dubblog

Review René

It's a bit strange that a Jamaican artist has to turn to musicians outside of Jamaica if he wants roots reggae rhythms. But okay, Jamaica is moving forward – while here in the “West” we conservatively hold on to the legacy of the 1970s. Since we still have some purchasing power here (let's see how long that lasts), Protoje came up with the idea of ​​having his 2020 album "In Seach of Lost Time" "remixed" for our listening tastes and as “In Search of Zion” (RCA Records). Remix here means that the three Zion I Kings producers have actually composed and recorded a completely new roots instrumental album - which, however, only serves as backing for the vocals from Protoje's existing album "In Seach of Lost Time". It's a really crazy concept: just swap out the music to better sell the album to European and North American audiences. Well, it's just business. However, the Zion I Kings were proud enough to release a double album Dub-versions of their productions. And let's listen to it now. What is immediately noticeable: The spectrum ranges stylistically from lovers rock backings to (subdued) roots steppers. I'll now benevolently delete the Lovers Rhythms because I can't do anything with Schlager, no matter what musical form it comes in. The backings of Schlager are not far from elevator music – a product of boredom. What remains are the rootsDubs on the album. But compared to the state of the art, they areDub of the present, incredibly pale and inconspicuous. Where is the power of Roots? Where is the dynamic, where is the rebellious statement? How can a roots album by a great artist come across as so shallow, unoriginal and despondent? The same applies to the Dubmix: Absolutely generic. Unfortunately, “In Search of Zion” is a huge missed opportunity for modern Dub to make it palatable to a broad target group of Protoje fans.

Review gtk

Admittedly, I'm more familiar with Protoje - especially in recent years - through casual overhearing: I'm not into hip-hop, I'm not into chanting. Maybe in this case you could call it conscious hip hop, progressive rap, sing-song or whatever; In any case, the music and lyrics leave my auditory nerves pretty unimpressed - even though I have certainly engaged with Protoje's albums, even if not with the usual intensity: In the end, every artist deserves a chance.

For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that in Protoje's oeuvre - or should we say: in the oeuvre of his producers - one can certainly discover successful hooks. You could already find them in the first (internationally released) albums - thanks to producer Don Corleon, who basically wrote the Reggae/Conscious Dancehall/R&B-heavy material at the time, right down to the lyrics, for Protoje. With the albums and singles that followed, Protoje was able to establish itself as a permanent fixture in its ReggaeHipHopR&B hybrid genre with its own label and management and, above all, the support of producer/keyboarder Phillip James. Live a little more roots, in the studio a little more R&B - to each their own. It was only a matter of time before a major label put Protoje in the black and signed him up to a contract. Sony Music or its sub-label RCA Records has more or less controlled Protoje's fortunes since 2020, although he expects "a certain level of creative control" (=> Wikipedia) from the deal. One would like to wish him that, even though one knows that majors are not exactly squeamish when their financial input does not bear the expected fruit.

Two very successful albums on RCA Records later, we are faced with a surprise these days: someone has the (vocal) tapes of the 2021 release "In Search of Lost Time“ handed over to the Zion I Kings team – nothing less than the roots-oriented reggae album “In Search of Zion(RCA Records) (RCA even calls it a “remix album”). Whose idea that was is anyone's guess; it may be Protoje himself to regain some credibility in the reggae community; It may be Sony/RCA Records that also wants the Sunshine Reggae segment to be covered in its roster. The fact that Zion the I Kings was hit may be because of their good reputation or because of their first collaboration on Protoje's last regular release "Third Time's the Charmto be grateful for.

Now we already know what we can expect from the Zion I Kings: flawless craftsmanship, solid arrangements and the finest sound, implemented in classic-looking roots tunes. You really can't complain, it's solid backing that gives every singer room to do their thing. This even works, as in this case, if the singer doesn't sing anything new. Wonderful and maximally enlightening: listening to the original and the reggae version back-to-back, comparing two worlds. Rap like that doesn't work on Roots... but it does. And it sounds good!

As an unexpected bonus, Protoje/RCA Records/Zion I Kings also give us this Dub-Tracks of these reggae versions recorded two years ago. The Zion I Kings can do that too, as they did with the Dub-Albums under his own name have proven - especially with the Vol. 1 of theirs Dub-Series, with which they pay an excellent tribute to Style Scott. Now we know - and have already discussed it here - that you shouldn't expect any crazy innovations from the men around Laurent Alfred - they boom accordingly Dubs bass-heavy from the speakers; The effects are used with appropriate precision and never oversteer. Nothing new under the Virgin Islands sun – “just” the usual reliability with quality.

Subdub is a well-known venue in Leeds (UK) that has been running since 1998 Dub, Roots, Dancehall, Jungle, D&B and Dubstep prescribed. How wonderful it would be to have a club like this in my city! Instead, there are clubs here that give me the choice every Saturday between techno, hardcore techno and tech house. mainstream instead Dub liking would definitely make my life more enjoyable. But somehow Mother Nature gave me this Dub-Gen donated and then put me on a deserted island where Dub is only available as canned food. This is exactly what the makers of Sub wanted Dub To give myself and countless fellow sufferers around the world some relief and planned to publish a sub in 2001dubcompilation album entitled “Digital Africa”. But when the “Digital Africa” test pressings finally arrived, the project was put on hold. Why? Well, dear vinyl friends, it's your fault, because pressing and distributing vinyl was so expensive back then that Subdub couldn't raise the necessary money for it. So the compilation disappeared on the shelf for a while - until 22 years later Dubquake team made a pilgrimage from France to Leeds and discovered the test pressings there: unreleased and exclusive titles by Iration Steppas, Jah Warrior, Vibronics, The Disciples, Tena Stelin, Nucleus Roots, The Bush Chemists and Freedom Masses. 12 UKDubs from the 90s, hard-hitting, uncompromising Sound System stuff curated by Simon Scott and Mark Iration. Since the financial situation of DubQuake is sufficient (and a digital publication is now available almost free of charge), the decision was made to “Digital Africa” (Dubquake) just in time to celebrate Sub's 25th birthdaydub to be released (of course also on vinyl ;-). “And” – the question now arises – “has the music passed the test of time?” I have to admit: Hell, yes, it has. Why “damn”? Because it raises a number of questions when music that was created a quarter of a century ago doesn't sound historical today, but still sounds up to date - and that in a genre that claims to be progressive. Okay, sound system music doesn't exactly represent the avant-garde Dubs, but the considerable historical distance should be more clearly audible than is the case with “Digital Africa”. Was the compilation way ahead of its time, or could it be that the UKDub hasn't really developed further and is stuck in the early two thousandths? The last thesis isn't quite that hypothetical, because... Dub in the UK is still influenced today by the actors of that time. But fortunately there are many Dub-Musicians who stand on the shoulders of the UKDub but have overcome it stylistically and are breaking new ground. Only on Sound Systems is he still alive, the good old UK-Dub-Sound – and there it is unsurpassed. Good things remain!

A few days ago when I wrote my review of the new Chuck Foster album "Dub Journey”, I wrote the following sentence: “With the guitar sound of “Riding In The Wind” we have arrived at western film music, which Lee “Scratch” Perry also liked to experiment with”. Appropriately, I came up with the album “Dub Foundation: The Good The Bad & The Dubby“ comes to mind. The album is a tribute to the Roman composer, conductor and Oscar winner Ennio Morricone, who died in July 2020.
Morricone has composed the music for more than 500 films. Since he wrote the music for numerous spaghetti westerns, his name is primarily associated with this film genre. His film music for the Spaghetti Western epic “Play Me the Song of Death” is particularly well known. Morricone was awarded an Oscar in 2007 for his life's work.

Captain Smooth & Dub Foundation are a group of artists/musicians from Madison, Wisconsin. Six years ago they had the idea of ​​recording classic spaghetti western melodies by Ennio Morricone in a reggae guise and turning them into a Dub/reggae album. When they started recording the tracks, they knew it would be epic and that the project would also need a film. So they headed to western Montana with high-quality film equipment and shot their own Spaghetti Western short film.

Captain Smooth, the Madison-based multi-instrumentalist, composer and music producer, produces music across many genres. From classical to funk/reggae and pop music to hip-hop, everything is represented. For many local bands like Dub Foundation, Captain Smooth, Space Jam Frontier, Red Rose, Two Tiny Dads and The Brothers Randall he is the Spiritus Rector. He laid the foundation for this album with the Randall brothers, Dave, Michael & Kelton.
Captain Smooth says that all the artists who worked on this project are both reggae & Dub as well as the Spaghetti Western genre. You wanted to share two of your preferences that are not yet very mainstream. “Most of the younger generation don’t know what a Spaghetti Western is,” says Captain Smooth, “and we wanted to change that musically.” With the thirteen tracks on the album they have unforgettable film music classics like “For a few Dollars more ", "Fistful of Dollars" and "The Good The Bad and The Ugly" were dug up and made current again. Simply cult music that younger generations may have missed is introduced to a younger, broader audience with this project. Most people probably even recognize the immortal, classic Western melodies, but cannot associate the compositions with the name Ennio Morricone. This is what Captain Smooth & Dub Foundation fundamentally changed with this album.

Did I mention that I really enjoyed listening to these tunes again? Logo, otherwise I wouldn't have written this in the first place.

Hot, hotter, Danakil. The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia is the hottest place on earth with an annual average temperature of 35,6 degrees Celsius; temperatures of up to 60 degrees Celsius have been recorded in isolated cases. Two plates have been drifting apart here for 30 million years. As a result of these tectonic movements, the earth's crust is becoming increasingly thinner and sinking, which means that the surface temperature is constantly rising - which is why the 10.000 square kilometer area is nicknamed "the most inhospitable place on our planet".

Now we also know where the French reggae band Danakil from Marly-le-Roi near Paris got their name from. The band was founded in 2000 on the desk of the “Louis de Broglie” high school in Marly-le-Roi (Yvelines), where a group of musician friends went to school at the time. From the beginning, their music moved between reggae and world music. In 2011, the group founded the independent label Baco Records, now Baco Music.

Ten years ago the band traveled to Bamako (Mali) for the first time to record and met the Malian-French artist Manjul in his studio. Manjul is known for his own works like “Dub to Mali” (see reviews) as well as numerous collaborations with other international bands and artists (Sugar Minott, The Skatalites, Cedric Myton, Clinton Fearon, Amadou et Mariam, Tiken Jah Fakol, etc.).
Danakil's encounter with the multi-instrumentalist and sound engineer Manjul almost naturally led to the beginning of joint projects. Since then has (the Breton) Julien Souletie alias Manjul contributed to all of the group's subsequent albums. He also mixed the previousDub-Albums “Echoes you Dub(2012) and “Entre Les Lignes Dub(2014). This is also where the artistic collaboration begins between the sound engineer Damien “Bobby” Coutrot and Manjul, two passionate reggae and music fans Dub-Musicians who have been working with Danakil in the studio and on stage for ten years now.

Now Bobby and Manjul present us with “Dialogue de Dub“(Baco Music) is, in my opinion, wonderful Dub-Remake of the Danakil classic and successful album from 2008. Even back then, Bobby was in charge at the mixing desk. The present eight Dub-Versions of the Danakil showcase album have the two protagonists entirely in the tradition of Dub mixed “four hands”. To be honest, the electro musicDub-Excursions from Danakil never reached. With “Vieillards Duband Marley Dub“, to name just two tracks from the current album as examples, they have finally done it. The band's two sound engineers, Damien "Bobby" Coutrot and the Franco-Malian Manjul, produced the album together and demonstrated all their talent at the mixing desk to create a little gem that is worth discovering. Why only eight of the original eleven tracks? Dubtreatment remains a mystery.

All in all I have to say that I was literally blown away by Danakil as I never expected such a traditional sound. “Dialogue de Dub“It really is a very fine album.

American reggae pioneer Chuck Foster is an important figure in the American music scene. As the long-time host of the Reggae Central show on California radio station KPFK, he has made a significant contribution to spreading the reggae feeling in the Bay Area. He is also known as a successful musician and author.

His latest and eighth album “Dub Journey“ (Catch Me Time Records) is the one Dub-version of his song album from last year “Long Journey". "Dub Journey” is typical Foster Dub-Reggae album accompanied and recorded by experienced session musicians. What particularly excites me about Chuck Foster's albums is that his music always sounds authentic and is recorded "live". Seasoned musicians are also playing in his current band again: for example, Tony Chin, the guitarist from Soul Syndicate, is back in the game. Another band member, John Morran, sets interesting accents with his violin and harmonica, which is particularly beautiful and haunting in the track “Ghost Story”. As usual, the tracks were mixed at Rough Sounds Studio in Redondo Beach by Chuck and Mike Irwin, with Irwin also responsible for bass and melodica. Occasionally Chuck's vocals can be heard fragmentarily in the tracks. The Dubs are solidly embedded in the appealing mix, and the men don't skimp on sound effects. There is plenty of echo and reverb. But like the previous albums, “Dub Journey” avoids exaggerated effects and flourishes. Rather, the album once again perfectly captures the atmosphere of the pre-digital reggae era. A typical element of all Chuck Foster productions is the frequent use of beautiful guitar solos, which is not always for everyone in reggae, but it illustrates very well that Chuck Foster comes from the West Coast rock and blues corner. Another example of this is the “Shady Lady Dub“, which is reminiscent of the Shady Lady motif in many West Coast songs of the late 60s. With the guitar sound of “Riding In The Wind” we arrive at western film music, which Lee “Scratch” Perry also liked to experiment with. The unmistakable, significant guitar sound appears again and again and, together with the retro organ sound, has become Chuck Foster's trademark in almost all of his compositions. The album’s final chord, “Way Out Dub“, impresses with its Pablo-esque sound and gives the entire musical journey an atmosphere of calm and depth. The piece is a wonderful and successful conclusion to the album.

This is an album from the outskirts of Dub. Adjacent regions include beatless ambient music and a subgenre with the lovely name of doom jazz. Kevin Richard Martin is somewhat at home in all of these areas, making music and producing there and beyond in various contexts (including Techno Animal, Zonal, King Midas Sound, G36). He is involved in sound system culture primarily under the name The Bug. But just like his American cousin Bill Laswell, it doesn't matter what he tackles within his wide range of interests (including drone, post metal, dancehall): it is inevitably permeated by the experience of the Dub, which was first conveyed to the Brexilant, who now lives in Brussels, personally by Jah Shaka and the Disciples. His output has now grown into an entire network of development strands and collaborations, the complete presentation of which would require an organizational chart in DIN A1 format. In “Black” (Intercranial) various of his interests come together on a 76 minute long album, which will hopefully one day also be available in vinyl form. The hypothetical A-side would then probably contain two numbers loosely labeled “Ambient Dub without drums”. The melancholic arrangements evoke the Berliners' slowest moments Dub-Schmiede Rhythm & Sound, the enigmatic UK producer Burial but also the Münster snail-tempo band Bohren and the Club of Gore. Especially since Martin uses a double bass for grounding in the low frequency range. The individual sound events are placed so sparingly that each one trembles with tension. Additional suspense is created, especially in the 14-minute title track, by the relatively complex chord progressions for Martin's standards. This has its origins in the concept of the album, which is entirely dedicated to Amy Winehouse, who died in 2011. The music is, in a sense, composed around the empty space left by the singer. Interestingly, the distance to their actual band sound, which we associate primarily with the lush retro soul of Mark Ronson and the New York Dap Kings, could hardly be greater. Amy's "spirit" lives more in the bass notes and the chords wafting over them, in which the shape of her songs emerges without ever fully revealing themselves. Martin captures the essence of her music slowly. Like a painter who broadens a detailed detail of an oil painting with one stroke of the brush, Martin here stretches harmony, rhythm and melody into a broad band of swaying traces in which a very unique beauty is revealed. The result is slo-mo soul music that is second to none. Only in the fourth track “Love You Much, Love Too Much” does a drum beat sound after all this minimalistic hypnotic pulsation, which of course also indulges in slowness at 50 bpm. The tone is also set by more powerfully applied synthesizer colors and, if I'm not mistaken, by Martin himself on his “first” instrument, the saxophone. This would roughly define the sound parameters between which “Black” moves. Like many of the EPs and albums that Martin has released, especially since the Covid era, it initially sounds like introspective music for those slowed down moments at home. Individual parts – as a warmup, intro, outro or in the middle (suggestion: “Camden Crawling”) certainly work in the club, and are designed for exactly that. Kevin Martin is a sound fetishist, and nowhere does his obsession with frequencies, vibrations and full-body bass massage unfold for us consumers more clearly than on a capable sound system.

One could fill pages here just with the person of Edward O'Sullivan Lee, better known as Bunny “Striker” Lee or The Gorgon. Without Striker and of course Osbourne Ruddock aka King Tubby that would be the case Dub-Genre probably completely different. The collaboration between the two is and remains a milestone in the early development of the Dub. Bunny Lee was a ghetto great, you could almost say a kind of godfather, someone who could take care of almost everything. Until his death in October 2020, he was as popular and respected in Uptown Kingston as he was among the Sufferahs in Trenchtown. Bunny Lee often acted as an intermediary who also made loans, solved problems, and transacted deals. When Byron Lee modernized Dynamic Studios and threw out his old mixing board, Striker closed the deal so King Tubby could buy it. So King Tubby started with a proper multi-track studio. Bunny Lee was enthusiastic about King Tubby's way of working from the start and their productions are and remain unrivaled. Every King Tubby Dub is unique. Tubby didn't laboriously put the individual components together, but simply started the tape and started live. The results are widely known and are still very popular.

The British producer, sound engineer and DJ Prince Fatty has already introduced younger generations to reggae, soul and Latin grooves. With his own albums he has earned a reputation as one of the best modern artists Dub-producers and sound engineers in the world. With the first two Hollie Cook albums, which he produced in 2011 and 2014, he made a significant contribution to writing a new chapter in British lovers rock. In recent years, Prince Fatty has contributed through various singles to show veteran artists such as Little Roy, Winston Francis, Earl Sixteen and his collaborator Horseman, the drummer of the British group Reggae Regular, in a new light. After a long break, he returns with the album “Prince Fatty meets The Gorgon in Dub(VP Records / Greensleeves) returns to the craftsmanship created 50 years ago by King Tubby, Prince Philip, Prince Jammy and many unsung heroes. A carefully selected set of master recordings from the old Bunny “Striker” Lee / King Tubby era are transferred to the present by Fatty. Conceptually, the idea sees Prince Fatty reinterpreting the classic sounds of late Jamaican music legends Bunny “Striker” Lee and King Tubby. This album is 10 Dubs the sonic distillation of an interesting story. After Prince Fatty came across the collection of archived Striker Lee recordings, the young one took advantage Dub-Producer the opportunity to remix the versions to his own taste. The aim was once again to make the tracks accessible to younger listeners and to keep the fire going for Striker Lees Dub-To reignite the spirit of the times. For the real remixing, Prince Fatty transferred the audio material into the analogue domain: he sent the recordings through a carefully reconstructed analogue audio system similar to King Tubby's. The result is a crisp, modern Dubmasterpiece, with Fatty himself acknowledging the songs' status as classics.

A few more comments on the successful song selection: The riddims come from Linval Thompson's "Jah Jah A The Conqueror", which were processed with Tommy McCook's instrumental arrangements of the same track. Also included is Jackie Edwards' "The Invasion", originally known by Burning Spear. Followed by Cornel Campbell's "Press Along", Horace Andy's "Don't Try To Use Me" and Ronnie Davis' "Sun Is Shining", which we originally know from Bob Marley. Below we hear Barry Brown's "Give Thanks & Praise" and Rod Taylor's "Garden Of Eden". The riddims of Neville Brown's "Prophesy" are also known from Don Carlos' "Late Night Blues". With Leroy Smart's "No Love", the instrumental is also known as Horace Andy's "Zion Gate" and Don Carlos' "Ababajonoi" goes back to the instrumental "Real Rock" by Jackie Mittoo and Vin Gordon. Overall a newly edited one Dub-Album of classics for the modern era that may become a classic itself in a few decades.

On August 29, 2021, Rainford Hugh Perry aka Lee Perry aka Scratch aka The Upsetter aka Pipecock Jackxon died at an extremely old age and yet surprisingly for many. One, if not the pioneer of reggae and Dub-Genres. The man who says he saw the inside of a recording studio for the first time at the age of 26 and released his first debut single “Old For New” – a driving ska number – at the age of 30. The “Salvador Dalí of reggae,” as some reverently called him, took on the Wailers in their early reggae days and shaped them into what they later became – global stars. The Upsetter sessions produced the original versions of “Duppy Conqueror,” “Small Ax,” “Keep On Moving,” “Trenchtown Rock,” “400 Years,” and countless other classics.
Between 1974 and 1979, Scratch produced some of the decade's most captivating music using relatively primitive equipment at his Black Ark Studio. These include big hits like Susan Cadogan's popular cover of "Hurt so Good," Junior Byles' hypnotic dirge "Curly Locks," and a number of roots anthems like the Heptones' "Mistry Babylon," Max Romeo's "Sipple Out Deh" (aka " War in a Babylon”) and Junior Murvin’s strident “Police and Thieves.” Even during his lifetime, Lee “Scratch” Perry was considered an enigma, eccentric, pioneer and genius at the same time, and somehow every description applies in its own way, although the boundaries to madness were often fluid. Globally revered Grammy Award winner Lee “Scratch” Perry took reggae into sonic realms no one had ever ventured before, and for that he will forever have my respect.

All of this is already an essential and important part of Jamaican music history. A little more than two years after his death, his last album “Lee 'Scratch' Perry: Destiny“ (Delicious Vinyl Island), which the magician was still working on together with the Canadian producer and musician Bob Riddim. The special thing about this project are the collaborations that Bob Riddim, who wrote and recorded most of the instrumentals himself, suggested to the Jamaican veteran Perry. Perry shares the microphone with singers from the younger generation. Evie Pukupoo, founding member of the group The No-Maddz, can be heard with his gentle voice on the album's title track, which is based on a modern roots reggae beat. We hear classic elements like heavily reverbed snares and some nice guitar licks. You can also hear David 'Jah David' Goldfine from the Zion I Kings with a brilliant bassline. Kabaka Pyramid supports the project by denouncing those who judge people based solely on the color of their skin in the song “Black”. Perry returns to his spoken word style here and sounds almost like an invited guest on the track. Xana Romeo, daughter of the no less legendary Max Romeo, with whom Lee Perry produced the milestone “War Inna Babylon”, comes with a successful and original cover version of “Police And Thieves”. The original, produced in 1977 by Lee Perry for the singer Junior Murvin, is this time transformed into a dubShifted in a bigger direction, with Xana Romeo staying quite close to the original in terms of phrasing. A brilliant adaptation of the original, Perry shows he is still capable of carrying a vocal line with aplomb. The trio Leno Banton, Blvk H3ro and Wayne J bring a more urban vibe around a hip-hop beat with “Ring Pon My Finger”. dubbig reggae style. The spirituality of Yaadcore fits Perry's world perfectly on Infinity. Not to forget the opener “I Am”, a rich, dubgreat piece reminiscent of the glory days of Black Ark. It shows an age-wise, almost linguistically reserved Lee Perry, who is far removed from the machine gun-like babble that was common with him just a few years ago. The second track on which Lee Perry can be heard solo is “Space Echo”, which is divided into three parts and is accompanied by beautiful Nyahbinghi drumming. I would like the piece, which is over seven minutes long, even better if Bernard Lanis didn't keep singing the same melody over and over again with his saxophone.

Of course “Destiny” isn’t one Dubalbum in the traditional sense, but that fits very well with the legacy of Lee Perry, because his albums have always been exceptional. Scratch and Bob Riddim create a trippy, ethereal atmosphere with their spacey, repetitive patterns Dub takes it to a whole new level of psychedelic immersion. The album features many emerging Jamaican musical talents, but the glue that holds the album together in my opinion is Lee Scratch Perry and his inimitable skills. With its nine tracks, “Destiny” must be viewed as the final creative impulse of this reggae legend and is further convincing proof - if such was ever needed - of Scratch's ability to renew itself to the rhythm of the generations. RIP Lee 'Scratch' Perry!

On .U sound legend Creation Rebel is back. Over 40 years after the release of their last album “Lows & Hights” (1982), their new album “Hostile environment” (On .U Sound).

With the album “, released in March 1978Dub From Creation” Creation Rebel were the first to enter Dub-Band Britain's new territory and built a bridge between reggae and punk. They shared stages with The Clash and The Slits and released six cult classics before disappearing from the scene for over 40 years.

Creation Rebel was originally planned as a studio project. For her work on Dub-Classic “Crytuff Dub “Encounter Chapter 1” they also appeared as The Arabs. The Dub-Understanding of Creation Rebel was completely different from the start. The black British collective from north-west London developed their Dub-Tracks organically in jam sessions in the studio. Adrian Sherwood says: “I did the first session just for fun. I have the debut album "Dub From Creation" for £200 when I was about 18 years old." Dennis Bovell was the engineer on the recording and the album was released on the Hit-Run label. Creation Rebel soon became the backing band for Prince Far I, the Jamaican toaster whose voice earned him the nickname “Voice Of Thunder.” Prince Far I's first UK tour, which also included fellow singer Prince Hammer and Bim Sherman, brought Creation Rebel national attention and helped Prince Far I secure a deal with Virgin Records.

Musically, Creation Rebel were way ahead of their time. Released in 1980, “Starship Africa” was a densely structured sound collage that mimicked the feeling of an intergalactic journey and evoked oppressive feelings among some contemporaries in the traditional reggae scene. According to Adrian Sherwood, David Rodigan couldn't do anything with the new sound: "To this day he cringe when he hears the words Creation Rebel." The albums Creation Rebel / New Age Steppers: Threat To Creation and Creation Rebel: Psychotic Jonkanoo followed. The album “Psychotic Jonkanoo” was released less than a year before the band’s last album “Lows And Highs”. The material consists of a series of Conscious-style songs, primarily sung by "Crucial" Tony. Especially on the opener “The Dope” I can still hear “Deadly” Headley’s stylish saxophone, which mixes subtly with the vocal lines. The entire album is elevated to a higher creative level through the arrangements and production. Everything sounds clean, crisp and inventive, especially in the instrumental versions and on “African Space”, where a wah-wah guitar is used almost subtly. The following album, "Lows & Highs" (1982), was more radio-friendly, but "Lizard" Logan was imprisoned for marijuana importation, and the murder of Prince Far I in September 1983 was another setback for the band. Their appearances as a backing band for Prince Far I were suddenly a sad story. The band members went their separate ways, Crucial Tony founded the band Ruff Cut, the others joined the Singers & Players and African Head Charge on Sherwood's On .U Sound label.

Today, after over 40 years, the trio, consisting of core members Crucial Tony, Charlie “Eskimo” Fox and Mr. Magoo, returns with a new album, “Hostile Environment”. The high quality of the album, which is as captivating as it is profound, doesn't come as a big surprise to me. The list of guest musicians is considerable and archive recordings of the late DJ Prince Far I even appeared on the old studio tapes, which can be heard on two tracks. Right at the beginning of “Swiftly (The Right One),” Prince Far I’s voice is reduced in speed until he sounds like a drunk Yeti. This is just a small part of a pretty twisted one Dub-Schemes, which also include some unusual synthesizer interludes from the well-known reggae-savvy musician and producer Gaudi. The instrumental piece “Stonebridge Warrior” impresses with a beautiful, spiritedly played melodica. While in “That's More Like It” the tempo slows down and the “spaceness” increases. With swirling echoes, acid guitar licks, explosive, stuttering technical gadgets, Creation Rebel provide the perfect soundtrack. The following track “Jubilee Clock”, the second instrumental piece in a row, is an absolute lesson in bass-heavy slow motion.Dub. On “This Thinking Feeling,” Prince Far I is joined on the microphone by Daddy Freddy. On the soulful “Whatever It Takes,” Denise Sherwood sings a duet with Mr. Magoo (aka Veral Rose). For my taste, the poppiest moment that “Hostile Environment” has to offer. We continue with the wonderful ones Dub-heavy tracks “Salutation Gardens” and “Crown Hill Road”, which demonstrate above-average instrumental skills. This aspect is further reinforced by the track "The People's Sound (Tribute to Daddy Vego)" with its mix of Cyrus Richards piano and organ, Tony's guitar, Magoo's percussion and Gaudi on synthesizer. The final instrumental “Off the Spectrum” once again showcases the “rootz” and musical strengths of Creation Rebel’s “Hostile Environment”. And yes, Adrian Sherwood's presence and skill can be felt and heard everywhere.

The Dub-Work “Hostile Environment” refers politically to Britain's disastrous, punitive immigration policies introduced by Theresa May and continued by her successors. What the “Windrush generation” did to build Britain after the war was completely ignored. “This was against the backdrop of the Windrush scandal and after one of these Nazi home ministers said they wanted to create a hostile environment to stop people seeking refuge,” Sherwood said. “It’s the perfect title for the album as all of our crew’s ancestors come from the Windrush generation.”

If you choose DubWhen I read lerone, I inevitably associate “the tenderest temptation since it »Dubolade« gives”. We know that Switzerland has more to offer than safes, banks, francs, mountains, cheese, hash browns, watches and Swiss army knives - to name just a few clichés Dubheads at least since Hazer Baba, Dubment and above all Dub Spencer & Trance Hill. Now another delicate one comes from the Swiss capital Bern Dub-Temptation with the beautiful name “Dublerone”. A project that, according to the information text, gives us “the finest handcrafted Swiss chocolate dub music” presented. With this formulation, the two Bernese multi-instrumentalists Voni Rollins (sax, keys, Dub FX, Mix & Editing) and David Boumi (Drums, Bass, Guitar, Keys, Compositions) have set the bar pretty high. Already the title of the album “Dub For Kailash“ (PhaPha Records) piqued my interest and raised my expectations. This mountain has fascinated me for more than half of my life. The Kailash in the Trans-Himalayas, meaning “precious snow jewel,” is considered the holiest mountain for Tibetans and Hindus. Buddhists and Bön also revere him equally. This is the headwaters of the four largest rivers of the Indian subcontinent. To this day, the mountain has not been climbed out of respect for its religious significance. Although Reinhold Messner was granted the first ascent permit in 1985, he fortunately decided not to carry it out out of consideration.

But back to this wonderful album, which with a total playing time of 27 minutes is unfortunately a bit short for my taste. To be honest, I had never heard of it until a few days ago Dublerone belongs. But already the title track and opener “Dub For Kailash” offers everything that Dub-Heart desires. The sound of a prayer bell and monk chants is followed by a fat, rolling bass, a rich brass section, delicate sounds of a whirring tanpura, which then lead into a really groovy rock guitar solo. In general, the sound effects throughout the album are well thought out and used effectively. The second track on the album, “Oblingada”, conveys a completely different mood. Everything here sounds more like bossa nova and, thanks to the brass section backed by strings, is reminiscent of the soulful, funky acid jazz of the late 80s. Also “Badman & Robadub“ impresses with a powerful bass and drum foundation on which the guest musicians Marco Wäspi on the trumpet and Maro Widmer on the trombone can really let off steam before a few jazzy guitar runs make their way. “Just Bees and Dub and Flowers” ​​is reminiscent of Wes Montgomery with its gentle guitar runs, before a jazzy, oblique saxophone moves into the foreground in waves. I particularly like “Dub For Kailash”, the tracks move more and more into jazzy territory and the Blue Notes gain the upper hand. The usual reggae and Dub-Patterns are preserved.

All in all, an extremely entertaining album from the duo Dublerone presented here with his colleagues. I wouldn't be surprised if David Boumi, Voni Rollins and the other musicians involved were also graduates of the Lucerne University of Music. No matter, what is much more important is that, as usual, we are offered a very fine, high-quality product from Switzerland, which is also available on vinyl as a special treat.