby life forms including even trees and I like to think I took energy in the form of influence, passion and motivation from family friends my manager and all the role models I have in the music scene to put into this project
“Black Air Ones” is an unusually specific title. Are the shoes a status symbol, a uniform, a piece of armour or evidence left behind at the scene?
The song is more about the fact that where I come from all you need to chase your dreams and passion is a pair of shoes on your feet and a bit of ambition (or a lot) and those shoes for me just happened to be a pair of black air 1s so I guess I just ran with it
You’ve said that pressure can be turned into power. Is there a danger in making adversity sound useful, that we begin valuing the person it creates more than acknowledging what it cost them?
No one can do anything about the way they grew up other then use the experience to learn and do as much as you can with what you’ve been given I didn’t have it all sunshine and rainbows growing up like a lot of people but that’s made me who I am and I probably wouldn’t change it if I had the chance because I’m proud of the person I've become. I love shining light on how these adversities have shaped me so people can relate when they hear my music
You’re drawing from Frogstomp, an album made by teenagers before they had the language or distance to intellectualise what they were doing. Did making this EP require you to know more about yourself, or to temporarily forget what you know?
Definitely know more, it forced growth and maturity out of me, beforehand you could say I was just like those kids with my music. This EP taught me a lot and not only just about myself but about music as a whole
Mikey Hardy comes from bands where the drums and guitars can physically dominate a room. What happened the first time you put your voice against that kind of force, did you find yourself competing with it, riding it or changing how you wrote entirely?
Definitely riding it but yeh it forced me to change and to adapt to the energy in front of me but I was always the man for the job, I’ve always been a passionate performer Mikey knew that. He really brought out this side of me as an artist that I didn’t know existed and the capability I’m seeing now has gotten me excited for the future
Your new live set will feature a drummer and reinterpreted covers. What song by another artist would reveal the most about DREDUB once you pulled it apart and rebuilt it in your own image?
Rage against the machine were a huge influence for me when making this project so I thought it would only be right to cover one of their songs in my new set, I feel the energy in their music the same why I feel it in mine and after reinterpreting it to match my sound it fits right in. I just hope I can do it justice
Your music carries British influence, Australian geography and the tension of not fitting cleanly into either rap or rock. When people ask where your sound belongs, does that question feel like an invitation or an attempt to contain it?
I think maybe an invitation, I think music lovers in this country are always looking for something new. Music is everywhere and in Australia there is so much rap, 100s of projects dropping every week and so many sound so similar I thought with the new relationships I’ve made I could maybe introduce a new sound, be the refreshing energy this country deserves
POWER is built around betting on yourself when nobody else will. If SPIRIT BOMB succeeds, what belief about yourself will it prove, and if it doesn’t, which belief will remain untouched?
If it does do well then that’s cool but to be honest I’m not too worried about the success it’s just super cool to be releasing music again and to be able to have something new to perform live again it’s a mad feeling for me and one of the main reasons I make music. Also if it inspires anyone younger or older to bet on themselves when no one else will and to start chasing their passion or care less what people think when making their art that’s a huge win in my opinion
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