Category: Review

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.

It's a family affair, because music is also in the blood of the brothers Adam and Jordan Chini. But first, back to the beginning, where it all began. The Chini family immigrated to the United States from Italy in the 1920s. Ed Chini, Adam and Jordan's grandfather, earned his living as a young boy playing accordion on Chicago radio stations. After the family moved to California, Ed, who became increasingly enthusiastic about jazz, became an accordionist in the band “The Four Sharps”. Ed's son Robert Chini followed in his father's footsteps, learning drums at an early age and later becoming a songwriter for Motown. In the 1970s, Robert had the same manager as Muhammad Ali and almost got his big break when he sent one of his songs to Quincy Jones, who was considered for Michael Jackson's Off The Wall sessions. Unfortunately, the song just barely made it into the selection. Out of several hundred songs submitted, it ended up between 10th and 15th place. It's a shame, but just over is over.

Adam was born in 1985 and got his first drum kit at the age of five. His younger brother Jordan was born six years later in 1991. Jordan also got his first instrument, a guitar, at the age of six. Since Robert Chini, the father of the two boys, had taken a job as an artist supervisor at Carvin Audio, there were regularly new home recording devices around the house to try out. From an early age, Jordan Chini was making crazy electronic music in his room, like the ones Aphex Twin and Autechre were making.

Despite the six-year age difference, Adam and Jordan have always been close and played in the same bands together. In the meantime they went their separate ways musically. Jordan Chini has become a multi-instrumentalist and music producer under the name “Boy Dude: Cassette For You“ released an album in which he fuses lo-fi songwriting and psychedelia with the aesthetics of experimental funk and soul.

Under his new alter ego “Count Dubula” (dubula = Zulu expression for shoot, fire) he published two months ago “The Rise of Count Dubbeehive(CQQL Records). It cannot be ruled out that Jordan recorded the album alone. Since he has always worked a lot with sound techniques, it can be assumed that Jordan disappeared into the studio armed with an array of guitars, basses, drum machines and vintage synthesizers and got to work. For me, “The Rise of Count Dubula” pure listening pleasure. Every song has its own melody, the keyboards waft long and wide through the air Dub-Effects are not exaggerated, the bass rolls slowly and sluggishly, but always with pressure. The keyboard sound is often a bit pompous, almost theatrical. It’s wonderful how the theremin wails in the track “Born Again”. Musically, the whole album also reminds me of Jack Arnold B-movies from the 50s (The Incredible Story of Mister C.; Terror Creeps Through the Night; Tarantula etc.). Here too, some of the cheapest effects are available, such as: B. in “Black Lung” a good morning cough from a chain smoker brand “Last Greetings from Davos” or a big cough after a hit from the hookah. But I like the whole concept as it is: entertaining, dubbig, fuzzy, emotional, trippy, dreamy, or... make up your mind.

In summary: “The Rise of Count Dubula” by Count Dubula is an American Dub-Reggae project from Los Angeles, California, created by music producer and composer Jordan Chini in traditional Dub-style was recorded, recorded and mixed. Using analog delay, spring reverb and a Big Knob filter, the recordings were sent through a Tascam 388 eight-channel mixer/tape machine and then mixed using an improvised approach. I really like the idea of ​​the cassette cover. The album and layout were influenced by Jordan Chini digging up some of his father's (Robert Chini - former songwriter for Motown Records) recordings, i.e. a cassette, from the late 70s, which in turn inspired Jordan to experiment in a similar way. The result is impressive.

Finally arrived: The second stage of Tropical's musical world tour DUB Connection, “Outtanational Steppa's Mixtape Vol. 2“ is completed. Another fascinating one Dub-Album that picks up seamlessly from its predecessor. Like Vol. 1, it weaves musical influences from many styles of global pop and traditional "world music" with the powerful sound of Dub. A kaleidoscopic experience that takes us on a sound journey around the world. The collection of diverse styles and musical cultures ranges from Argentina to Cuba, Portorico, Jamaica, Great Britain, USA, Kenya, Nigeria, Mali, India, Turkey and the Republic of Tuva. Each of these countries contributes its harmonies, instruments, rhythms and melodies that are here Dub be merged. The album is a truly global journey and a unique auditory experience. From the meditative sounds and songs of the Indian subcontinent with instruments such as santoor, sarangi, bansuri flute, shenai, sitar and tanpura, to the pulsating African balafon, kora, ngoni and tribal voices to modern Afrobeats. The musical diversity is extensive. And there's more of it: Southern country blues, Argentine tango and the oriental vibes of the Turkish baglama, the Alaturka violin and the Mey flute. All of these elements create an impressive mosaic of sounds and rhythms that allows us listeners to delve deeply into the cultural essence of each culture. Sound too eclectic? It may be that a few instruments, rhythms and harmonies do not do justice to a complex musical culture. But this is not about the portrait of specific musical traditions, but rather about the creation of a global sound under the sign of Dub. We acoustically fly over regions, countries and even entire continents within a few minutes. What we realize is that the whole world is full of fascinating music beyond our limited horizons. What there is to discover! The album is not only an impressive musical achievement, but also a testament to the power of music to overcome barriers and bring cultures together. The blend of traditional and modern sounds creates a bridge between past and present, East and West, providing a captivating listening experience that celebrates the earth's cultural richness. Despite its diversity, “Outtanational Steppas Mixtape Vol. 2” remains one in its essence Dub-Album. The production is superb, and the mix manages to weave the diverse sounds into a harmonious whole. The journey the album offers is not only entertaining but also enlightening and inspiring. It invites you to experience the world through your ears and enjoy the universal language of music.

Jah Shaka was quite possibly the best known reggae sound system in Britain and beyond until his sudden death. Brothers Mikey Dread and Jah T's Channel One Sound System is almost on par in terms of popularity and notoriety. The two took over their father's business in 1979 and brought their sound to the local blues dances. Mikey chose the name Channel One as a homage to the legendary Channel One Studio in Jamaica. Every year since 1983, Channel One has performed at the Notting Hill Carnival, which starts to the day today and ends on Monday 28th August. After playing a selection of Greensleeves at the 2022 Notting Hill Carnival, Mikey was asked to rummage through Greensleeves' vaults and suggest tracks that would make a double album. Now the time has come: Just in time for this worldwide unique event, the "Roots Defenders of Notting Hill Carnival" present a collection of 20 tracks on double gatefold vinyl - "Channel One Sound System: Down In The Dub Vaults" (Green sleeves). An LP with vocals and an LP with the accompanying ones Dubs. Mikey Dread delved deep into the treasury of the Greensleeves label and brought to light some long-forgotten gems that were released as maxi-singles many years ago. Featuring artists like Reggae Regular, Keith Hudson, Michael Prophet and Linval Thompson as well Dubs by Sly & Robbie, Roots Radics and Rockers All-Stars features Down In The Dub Vaults” provides an overview of the tracks and Dubs who have played an important part in the Channel One rotation over the years:
Michael Prophet with "Just Talking" is such a classic that Mikey Dread first heard in Jamaica. This heavyweightDub from the editing room at Channel One Studios on Maxfield Ave, Jamaica, has been played on their dances by the Channel One Sound System for many years. Tetrack's "Trappers" by Gussie Clarke and Sly & Robbie could not be missing from any session. Mikey Dread says, "One of those tracks where you know when the KT88 tubes are warming up is Anthony Johnson's 'Let Go This One'." Almost an anthem for the Channel One sound system, 'Can't Pop No.' style”. The song by the young Hugh Mundell, directed by Augustus Pablo, is still an integral part of their current repertoire. Finally, I would like to highlight two of my personal highlights from this wonderful collection of old, venerable riddims: On the one hand, Keith Hudson with "Bloody Eyes" and the accompanying one, which I value very much Dub "My Eyes Are Red", on the other hand the Reggae Regulars with "Black Star Liner" and the Dubcounterpart "The Dub (It's Coming)”. Despite countless runs, I still listen to this maxi single from my collection with growing enthusiasm.
Conclusion: This release contains tracks that the Channel One sound system has been playing for over 40 years. "The project illuminates the history of real roots & culture music with vocals & Dubs on two vinyl records sourced from some legendary reggae artists. A lot of young people don't know these anthems and may never have heard them, so this release is really for the next generation of sound systems that are just starting out,” says Mikey Dread.

"Why we a Dub Make an album of Happy Hour? Because we wanted to bring out the many musical details that were still to be discovered and uncovered in the songs,” explains producer Ben Mckone. Logically, because Hollie Cook's bright voice is so present in her music that it covers a lot of what is happening musically in the background. That is why there is nowhappy hour in Dub“ (Merge), the Dubversion of their 2022 Lovers Rock album Happy Hour. Nice because I love Dubversions and I still had the instrumental and Dub-Versions of their Prince Fatty productions in ear. But what a disappointment! Unfortunately, "Happy Hour In" is missing Dub' the musical power and inventiveness that characterized Cook's earlier work, particularly that produced by Prince Fatty. The production and instrumentation are technically flawless, but formal excellence does not make good music. There's happy hour in Dub There are definitely moments of brilliance, the sometimes beautiful arrangements and the skillful mixing are impressive - yes, the details Mckone mentioned actually exist - but the album as a whole remains pretty bloodless. Apart from that, the strings and synth pads as well as cheesy background harmonies, which repeatedly conjure up the typical Lovers Rock atmosphere, are simply annoying. But that may be an entirely subjective assessment. I don't like hits, no matter what genre and musical culture they are. All the more amazing, however, how inspiring and varied Prince Fatty once interpreted Lovers Rock. But it is precisely against this background that "Happy Hour in Dub“ unfortunately only lose. And it really makes me wonder why Cook and Fatty aren't recording an album together again.

The "Various" aka "Various Artists" in the title of the review is quite an overstatement, especially since only the riddims/Dub Versions of the dominions Sly & Robbie, the Roots Radics and Peter Chemist are involved. The latter in turn uses the first two as instrumentalists in his role as producer. A circle closes, so to speak, even before you have heard the first note.

The recently released album "Dub Masters' (Reggae Library Records), comes across as cheap in terms of cover artwork, and in a sense it is: here's a few Dubs of different acoustic qualities thrown together for no apparent reason; Mastering obviously (obviously if the word existed) didn't take place. Quasi a product for final use at the digital rummage table, brand K-Tel. All in all a grace star, thanks for the interview.

A different approach to the review emerges when looking at the tracklist: there is a small but impressive collection of excellent ones Dubs or tracks by Black Uhuru, Earl Cunningham, Barrington Levy, Jimmy Riley and Sly Dunbar himself; plus a few classic ones Dub-Outings of no less classic riddims: Cuss Cuss, Level Vibes or Breaking Up (here erroneously called Real Rock Dub listed). So the album is a little "powerhouse" and the blemish of the lack of mastering suddenly adds to the authenticity of the tracks - even if fiddling with the volume knob is quite annoying.

And so deliversDub Masters” takes a look back at the 'good old days' – I would say plus/minus the year 1980 – and reminds you of what Dub Jamaican character at that time: The absolute supremacy of drum & bass and the clever fading in and out of the (already sparse) other soundtracks. This concentration on the essentials works acoustically excellently and shows that one can definitely do without the sometimes limitless echo & hall orgies today: A few accents here and there do the trick. If the blank – that is, the riddim – is of quality, it doesn't take much to produce ear gold. Well done, Dubmasters – and by that I mean the real stars of the album: the sound engineers and mix masters who celebrate the art of omission. I guess someone at Reggae Library Records forgot to mention her by name.

Word has already got around that the new African Head Charge album "Trip to Bolgatanga" (On-U Sound) is not entirely of one piece compared to the overpowering early work. That was to be expected. The five to six reference albums, which were recently re-released as a box set, are the gold standard that this long-term project itself has set. All of them, up to and including "Voodoo of the Godsent" (2011), are avowedly studio projects, bi-polar sonic experiments with the drumming of Bonjo I as root work and grounding, and as a second powerhouse: Sherwood's reservoir of sounds, riddims, gear and mix maneuvers as well as his extended circle of friends. In addition, however, there have always been projects and phases in which the sound level leaned more towards Bonjo: AHC live, for example, when Sherwood wasn't at the mixer, or the trip to the Acid Jazz label, which gave Bonjo the opportunity to try himself as a bandleader . The albums have a rather apocryphal status, because the so-called "sci-fi" and "industrial" elements, which were popular at the time, were left out. The same applies to the Noah House of Dread project, which was set up specifically for Bonjo's Roots research and which I found to be ethnic kitsch at the time. Today I judge more mildly and recognize it as an early and completely understandable attempt by Bonjo to swim artistically free. But in all of his works, and this also applies to “A Trip to Bolgatanga”, his respective relationship to Africa is reflected. Born in Jamaica, Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah initially grew up in his grandmother's Rasta camp in Clarendon. He reluctantly followed his parents to England, where he established himself as a drummer in the XNUMXs, eventually crossing paths with Adrian Sherwood.

At the time of the first AHC album, for him as for Sherwood, "Africa" ​​was still more of an abstract idea, a dreamland like in Brian Eno and David Byrne's album "My Life in a Bush of Ghosts" to which AHC was a British answer wanted to. They drew inspiration from the UK's immigrant culture and diaspora perspective rather than their own real-world experiences. It was still called “Visions of a Psychedelic Africa” in 2005, but a lot had happened in the meantime. Several trips to Ghana led Bonjo to stay there for longer and longer periods and now his life has completely changed there. Africa became more and more of a place of longing to reality for him. After a period on the coast, he has now moved inland, to the Upper Region near the Burkina Faso border. The climate here is drier, Muslims are in the majority compared to the Christian south, and the culture of the Frafra ethnic group dominates musically: on the one hand, a very unique form of gospel, mostly sung by women, and on the other hand, the youth culture of the Kologo -Bards. These are the griots of the area, they accompany their singing with two-stringed lutes and are a must at every wedding and funeral.
King Ayisoba is the first to build an international career out of this grassroots culture, and he opens the album in his tried and true manner. This has no sonic precedent on any AHC album, save for Mutabaruka's guest appearance on Vision of a Psychedelic Africa (2005), an album where the schism we are dealing with here was already beginning to emerge. Bass and percussions are reduced to the most reserved here, and the mix also leaves it at two or three reverb tails. The following instrumental "Accra" obviously wants to be a tribute to the capital and to a certain extent imitates its more urban sound, which is dominated by Afrobeats. Of course, it relates to the normally electronically smooth-coiffed original in the same way that Sherwood tunes like “Zero Zero One” did to dancehall reggae at the time. Clarinet player Steve Beresford unobtrusively closes a circle to the early work. His (tonal) clarinet is also there when the album finally reaches familiar territory in the third song: "Push Me Pull You" sways majestically at a slower pace and would have fitted on any of the classic albums. “I Chant Too” keeps the sluggish groove and of course the chanting, but conjures up a weird New Age vibe via the keyboard that makes the track the slackest of the first side. Because with "Asalatua" the A-side closes with an uptempo chaser that awakens pleasant memories of "In Pursuit of Shashamane Land".

Between these four (!) poles – local dialects, classic AHC sound, pop experiment and failed ballad – the game with variations is repeated on the second side. The album has a stylistic spectrum that is more reminiscent of a "Pay It All Back" sampler. However, this also makes the selection of songs for DJs compatible with other genres from Afrobeat to House to Reggae and Dubstep... and in individual cases also for the deep listening session. Compared to two failures, I find it much more annoying that the good numbers also stay under four minutes and therefore hardly have the opportunity to develop. Here we have to wait for the following remixes and B-sides. In terms of production, the album is a bit more versatile than it's good for, but it's also very subtle and permeable. The fact that the familiar house musicians Doug Wimbish, Skip McDonald and Crocodile are there is hardly noticeable in the music, their contributions are so minimalistic and pointed and sometimes simply technical - possibly signs of aging. Above all, the productive tension between Bonjo and Sherwood as songwriters and song designers continues on the album, which after a while on an equal footing has now turned in Bonjo's side. Africa is now a very real thing for him and all the songs reflect that in a musical, philosophical or social way. This also applies to his own drumming, which was once based on Nyabinghi patterns, while he has now also adopted the diverse West African dialects. In this respect, too, "Africa" ​​is far more concrete for him than it was at the time of "Off the Beaten Track". Of course, apart from King Aysoba, half the neighborhood in Bolgatanga was involved in the project. African Head Charge is Bonjo's project in 2023, we hear his new home through his ears and drums. And like any good storyteller, it always pays to just listen.

Herman Chin-Loy was passionate about music from an early age. Far too often, Herman Chin-Loy is wrongly forgotten when the greats of the Dub-History to be enumerated. He belongs with his "Aquarius Dub' from 1973 are basically among the spearheads of this genre. Before opening his own Aquarius record shop and label in 1969 at the tender age of 21, he sold records, worked in record shops and DJed at some of Kingston's hottest clubs.

Although he was responsible for the vocal tracks, it was his fabulous instrumentals that best define his early career and which this compilation focuses on. Herman Chin Loy has a sound that is unmistakable like no other in reggae. Like Lee Scratch Perry, he always specialized in the quirky and unusual. His labels Scorpio and Aquarius are responsible for some of reggae's most innovative instrumentals. From his Kingston record store in the early '70s, he was able to capture the "street" vibes of many of his young, hip customers. Initially, his first instrumental records were created under the name Augustus Pablo. Until a skinny young man named Horace Swaby showed up at his store with a melodica. Herman gave the young Swaby the name Augustus Pablo and took him to the studio. The rest is history.

Here on "Aquarius rock(Pressure Sounds) we have some of the liveliest funky reggae tracks ever made in Jamaica. There are a handful of vocal tracks too, but those are killas too. The instrumental pieces collected on the album impressively show Herman's early studio career. Harnessing the talents of the Hippy Boys (aka The Upsetters II) and the Now Generation in the studio, Chin-Loy began releasing a flurry of instrumentals, which this compilation focuses more on. The keyboards-dominated pieces have been attributed to Augustus Pablo, regardless of who actually sat at the keys. The producer released the young melodica player who showed up at Chin-Loy's first single "Iggy Iggy", also under the pseudonym Augustus Pablo. Horace Swaby kept his new stage name and continued to land hits, most notably "East of the River Nile", with which he established his unmistakable Far East sound.

Aquarius Rock features half a dozen classic Pablo/Swaby solo singles, some of which are also DJed by the producer. Some recordings are combined with instrumental pieces, which underlines even more the extraordinary work of the band and the astonishing creativity of A. Pablo himself. The musicianship is phenomenal throughout, be it the band's instrumentals, the horns' solo excursions, the rousing melodica pieces and of course the keyboard-dominated pieces. These instrumentals, as well as A. Pablo's solo pieces, make up the bulk of the present set. Two vocal tracks come from Alton Ellis, who delivers his "Alton's Official Daughter" cleanly if a bit unpolished, while Dennis Brown contributes the "Song My Mother Used to Sing" more soulfully. An unknown Archie McKay sings "Pick Up the Pieces," which has nothing to do with the royals' classic. Beres Hammond presents one of his earliest recordings, an impossibly warm "No More War" followed by Herman's "No More Version". Less well known than his cousin Leslie Kong, Herman Chin-Loy still deserves our full attention, and this compilation is a long-overdue tribute to one of reggae's most influential talents. The fine scat intros are all written by Herman Chin-Loy himself.