(This text has been machine translated.) Known is Dub no live music. Nevertheless it is possible to produce dub-tracks spontaneously on the street, or in a mountain railway, or on a green meadow, or in the car or or in the subway, or… Ben Alpha made a concept out of it: “It was my idea, to take myself and the artists out of their comfort zone (stage and studio) and create a kind of musical diary", he explains, "That's why we recorded the album live on the streets of Great Britain, France, Mexico, Spain, the USA, Ireland and of the Czech Republic.” How that happened can be seen on the Youtube channel from Steppas Records This week there will be episode 50 of the Streetdubs being uploaded.
The album "#streetdub Flight. 1“Is a collection of 23 (!) dubs from that series. In the narrower sense it is not a pure Dub-Album because next to Dubs from Ben and his aunt, you can hear a lot of vocals, including from Ras Tinny, Nai-Jah, Awa Fall, Fikir Amlak, Ashanti Selah and others. Logically, the pieces were not composed and recorded on the streets. The backings were prerpoduced and are mostly known from the Alpha Steppa studio albums. Only voice and live dub-mixing happened in the fresh air. Sometimes the inclusion of additional instruments, such as z. B. Violin, trumpet, guitar and harp by Dubzoic & The Mariachis. Even pure unpluggedDubs (flute and guitar only) can be heard.
Not everything sounds at studio sound level, but you are often compensated with beautiful scenery in the background - or the gray image of everyday urban life. The lyrics in the videos are subtitled - quite helpful. With the great effect that the often socially critical texts develop a striking intensity of meaning on the live stage of a real city. “We use the videos as an opportunity to shed light on topics that are important to us,” says Ben, “It's a kind of Dub-Activism.” It's amazing that his concept works so brilliantly just by shifting the context, away from the stage and into real life. That's why - you have to be honest - the videos are the original and the present album “only” the copy. But unlike the videos, you can also consume them while writing a blog article.
6 replies to “Alpha Steppa: #streetdub, Vol. 1 "
When I drove to work this morning, I thought this is not going to be my day (again). The cold didn't bother me, as my robe would have been enough for an expedition to the North Pole, but there was only pudding in my legs and I wondered (not for the first time) whether I should actually push up the mountain to work. Well, somehow I did it again.
The screen had barely opened DubOpened the blog, I thought “oh no, now also Alpha Stepper” ……. The review sounded like a big movie again and I first "checked" the audio samples here on youtube. I still can't quite believe what I felt then. I really felt something like a really good groove and the vocals went down like the finest olive oil. I felt RootsMusic inna radical DubStyle. Nai - Jah has it right, as far as I can allow myself an assessment. He does that DubActing really well or also mystical for me. The reverb on his singing does the rest of course. But the voice and the melody fit!
And then something happened that really only happens to me when I'm not completely fit. The second audio sample with Ras Tinny actually gave me goose bumps. These mariachis instruments are just too beautiful. And the guitar plays the ReggaeGroove in such a fluffy way that I become very easy with every "pluck". Yes, it feels like floating.
Fantastic!
So listen to the whole album and yes, I can hardly believe it, but you Dubs, whether with or without vocals ”grab me by my“ ears ”and give me the feeling of power and strength! Yes, that's right, some things really don't sound at the studio sound level but with most of them DubI can, no I have to go with you. It's the first time that I don't feel like complaining at Alpha Steppa. Is that because today is really not my day or is it because for the first time - for the most part - correct bass lines and much fresher, almost newborn music gadgets are available, which I can definitely call upliftment. In any case, they seem like a fresh cell cure for me.
The vocalists are all to my liking. Ras Tinny also convinces me again and again. I think Arkaingelle is great anyway and Nai - Jah has it all. Sorry if I don't mention the others by name again, but I would say everything is fine.
I guess that most of the artists here simply didn't feel like the otherwise dark riddims from the Alpha and Omega families and so the level of Alpha Steppa turned into a very appealing one in no time at all DubElevated level. Everything, of course, only through mine DubLooking at glasses.
Well, after all that you might think that Alpha Steppa and I might still find each other - musically - after all. But so that the euphoria can return to a realistic level, I have to mention a little something. His "mixer" and his "virtuosity" on the small "game console" still do not charm me. When he - pretends - as if he is influencing something on the sound with a button or slider, I always have to smile. Or mine Dubfeeling is completely broken anyway. In any case, I never even notice that anything changes in or in the music when he plays around with it. With Adrian Sherwood or Paolo Baldini, the sound and the whole thing changes Dub with every small touch of the erogenous zones of a mixer. Even old Tutankhamun turns from right to left in his pyramid tomb.
But otherwise everything is OK ……………………… lemmi
Now I forgot to get really upset about this "witchbitch" in the form of a law enforcement officer.
"England is a bitch" ……………. lemmi
Cheers! Lemmi, for the first time I was able to convince you! Today is my day.
;-) !!!
I am very happy if that really contributed to your upliftment yesterday.
Of course, it would be nice if that was the case today and maybe even something was added. Bavaria is out! Maybe that pushes too ;-)….
Greetings from PolarSystem ……………… .. lemmi
[…] “We use the videos as an opportunity to shed light on issues – it is a kind of Dubactivism.“ Ben tells us in his great article about “StreetDub” Row on the DubBlog. […]
How about a 5 CD box set with these very appealing recordings? ………………. ;-)
Are there still CD players? …………… lemmi