Kode9 is a figure who was a core part of the genesis of dubstep, but whose increasingly eclectic experimentation has led him into his own niche of bass music.
Although these days, the music Kode9 produces draws heavily influence from footwork and ambient styles, the music he used to make was typical early dubstep: bass heavy, dubbed out, and rhythmically diverse.
Many of his songs were vocalled by frequent collaborator, the late and great dread poet Spaceape, who tragically died of cancer in 2014. This is no exception, except that only the dub mix is released, so the vocals are sporadic.
However, as far as I know, the vocals from this song are on “Sine Of The Dub”, from the seminal 2006 album Memories Of The Future. That version has no drums, but is essentially the same spaced out groove.
This means that the songs share the same genealogy, as a cover of a Prince song, “Sign O’ The Times”, although you wouldn’t know it from the first glance!
The track is led by a syncopated sub bass, and similarly disjointed drums. Over that, the crumbling foundations of a reggae tune echo and fade away.
“Babylon” was released in 2004, on the now legendary Tempa Allstars Vol. 2.