SUBSET Drops Six-Track Dub EP Island Time Volume 2 on Vinyl

Six tracks of live-played dub landed on April 1 when SUBSET released Island Time Volume 2 through The Dub Factory's Bandcamp page, marking the project's first appearance on physical vinyl and the second volume in a series that launched earlier this year.

The EP runs through "Eyes On The Horizon," "Summer Exposure," "Infinity Island," "Dimming to Dusk," "Land's End," and "Duskdreaming," with SUBSET handling live guitar, bass, and keys throughout, as well as the mastering. The release notes point to layered live bass and guitar, horn lines, and drum grooves as the sonic foundation, built around the groove-first, atmosphere-heavy approach that defined Volume 1.

Where Volume 2 breaks new ground for the project is format. Rather than committing to a conventional pressing run, SUBSET made the record available on 33 1/3 rpm, 140g black PETG vinyl and CD through elasticStage, a UK-based made-on-demand manufacturing service. Each copy is pressed and fulfilled individually as orders come in, which means collectors get physical product without the label absorbing the cost of surplus stock. Shipping timelines will shift depending on buyer location, but the digital release through Bandcamp is available immediately for streaming and download worldwide.

The elasticStage model has quietly become one of the more sensible solutions for independent dub and reggae artists navigating collector demand. Traditional pressing plants require minimum runs that can saddle small labels with hundreds of unsold units; made-on-demand sidesteps that entirely. The 140g weight specification signals that SUBSET is still targeting the audiophile end of the market, not cutting corners on quality to make the economics work.

Island Time Volume 1 set the thematic template: sunlit dub moods, wide reverb, and paced basslines that prioritize atmosphere over vocal hooks. Volume 2 continues in that direction, with a short runtime that suits late-night DJ transitions as much as it does home listening.

For collectors, the made-on-demand structure means availability is tied directly to active orders rather than a fixed pressing run, which keeps the physical release genuinely limited without any artificial scarcity built in.