"About Ta Blast" is the debut single by American

rapcore A number of overlapping punk rock subgenres have developed since the emergence of punk rock (often shortened to ''punk'') in the mid-1970s. Even though punk genres at times are difficult to segregate, they usually show differing characteristics i ...

band

downset. Downset (usually stylized as downset.) is an American rap metal band from Los Angeles, California. Originally called Social Justice, the band's music blends influences from rap music, rap, funk, hardcore punk, and Heavy metal music, metal wit ...

It was released as a

seven-inch In music, a single is a type of release of a song recording of fewer tracks than an album ( LP), typically one or two tracks. A single can be released for sale to the public in a variety of physical or digital formats. Singles may be standal ...

single in August 1993 through Abstract Recordings. The song was later re-recorded for the band's self-titled debut album in 1994 under the spelling "About To Blast". In 2022, it was reissued with the demo version of "Breed The Killer" as a bonus track.

Composition and lyrics

"About Ta Blast" is a

song. The original version of the song is written in the key of B-flat major with a

common time A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates the ...

tempo of 96

beats per minute Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...

. The song's guitars are tuned to Drop D-flat. While parts of the song were previously written beforehand, the song is based around the aftermath of the

1992 Los Angeles riots The 1992 Los Angeles riots were a series of riots and civil disturbances that occurred in Los Angeles County, California, United States, during April and May 1992. Unrest began in South Los Angeles, South Central Los Angeles on April 29, after ...

and the lack of progress and change in

police brutality Police brutality is the excessive and unwarranted use of force by law enforcement against an individual or Public order policing, a group. It is an extreme form of police misconduct and is a civil rights violation. Police brutality includes, b ...

following the riots. It was also written about his friend, Scam, who was forced to leave his home in

Watts, Los Angeles Watts is a neighborhood in southern Los Angeles, California. It is located within the South Los Angeles region, bordering the cities of Lynwood, Huntington Park and South Gate to the east and southeast, respectively, and the unincorporated co ...

due to the consistent

harassment Harassment covers a wide range of behaviors of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behavior that demeans, humiliates, and intimidates a person, and it is characteristically identified by its unlikelihood in terms of social and ...

by the

Los Angeles Police Department The City of Los Angeles Police Department, commonly referred to as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the th ...

. "You would think that after all the riots and the rest of the turmoil that has happened in this city that the police would change their attitudes towards people, but he told me how cops continually harass people and set people up for no reason. People that live in these

ghetto A ghetto is a part of a city in which members of a minority group are concentrated, especially as a result of political, social, legal, religious, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished than other ...

barrio ''Barrio'' () is a Spanish language, Spanish word that means "Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter" or "neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city delimited by functional (e.g. residential, comm ...

places can only put up with so much harassment. He had to leave his home because the harassment was too much and jail just for being or living there was not right." Rey also made clear the simmering tensions in Los Angeles following the riots that was getting worse even after the riots; "

818 __NOTOC__ Year 818 ( DCCCXVIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Vikings known as Rus' (Norsemen) plunder the north coast of Anatolia (modern Turkey), marking the first re ...

about to blast!

213 Year 213 ( CCXIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time (in Rome), it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Calvinus (or, less frequently, year 966 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 213 ...

about to blast!

310 __NOTOC__ Year 310 ( CCCX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Andronicus and Probus (or, less frequently, year 1063 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 310 ...

about to blast! It can happen again."

Release

"About Ta Blast" was released in August 1993 by Abstract Recordings. "About To Blast" was included on the band's self-titled debut album the following year. In February 2022, it was announced that the single would be re-issued alongside " Anger / Ritual" by

Nuclear Blast Records Nuclear Blast Records is a German record label with subsidiary, subsidiaries located in Germany, the United States and Brazil. It was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Donzdorf. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on ...

with a demo version of "Breed The Killer" being included with it. "Breed The Killer" also received a music video.

Track listing

2022 reissue

Personnel

Adapted from

Tidal Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * Tidal (servic ...

.{{Cite web , last=Tidal , date=February 18, 2022 , title=Credits / About Ta Blast / Downset – TIDAL , url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/215424568/credits , access-date=2022-06-12 , website=Tidal downset. * Rey Oropeza – vocals, songwriting * Chris Lee – drums, songwriting * Rogelio "Roy" Lozano – guitar, songwriting * Roger H. Ramirez – bass guitar, songwriting * James Morris –

bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...

, songwriting (on "Breed The Killer") Production *

Roy Z Roy Z Ramirez (born February 1968) is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Bruce Dickinson (from Iron Maiden), Halford, and Judas Priest. He also is the founder of Tribe of Gypsies, a Latin-influ ...

– producer (all tracks), songwriting

References

1993 debut singles Rapcore songs 1992 Los Angeles riots Downset. songs