BASSLINES FROM THE SHADOWS: ASHTECH’S WALKIN’ TARGET STEPS ONTO VINYL
A slow burn classic, Walkin’ Target by Ashtech finally lands on vinyl, nearly two decades after its original release. First issued via Interchill in 2007, this weighty collection fuses earthy dub with outernational electronica, all sculpted with care by Ashtech and sonic polymath Gaudi.
The album’s power lies in its restrained confidence. Ashtech handles bass, guitar and keyboards with a stripped-back clarity that lets each groove breathe, while Gaudi’s touch on synthesisers, Rhodes and melodica brings brightness without clutter. Their shared production ethos is taut, deliberate and immersive.
ASHTECH AND GAUDI CREATE SOMETHING TEXTURAL, HEADY AND RHYTHMICALLY ALIVE
Three tracks shimmer with added intensity thanks to Cheshire Cat, the former Leftfield MC, whose voice feels less like a feature and more like a fundamental element. On Earthforce, Walkin’ Target and Essential Credential, he threads urgency through the low-end thunder.
Originally a bassist for Almamegretta, Ashtech brings a deep sense of musicality, anchoring dub’s roots while pushing into something spacier. Gaudi’s decades-deep production CV – from Sizzla to Steel Pulse – finds a natural counterpart here. Together, they create something textural, heady and rhythmically alive.
Unavailable on major streaming platforms, the record was painstakingly remastered from the original audio by Angus McNaughton. With refreshed artwork from Matthew le Maistre Smith, Walkin’ Target returns as a rich and resonant vinyl experience.
Stream or buy it now at Bandcamp.
TRACKLISTING
1. Imaginary World
2. Earthforce
3. While The Music Plays
4. Sun Shines On You
5. DNA
6. R.E.M.
7. Individuality
8. Walkin’ Target
9. Essential Credential
ABOUT ASHTECH
Ashtech, the alias of bassist and producer Andrea Nicoletti, maps a bold path between analogue dub and digital electronica. After five influential years with Almamegretta, he moved to London, where he immersed himself in the city’s deep dub networks.
His solo debut, Walkin’ Target, produced and co-written by dub maestro Gaudi and featuring Cheshire Cat, earned acclaim for its heavy bass and urban mood. Later, Meditronica cemented his status as a key figure in Mediterranean bass, blending tradition with future-facing sound.
