Christafari, the musical family business of Pastor Mark Mohr, is well known here in dubblog.de at least since the review of their “Dub Supreme“-albums. In short, the act is primarily about deeply religious lyrics, mostly carried by (sometimes classic) roots riddims, all recorded and performed in opulent 1A quality. The whole thing is obviously going very well, as evidenced by extensive tours and streaming numbers (which sometimes run into the millions - even if you only use Spotify as a benchmark). However, one cannot speak of great popularity in the hardcore reggae communities, since Christafari - nomen est omen - appeal to a predominantly Christian audience and it presumably makes a big difference whether and which god you promote in reggae circles.
Now, whether you appreciate the band’s regular releases or not, the associated Dub-Albums are definitely recommendable, as they scrape the essence out of the overproduction and lose much of Mark Mohr's all too present voice. The latter also dominates the 2024 album "The Prophet“, which oscillates between roots and dancehall and also makes an occasional EDM excursion.
In 2025 Christafari will start with the “prophetic Dub“ (Lion of Zion Entertainment), the diet-treated brother of last year’s prophet, and a first look into the album confirms the above assumptions: Christafari’s albums can cope with the slimming down very well – away with the vocal overkill, out with many brass sections that sometimes sound suspiciously like synths and in with lots of light, but by no means lightweight Dub-effects. To ensure that the whole thing doesn't float away, there is plenty of grounding with bass - not always and everywhere, but where it fits.
Whether an EDM version was really needed is debatable; crossover attempts are nothing new - we've known about them since Marley, Wailer, Tosh & Co. So anyone who wants to rock out will be catered for.
Ultimately, the “Prophetic Dub“ a hodgepodge of different styles, the high points of which can be found where one indulges in either bass-rich roots or ethereal, floating sounds (“Jerusalem DubThe rest is 4-on-the-floor mediocrity that leaves the critic relatively unimpressed.
To be honest, I am wondering to which artist or art style this “Album“ fits. No idea! But it would have to be something versatile that still shows a certain unity and a common thread. Strictly speaking, it is not a classic Dubalbum, but rather three 12″ vinyl releases containing a total of six different riddims, one on each side of the record (“The Vibe / Reggae Rub-A-Dub","Born As A Winner / Mr Officer","À mes Youths / Babylon Tremble“). And these songs can all be found on the album “MIXXTAPE“, which was released in December 2023, at that time simply without Dubversions and that's probably why it passed me by without me noticing. What is noticeable: in the digital bundle version, the tracks are arranged differently than if I were to put the three individual LPs on the turntable one after the other. The Original Bass Foundation presents a work that is experimental, brutal, energetic, psychedelic, weird, poppy, electronic, catchy, deep, groovy, technoid, punky and probably a lot more all in one piece and develops a certain pull: I want to listen to it again and again without knowing exactly why.
OBF is a sound system based in the French border area outside Geneva (Switzerland) and has been active since the noughties, especially in Geneva and the squat scene of the time. Producer and selector Rico OBF, operator G and manager Stef form the core of the crew and have slowly conquered dancehalls in Europe and then the whole world from Geneva after the squats (occupied houses) over the last two decades. I have to say that I don't like everything that is said about the in-house Dubquake Records label. However, over the years I have really taken a few EPs and singles to heart (worth mentioning “Do me right","Katibim"Or"Heavyweight SoundHowever, a lot of it is too electronic, too brutal or too straight forward stepper-like for me with driving “four-on-the-floor” beats throughout. Personally, I prefer it in the roots reggae style or more acoustic. Nevertheless, I am very impressed with this album and absolutely love the synthesizer sounds, beats and synth basslines used. In particular, the Dub-Versions are simply brilliant and not conventional, but bold and sometimes quite experimentally mixed and provided with effects. The “Born As A Winner” riddim is simple, basically a piano lick, spiced up with a unison bass, offbeat and a rhythmic electronic bubbling (as if a thick sauce was simmering). In the meantime, a monophonic synth melody sounds. Two different vocal versions, one more party-like by Rider Shafique, one more conscious-rasta-like by Mikey General. Then the “Dub as a Winner”, with lots of reverb, faded in and faded out tracks, delay, filter rotation, stops. Very exciting and intelligent, I like Dub-Versions of this kind. "À mes Youths" after that is a hard (but logical?) change, especially in terms of the sound of the synthesizers. A driving stepper beat whips this instrumental forward, almost as if there was an apocalyptic rider behind it, hard and somehow electronically distorted, to finally close the circle again with the initially gentle synth carpet. The version of it "À mes Anciens" is then a first highlight. Rico OBF drags out the riddim and creates an oppressive mood full of inner restlessness that you don't want to escape but surrender to, and what he does with the knobs and dials on the mixer and the effects devices, I would love to experience live. At times it's just noise and vibration, great. He is brave, dares to do something and, in my opinion, wins all along the line because he really surprises the listeners and demands a lot from them. But for me, it only goes so far to the limit that I stay with it. It never becomes too much for me. With the outrageously poppy and dancehall-like beginning of "The Vibe" there is another break that is initially irritating, but immediately takes you along and makes you completely forget the certain heaviness from before. Curve scratched. Surprisingly, I find myself really feeling this electronic bassline. After that, the "Mr Officer" riddim becomes thematically militant and the sound gets harder again. Listen to these consistently very good, meaningful and interesting mixes and effect passages for yourself. I was torn and yet ultimately fascinated and kept coming back to this album and I am sure that this sound polarizes rather than unites. Rico knows his craft down to the last detail and delivers above-average and exceptional work here. It can only get a "very good"! And yet the fifth star is half missing!
Even the great Pablo Picasso knew: “Good artists copy. Great artists steal.” Or as we Germans say: “Good stealing is better than bad homemade.” Creative people call this process “inspiration.” Something similar must be “Ono-Sendai Sound Battles The Root Of All Evil“. The multi-instrumentalist, who lives in Tilburg (NL), and about whom next to nothing is known, gives us a sound that could also be called a reminiscence of times long past and deceased heroes of this genre. In particular, King Tubby, Yabby You, Roots Radics, Lee Perry, Joe Gibbs, Scientist, Errol T and so many others to whom we owe this wonderful music. A creative process such as the creation of such a great album never takes place in a vacuum. Rather, the result of this path is the logical consequence of a chain of impressions that the artist collects and reconciles with his experiences. When you listen to music in a normal way, for example, these impressions are stored in the brain as subconscious perceptions. Creative people like Ono-Sendai Sound seem to collect these things, like a squirrel hoarding nuts, in order to retrieve them when they are needed. But much more important is of course the conscious inspiration through active observation and listening far beyond one's own nose. This is more or less how Ono-Sendai Sound must have proceeded. For "Battles The Root Of All Evil" he took some reggae classics by Johnny Clarke, Peter Tosh, Eek-A-Mouse, John Holt, Gregory Isaacs and others and created a contemporary, gripping Dub-album. The riddims are still unmatched and the text samples underline this breathtaking mix. Hall-soaked percussion makes its way through a thick veil of echoes and reverb. Of course, bass and drums form the backbone of this production, which is full of attention to detail. I don't want to go into detail about each individual track here, because for me the overall impression of the almost 35-minute album is what counts, and it has already made it onto my shortlist for the best of the year this year. Finally, I have to mention one more track, “Rich Mans Curse Dub“, because it captivates me with the constant threatening sound of a circling helicopter and at the same time brings back bad memories of reporting on the Vietnam War. I have never heard a more haunting version of “Police in Helicopter”.
Although the Original Skatalites with trombonist Don Drummond only existed from May 1964 to August 1965, they occupy an almost mystical place in Jamaica's diverse musical history. Ten years after the death of Don Drummond and the sad end of the Skatalites, bassist Lloyd Brevett brought together some of his former bandmates for a reunion. The sessions were produced by Lloyd Brevett and Glen Darby, who sang for Coxsone Dodd at Studio One at the age of 14 and was a member of the Scorchers. The core line-up for this project was the hard core of the legendary Skatalites: Lloyd Brevett, Lester Sterling, Rolando Alphonso, Tommy McCook and Jackie Mittoo. But that wasn't all, the best studio musicians of the time such as Horsemouth Wallace, Benbow Creary, Augustus Pablo, Chinna Smith, Ernest Ranglin were also on board, and Don Drummond's trombone was replaced by Vin Gordon. But the biggest coup, in my opinion, was the addition of the Sons Of Negus Nyahbinghi Dummer Bongo T, I-Marts and Sidney Wolf. Lloyd Brevett wanted a sound like the one he had experienced as a teenager at the grounations in the Rasta camps of Wareika Hills and Bull Bay, because these chanting and reasoning sessions had a lasting impact on him both musically and mentally. Lloyd developed the melodies and rhythms for the upcoming studio sessions together with Tommy McCook during a number of jam sessions at his house in Henderson Avenue, Waltham Park Road. The Nyahbinghi drummers are said to have already taken part in the sessions. After that, they went to Black Ark Studio, where three tracks from the album were recorded. Brevett recalls that he, McCook and the Nyahbinghi drummers were accompanied by Benbow Creary, Augustus Pablo and Chinna Smith. The remaining five tracks on the album were recorded at Aquarius Studio by Herman Chin Loy. At Aquarius, the list of musicians was expanded to include Rolando Alphonso, Lester Sterling and Johnny Moore. Ernest Ranglin replaced Chinna Smith, and Benbow was replaced by Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace. The album was released in 1976 under the title "The legendary Skatalites". Later editions were simply called "African Roots". Some time later, the Dubversion of the album under the title “The Skatalites: Herb Dub – Collie Dub“ in a mini edition of 200 copies. The tapes produced at the Black Ark were taken to King Tubby in Dromilly Avenue, Kingston 11, who made three fantastic Dubs. For the instrumental tracks recorded at Aquarius Studio, Lloyd Brevett suggested that the Dubs directly mixed by Herman Chin Loy. But Clive Hunt insisted that the mixing be split between him and Karl Pitterson. Although the album was recorded in two completely different studios, the sound is homogeneous, complex, profound and of the highest musical quality. Glen Darby remembers that for the musicians involved in this album it was always more than just another recording session. "They didn't really do it for the money. They wanted to revive the band, the Skatalites." It became a reunion album, because three years later the Skatalites were on tour again. In any case, the Skatalites' recordings never sounded like they did on this album before or after. This is not ska, this is real Nyahbinghi roots reggae Dub of rare quality, wonderfully played and mixed. An essential album that is finally being re-released on vinyl by LB Records/Studio 16 and definitely belongs in every collection.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
FYI: Since I couldn't find the 2024 re-release on any streaming platform, I unfortunately had to resort to the compilation of the 2001 release, but in my opinion that's not a big deal, because it offers a lot more.
What a beautiful album: Hornsman Coyote Meets House of Riddim, “Madman Slide” (House of Riddim)! One of the most impressive works I have heard in recent weeks. The rhythms are rich, dynamic, full of warmth and emotion – and there is also this impressive lead instrument: the trombone. It simply sounds majestic. It is probably due to its dark tone and the relatively high bass content compared to the trumpet that it sounds so warm, relaxed and confident – exactly what is perfect for Dub No wonder that the band Message recently used the trombone as a lead instrumentHornsman Coyote shows us how versatile the instrument can be: sometimes gentle and grooving, sometimes energetic and driving. Sometimes it caresses the rhythm, sometimes it sounds like the trumpets of Jericho. Seven days of trombone playing can bring down the strongest walls - or so the Bible claims. Hornsman plays the trombone for 11 tracks, which adds up to 43 minutes, but at the right volume it can also shake walls. Important: If "instrumental album" and "trombone" make you think of Dean Fraser's saxophone excursions, you need not be afraid here. Unlike Fraser, where the saxophone often floats somewhat isolated above the rhythms, Hornsman's trombone playing interacts harmoniously with the backings, is almost embedded in them and combines organically with the rhythms without ever being intrusive. Hornsman uses a clever trick to achieve this: he often plays the trombone on two tracks that are layered on top of each other in the mix, which makes the instrument sound softer and gentler and allows it to blend even more with the rhythms. But all of this would only be half as impressive without the magnificent backing tracks of House of Riddim. This Austrian band really is one of the best - their productions are masterfully crafted and show how well reggae and Dub can sound.
With 1,5 million inhabitants, Yekaterinburg is the fourth largest city in Russia. Named after Tsarina Catherine I and the patron saint of miners, Saint Catherine, it lies on the Trans-Siberian Railway and forms the imaginary border between Europe and Asia. The ska band Lollypop Lorry, founded in 2008, comes from this Ural region, which is quite remote for us. The band's logo shows the Lollypop Lorry - a UAZ 452 Buchanka, the Russian answer to the Wolfsburg bus and delivery van (Bulli).
The first publication of Lollypop Lorry: Goes Dub (Jump Up! Records) in 2020, the Dubblog as well as the re-release in 2022. But better late than never, I will briefly introduce you to this album, which was created between August 2018 and October 2019. An album that is really popular with me at the moment. Of the nine tracks, eight are jazz standards that are part of the ska, reggae/Dub & Latin Jazz Ensemble has congenially laid down deeper for our ears. The album was mixed by Victor Rice in his Studio Copan in São Paulo. The Dubs are by Ivan Gogolin, who produced the album together with Maxim Koryagin. The two musicians are also responsible for the arrangements, which are very varied. It starts with a Miles Davis standard, followed by “Dizzy Dub“ based on a musical template by trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. The best thing about it is that the band has seamlessly incorporated Aston Barrett’s bassline from “Lively Up Yourself”. Simply magical! John Coltrane’s “Blue Train” becomes the “Dub >7< Train”. The absolute highlight of the album for me is “Take Faya”, where we hear the old Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond classic “Take Five” as well as “Dub Fire” by Aswads: A New Chapter of Dub What more can I say? Both the basslines and the DubI like it all the way through – in short, a great album that I discovered far too late.
It's that time again: We serve you ours Dub-Top 5 of the year ending. As you can see, diversity counts for us. How could it be otherwise with such a diverse genre? We look forward to your comments.
First place this time goes to… Bavaria! Adubta transforms a rather jazzy album by the Graz Roots Organisation into a bass-heavy monster with killer dynamics. No offense!
Ras Teo, Zion I Kings and Lone Ark make music together – not surprisingly, this could only work out well, both in the vocal and in the Dubversion. This applies to part 1 of the recording session…
... as well as for part 2. On both albums, the melodies of Ras Teo meet the musical and production qualities of Roberto Sanchez, David Goldfine and Laurent Alfred, who complement each other wonderfully.
If you prefer something more crisp and rocky, you can't miss Sam Gilly's House of Riddim - the same goes for this collaboration with trombonist Hornsman Coyote. There's no shortage of effects either!
This work is the one that makes the most rounds on my plate. Great! Since the release of "Zipporah" (2020), I have fallen in love with the sound and magic of Emanuel & The Bionites. It's hard to believe that this music is Made in France.
A compilation that brings together the best and selected versions and mixes of Blackbeard from 1976 - 1980 and celebrates the Sufferer Sound System once again. Relevant.
My DubThe year 2024 clearly goes to France. The label BAT Records and the Dub Shepherds stand for incredibly good and high quality reggae and Dub-Productions that, in most cases, completely convince me.
'Which desert?' I ask myself. Is it possible that Dub- and reggae desert Poland? No idea and it doesn't matter, because this instrumental album is reggae-Dub-Ethio-Jazz at its finest. Organ, saxophone, flute, melodica (just part of it) and good arrangement stand out for me...
The Echo Beach label has always had a preference for historical Dubmaterial in the crossover area, and I must say, the tracks on the album “In Dub, vol. 1“ by Statik Sound System fit perfectly into the label’s repertoire. Statik Sound System was a trip-hop band from Bristol that released four albums and a few singles in the mid-90s. Echo Beach has dug through this archive, the nine dub-compatible tracks and put them on an album. Most of them are not classic reggae (although there are four drum 'n' bass tracks), but if you - like me - z. B. If you like Dreadzone or More Rockers, you can also do a lot with Statik Sound System. Their most famous track, "Revolutionary Pilot", which became known worldwide through the DJ Kicks compilation by Kruder & Dorfmeister, is also a central point here. Several remixes, including one by More Rockers and a version by Rob Smith, provide variety. For me, the album is a sentimental, nostalgic journey into the past, to a time when these sounds were truly avant-garde. Tracks like "Secret Love", "Free to Choose", "Vacuum" and the emotional "So Close" sound so beautifully like the 1990s - and at the same time show the band's full range. "In Dub, Vol. 1” is a reminder of an era in which fat beats, dreamy melodies and playing with Dubrhythms enchanted the music world. Yes, the sound is definitely historical, but somehow the tracks still sound fresh to my ears. Maybe it's because it's not a classic Dub but rather a stylistically not so easy to locate Dub-Experiment.
What a label name: "Spiritual Food"! That is exactly what my soul is thirsting for. And yes, it certainly shows some self-confidence to fill an entire LP of a good 40 minutes playing time with just two riddims. But isn't that exactly Dub in its purest form? In my opinion, absolutely. And when the two riddims and the versions are so good and convincing and are both a joy to listen to at home and are also convincing on the big sound system, what more could friends of deeply saturated Rasta culture want? I don't even know where to start, I'm so excited about this piece of black vinyl, which unfortunately comes without a cover, just in a white paper envelope (in true old school Jamaica style). Lourenzo Bougard aka Macca Dread is no stranger to the scene behind the production. He is also known for the well-known Youthie productions "Gecko Tones" and "Nomad Skank" and now some other smaller notable publications (e.g. "Wise Up EP" or "Almandub#2"). The production is tight and rich, but for my ears it has a good mystical note with lots of percussion and a number of added sound gimmicks, which brings exactly the depth that I like so much. Spiritual food, the name says it all. Musically, both riddims are of a high standard, both melodic and monotonously driving, in just the right dose (Paracelsus would jump for joy). The Hooligan or Gringo riddim has something almost euphoric to offer me with its slightly Cuban-sounding Latin elements and I never get bored at all listening to an instrumental or Dubversion one after the other. On the contrary, every new mix brings a breath of fresh air, other instrumental parts are put in the spotlight, Dub in top form. Especially the "Benyah Horn's Version" with the trombone (which sounds like a trumpet here) and the “Macca Dread Melodica Version” with the typical Cuban piano riffs are real pearls. Benyah on trombone, Crucial Rob on drums and the Cuica, Irie Mates on choral singing, blues harmonica player Danos and Macca Dread on production, melodica and all Dubmixes a very good job. The Dubmixes are solid and fit smoothly into the whole. Ha, I just forgot to mention the vocal versions. Here I also give the two singers Zion Irie on the Hooligan Riddim and Ras Tweed on the Point Finger Pon Riddim top marks. Brilliant conscious lyrics, listen for yourself. And how Ras Tweed in particular with all his experience in "Point Finger Pon" gets into the flow, then slows down again, has something deeply moving about it. Finally, I would like to mention the two lovingly designed portraits of the singers, which virtually replace the cover and pay tribute to the artist Aude Saloni This release is by no means a classic album, but it is just the thing to bring the sun into the dark, cold season. Dub-Heart and energy flow into the dance floor. Jahman!
And here it is again, the new “King Size Dub“! Currently it is “King Size Dub 24“ (Echo Beach). Five years were omitted, because the series has existed for 29 years. So 2024 will be an anniversary! The current, 24th edition presents a whopping 23 tracks - according to the label, 90 percent of them are exclusive titles. Of course, the well-known names from the Echo Beach stable are there, including Noiseshaper, Dubblestandard, Dub Spencer & Trance Hill, Dub Syndicate, Illbilly Hitec, Dubinator and – how could it be otherwise – Martha & The Muffins. But there are also a whole lot of fresh artists outside the well-known Echo Beach universe. Blundetto & Soul Sugar surprise with the modest, quiet “Don't Cry, It's Only the Rhythm” – a really beautiful tune. aDUBta delivers a dull, oppressive and somehow magical version of the Cassava Piece riddim that captivates me. Captain Yossarian counters with the funky “Expensive Shit”. Overall, I find the album to be wonderfully fresh – it once again presents the wide spectrum of DubLabel owner Nicolai is known for not being a fan of genre boundaries, and it is precisely this attitude that makes every new King Size Dub to be an exciting surprise package. I'm already looking forward to #30. No pressure, but it has to be big!
