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Review

Christos DC: Kung Fu Action Theater

Christos DC is the pseudonym of Christopher Vrenios, a son of two professional opera singers from Washington DC - which immediately explains the last part of his stage name. Christopher owes his nickname Christos to his Greek grandmother. According to his mini album “Matchbox In Dub"From 2023, the Greek-American reggae musician and producer returns with a groundbreaking project "Christos DC: Kung Fu Action Theater“ (Honest Music) back. A purely instrumental project that fuses traditional Chinese instruments with roots reggae arrangements. I'm not 100% sure, but I think the use of Chinese instruments is a novelty in this genre.
In an interview, Christos DC gives two reasons why he wanted to release an instrumental album with traditional Chinese instruments. Christos DC grew up watching kung fu films and has always been fascinated by the music he listened to, which in turn led him to learn more about Chinese classical music in general. The idea of ​​fusing these two styles has been with him for many years, and the result is now “Kung Fu Action Theater.” Three classical Chinese instruments are used in "Kung Fu Action Theater": the guzheng (a half-tube zither played with the fingers), the yangqin (a Chinese dulcimer similar to a stringed instrument and played with clappers), and the erhu ( a two-stringed tubular lute that is bowed, similar to a two-stringed violin). It's hard to believe, the background is 100 percent traditional reggae, but one thing I can say without hesitation: the Chinese instruments fit somnambulistically into a wealth of creative arrangements and create a new sound that is inherently mysterious.
Two tracks from the project have already been released in advance by Christos DC: the eclectic "Mountain King", which is based on Edvard Grieg's classic stage play "In the Hall Of The Mountain King", and the hypnotic "Distance", which features Chinese instrumentation The foreground is.
Overall, the compositions, performances and production of “Kung Fu Action Theater” are of the highest quality. There is no shortage of imaginative arrangements. From the meandering, slightly melancholic basic idea of ​​"Dread And Alive" to "Far East", where the tempo and flow of the rhythmic arrangement increases. “Long Road” takes up the title of the album with a melancholic, unsettling composition, while “Mystic” has something of Steppers in it with its fast drum arrangement. "Rising Sun" is pure pleasure, "Survival" is thought-provoking, while "Swan Lake" (similar to "Mountain King") takes up and revives the song of the swans from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's classic ballet.

It is immediately noticeable that this time Christos DC has opted for a warm roots sound with brass instruments (Brian Falkowski - saxophone and Paul Hamilton - trombone). A sound that immediately reminds me of US Virigin Islands productions, and that's no coincidence, as the entire project was professionally mixed by Laurent 'Tippy I' Alfred from I Grade Records. We don't hear anything excessive Dub-Fireworks, but an excellent meditative soundscape with calmly meandering riddims without a lot of frills. With musicians like Style Scott, Flabba Holt, Kenyatta Hill, Chinese artists and many others, Christos DC ultimately did everything right and created a highly demanding work.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
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Review

Ronnie Lion: Spanish Town

A little over two years ago I re-released the album “Ambient Warrior: Dub Journey's“Praised in the highest tones. These wonderful soundscapes still inspire me again and again today. The versatility of this 1995 album was also extraordinary. South American elements such as tango and bossa nova could already be heard here.
Cult reissue label Isle Of Jura just released the first solo album from Ronnie Lion, one half of the aforementioned Ambient Warrior. For several decades, Ronnie Lion has been running his reggae label "Lion Music" from Brixton, which has been known for many years for its open approach to mixing reggae with countless other styles. And what a surprise, the album “Ronnie Lion: Spanish Town“ continues where “Ambient Warrior: Dub Journey's” has stopped. These well-known sounds can also be found on “Spanish Town”. “Spanish Town” is a deep, soulful nod to the capital city of St. Catherine in southeast Jamaica. The rhythm section with Ronnie Lion on bass and Horseman on drums provides a solid foundation for the complex and catchy hooks of Sean Wilkinson's Spanish guitar. Smooth, lyrical flamenco melodies from the lead guitarist are skillfully played over strolling roots and Dub-Reggae grooves laid.
The nine beautifully orchestrated instrumental pieces on “Spanish Town” seem like vague memories of a relaxing holiday by the sea. Ronnie Lion's basslines underline the warm keyboard sounds and of course Sean Wilkinson's first-class fingerpicking. The incredibly beautiful melodies between the mysterious, almost nostalgic flamenco “Hombre Peligroso” and the springy “Alligator Pond” are probably the best proof of this. However, I have to admit that in my opinion the tracks with these turgid “synth string interludes” often just miss the elevator music of a shopping center. The intoxicating skank of “Naranja Colina” alongside the seething “Grants pen Steppers” completely convince me again.

The bottom line is a very successful, varied reggae instrumental album with a very rare unique selling point, namely the Spanish guitar. An album that cleverly combines reggae & Dub combined with Spanish sounds is not only Dub- and reggae fans, but also tango, bossa nova, folk and world music lovers. You should have heard it.

Rating: 4 out of 5.
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Review

Awa Fall: Dub & Flames

The Italian reggae artist of Senegalese descent Awa Fall Mirone, born in Bergamo in October 1996, is back with an album. Almost a year after the release of the song album “Fire & Flames(WOW Records) now follows Dub-version “Awa Fall: Dub & Flames(WOW Records), which featured some illustrious guests – more on that later.

There has been a very lively reggae scene in Italy since the 80s. Stars like Alborosie or Africa Unite and world-famous sound systems like One Love Hi Powa are known to many, not forgetting the Rototom Festival. A rising star in the Italian reggae sky is undoubtedly Awa Fall, daughter of a Senegalese father and an Italian mother. After performing on stage with her aunt Valentina for a few years, Awa Fall decided to start her own project at the age of 18. The singer, songwriter and musician released her first album “Inna dis ya Iwa” in 2016 and went on tour with the Eazy Skankers. The second album "Words Of Wisdom“was published in January 2019. The album is a dazzling production that touches on all genres of black music, from reggae to hip-hop.
With an average of 100 concerts per year, Awa Fall has now made her music known throughout Europe and the world. She has performed on many major European stages, such as the Rototom Sunsplash in Italy, the African Festival in Germany, the Uprising in Slovakia, the Txapel in the Basque Country, etc. Awa also has a direct collaboration with the EMP PA Unite 15 school in Dakar (Senegal): for each concert she donates a percentage to the school, which enables many children, boys and girls, from primary school to high school, to receive an education.

The album is only 26 minutes long “Dub & Flames” consists of seven tracks selected from the eight original titles and, as on the varied album “Fire & Flames”, each track is characterized by its own style.
The first two tracks are »Dub Resurrection" and "Dub & Flames", which were produced by the Austrian label Anaves Music. The third track is the already well-known “I Wanna” produced by Gaudi Dub«, which was already released as a preview with the original track. »Dub Music« features the English artist Brother Culture and was created by Dub Tree produces. "Show Dub« features the Senegalese artist Ombre Zion and was produced by Nico Roccamo. The masterful »Dub for the Rights” was by Paolo Baldini DubFiles produced the track in his distinctive styledubbed, which has distinguished him for several years. The last Dub-Track of the album is »Key To Dub«, produced by Buriman, the reggae & Dub-Producers and co-founders of the Moa Anbessa project, whose Dubplates and releases were/are regularly played by top sound systems such as Jah Shaka and Aba Shanti.
All in all a very nice, modern one-drop reggae album on the one hand with a powerful steppers style on the other.
The present work was mastered by the Italian composer, musician, DJ and producer Walter Buonanno aka Walter Bonnot.

Rating: 4 out of 5.
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Review

Vibronics: Woman On A Mission 2

In 2018, Steve Vibronics released an album for which he only invited female singers to contribute vocals to his productions. It had the programmatic title “Woman on a Mission” and was intended to shine a spotlight on female protagonists in the UK sound system scene. Because like generally in roots reggae, in Dub and largely even in the dancehall scene, female artistes are dramatically underrepresented. So a really well-intentioned action by the UKDub-Ursteins. Unfortunately, the musical result of his efforts wasn't really that good. What was even more important, in my opinion, was that the singers gathered here were exactly that: singers. Where were the female producers and female sound system operators? Now, six years later, the two albums are released “Woman On A Mission 2" and "Woman On A Mission 2 – The Dub Mixes(Scoops Records) and impressively correct this flaw. The first four tracks of “Woman On A Mission 2” are also vocal tracks again - this time with Carroll Thompson, Sandra Cross, Marina P and the Sisters in Dub on the microphones, but the remaining eight tracks are flawless Dubs, produced by female protagonists of the international Dub-Scene – Steve Vibronics lumps them together under “The Riddim Makers”. These are Sista Habesha from Italy, Empress Shema from the UK, Vanya O'hnec, Red Astrid Soul Steppa from the Philippines and Koko Vega from Spain. It remains unclear whether these producers brought their material with them to the Vibronics studio or developed tracks on site together with Steve Vibronics. However, the result is impressively coherent and, despite the geographical diversity, clearly bears the hallmarks of the UKDub. This in turn means that despite the exemplary commitment the album cannot win an innovation award - at a Sound System gig, however, the Steppers tracks could cause a huge sensation. Although eight of the twelve tracks collected here are already Dubs, there is an explicit one Dub-Album counterpart under the title “The Dub Mixes”. As expected, everything sounds a bit harder here, even more like four in the morning on a Sound System Night, more reverb, more bass and breakneck mixes. Of course it's important to forego the four vocal tracks here, but theirs Dub-Reincarnation is also not to be underestimated. Unfortunately there is the “Dub Mixes” are not on stream, so their enjoyment will have to be purchased with 10 British pounds, which will probably make them an exclusive listening experience.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
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Review

Ras Teo: Ion Man in Dub

What do you expect from an album where Lone Ark, Zion High and I Grade (read: Roberto Sanchez, David Goldfine and Laurent Alfred) shake hands? Pretty much the ultimate Roots grenade - especially since it's the new release from Ras Teo, which is now appreciated by the reviewer and - as you can hear - in the community. And the piece also comes with the finest artwork: a classic portrait of the Emperor of Ethiopia - when was the last time you saw something like this in such a beautiful presentation?

So first of all: Ras Teo's new release "Ion Man in Dub(Forward Bound Records) and the corresponding vocal album “Ion Man” definitely meet the high expectations: The production is A1 - not softened like some newer I-grade productions, but nice and catchy; It uses classical-looking arrangements and has extras such as fine brass sections and wonderful transverse flute passages. Also David Goldfine's more dynamic Dub-Mix is ​​solid craftsmanship - without any forward-looking gimmicks, but with an echo that is used abundantly and couldn't be more precise; The reverb supports the appropriate passages in a well-dosed manner. In short: In terms of production alone, the whole thing would be a case for a 5-star review if... yes, if it weren't for the fade-outs. They're probably a no-go now, who still does them? Just at Dub-Tunes, fade-outs are a disgrace when there are plenty of effects available to help you dubto set a big final chord. So please: This really doesn't have to be the case anymore.

We are dealing with this here Dub, but I still want a shout for the vocal album “Ion Man“ (Forward Bound Records): It's not just Ras Teo's velvety vocals that have developed further - note the wonderfully layered backing vocals; His songwriting has also reached a new level and is already approaching that of Ijahman Levi approach. An impressive example is the track “Hard Fe Ketch”, which could just as easily have appeared on an Ijahman album. Here too: 5 star material if... yes, if there weren't the unpopular fade-outs again, see above: No-go.

The bottom line is that we are dealing with two fine roots albums that are addictive and which the reviewer feels are currently playing around the clock. “Ion Man in Dub“Unfortunately, it is currently only available to a limited extent via bandcamp; The vocal album “Ion Man”, on the other hand, received the big release and can be found on virtually all digital platforms. All thumbs up for both releases - but a small star deduction for the above inconvenience.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
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Review

Youthie & Macca Dread: Gecko Tones

Youthie and Macca Dread are setting new standards with their new album “Gecko Tones(Youthie Records) seamlessly picked up where they left off with “The Roots Explorers”, which in turn picked up where the two had previously left off with “Nomad Skank”. This continuity should not be misunderstood as stagnation. The multi-instrumentalist Youthie and the riddim maker Macca Dread simply continue their collaboration at the same high level. The 44 tracks on the three albums could have been created in a single extended session. I already suspect it: my words cannot be read without a slight criticism, as there is often a general expectation that everything must constantly develop and improve. But for us friends of Dub one thing is clear: good things remain. And you really have to give credit to the two French guys: what they do is really, really good. A change could jeopardize this status of perfection. That's why I'm grateful that Macca Dread produced just as powerful rhythms for "Gecko Tones" as they did for the previous albums and that Youthie delivers their instrumental playing in a way that couldn't be more congenial. In every note you can hear that Juliette Bourdeix aka Youthie, who was classically trained on the trumpet, has not only mastered her craft, but has internalized reggae to the core. Your trumpet, occasionally also a flute or accordion, does not play bluntly over the rhythms - as is often heard on reggae instrumental albums - but WITH them. Youthie feels the vibe of reggae in a way that only a true lover of the genre can, weaving her playing with the beats into an inseparable unit. Youthie and Macca Dread have created true instrumental “songs” in which rhythms and lead instruments complement each other perfectly and interact with each other. The result is completely coherent instrumental pieces that you don't hear too often in reggae. It's also clever how Youthie changes instruments from track to track, thus providing a lot of variety. It also evokes musical styles from different cultures, which makes the listening experience of the album a little journey that takes us primarily to Eastern Europe in the Balkans. She always finds beautiful melodies that shape her pieces and make them unique. But Youthie's music couldn't work its magic without Macca Dread's absolutely brilliant productions. He also manages to compose varied tracks, which he records entirely in analogue form himself and produces them in a dynamic, crisp sound. Anyone who still complains about the fact that there is no “real” Dub-Mix should stand in the corner and be ashamed.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
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Review

Menotti HiFi: YKSI

There's a new kid on the block: Menotti HiFi. Three musicians from Münster, Thomas Hoppe (drums), Gudze (bass) and Arne Piri (keyboard) form the trio, two of which were already members of the Senior Allstars. After three years of jam sessions, experimentation and sound discovery, they are now presenting their debut album: “YKSI” (Vinyl Only Records). The name and origin of the band refer to Dub – and yet the three don’t see each other as “Dub Act”. They sound (by their own admission) as if the Beastie Boys were recording an instrumental album in Lee Perry's Black Ark Studio. Since the Beastie Boys famously didn't play reggae, it should be clear that we're dealing with a sound pretty much on the fringes of the genre - which can be quite refreshing. To me it sounds like rock and breakbeat, played and processed according to the concept of Dub. Difficult to describe in more detail and equally difficult to evaluate because of the lack of clear references. It's best if you listen for yourself.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
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Review

Thriller featuring Augustus Pablo

The fact is: reggae visionary and pioneer Augustus Pablo was instrumental in the emergence of the burgeoning band with his unique sound Dub-Reggae scene involved. Augustus Pablo is said not to have been enthusiastic about an early album. It was released in England in 1975 on the Nationwide label and the cover read: “Thriller featuring Augustus Pablo“, produced by Enos McLeod. There have been several questionable releases of the album over the years. For all of them the “featuring” disappeared and it became “Augustus Pablo: Thriller” or “Augustus Pablo: Pablo Nuh Jester”, with a changed track order and five additional titles – which I will briefly discuss at the end. When re-released by Canadian label Abraham/Clocktower, both the album's original title and all tracks were renamed. So pay attention: “Augustus Pablo: Dubbing In A Africa” is “Thriller”.
The vinyl re-release on Black Friday (25.11.2022/1.400/25,99), made possible by ORG Music on Record Store Day (RSD), sold out XNUMX copies in the United States in a very short time, priced at $XNUMX each. With this long overdue new edition, Augustus Pablo posthumously made it into the Billboard Reggae Album Charts for the first time.

Even if Augustus Pablo had a different opinion: “Thriller” is an outstanding album that contains some of the best work by the exceptional musician and producer who died far too early outside of his joint projects with King Tubby. A work that Enos McLeod can be proud of as a producer. It is still unclear what he actually produced. In any case, he didn't produce “Last Of The Jestering”, which is clearly Leonard Chin's fault. The same goes for “Pablo Nuh Jester”, another piece with the same rhythm. Of the remaining eight tracks, “Fat Girl Jean” can definitely be marked off as Pablo’s work. The sound of the piano makes me think so, because only Pablo seems to be able to make a piano produce that sound. The melodica tracks leave no doubt about it anyway.

The A-side of the vinyl begins with the title track “Thriller,” which features a great trombone part while a super-slow bassline floats over cymbal-heavy drums.
On "Pablo in Red" Augustus' melodica takes center stage and a rock-solid bass makes its way through the speakers.
“Pablo Style” is a slow, melodica-led instrumental version of the Ken Boothe classic “Everything I Own.”
“Last of the Jestering” is a difficult one Dubversion with clanging drums, and Augustus plays the main melody just great on his melodica. Patti Smith liked to play a slightly stripped down version of the song at her concerts.
My personal favorite has always been the B-side of this collector's item. It begins with “Pablo Nuh Jester,” a much more straightforward version of “No Jestering,” a 1973 song by Carl Malcolm.
“Fat Girl Jean” follows, a booming bass and slow drums are caressed by a gentle melodica.
“Marcus Garvey” turns the old Burning Spear classic into a real treat with its much faster rhythm and Augustus Pablo inspires me every time I listen to this piano-led instrumental version.
In "Rocky Road" Augustus shows what wonderful sounds he can elicit from his melodica, while the guitar is occasionally used. Two other versions of the Burning Spear Studio One classic “Foggy Road” are called “Rocky Road” and “Skibo Rock”. In my opinion, both pieces can also be attributed to Pablo. This time due to the very pronounced clavinet/keyboard work in “Skibo Rock”. The faster, almost dancefloor-friendly “Skibo Rock” is the culmination of a long-forgotten killer album.
Like many albums from this time, the sound is a bit dull, but the bass booms and the drums rattle so incredibly beautifully. To my ears, the warm, almost gentle sound of the album creates an airy and at the same time hypnotic listening pleasure.

Note: The last five Dubs on the CD have nothing to do with “Thriller” and are credited to Lloyd Parks & We The People Band.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
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Review

Ras Teo & I David: Bredda Daniel in Dub

Good albums always make a comeback - or, as in this case, a proper release on all notable streaming channels. So far Ras Teo and I have had David's Dub-version of their 2015 release "Bredda Daniel“ She spent a few years more or less hidden in the band camp catacombs; but now “Bredda Daniel in Dub“ (Akashic Records), obviously not just visually spruced up and polished, lifted into the well-deserved light of Spotify & Co. The streaming money tap per se has pretty little pressure, but in contrast to the easily infiltrated bandcamp offer, it trickles away day in and day out, and we would like to give Ras Teo and I David that credit.

The two are a well-rehearsed team: “Bredda Daniel” was their first collaboration, followed by the “Timeless” album and several other releases, preferably in single format. There's not much to lose here about Ras Teo himself - that's for the interested reader dubblog review of his fine Roberto Sanchez-produced “Ten Thousand Lions“album is recommended. However, it should be added that my relationship with Ras Teo's voice - thanks to his numerous other releases - is now more positive. I now also have a lot of respect for the fervor with which he presents his deeply religious texts, which often seem like they were taken directly from the Tanakh. There is no veering into shallower waters of worldly topics - the man knows the Holy Scriptures, lets the world know it and is reminiscent of the 1970s, when roots reggae was still on a first-name basis with the Bible.

I David, on the other hand, is at home in the studio and seemingly constantly produces tracks - sometimes with a live roots feeling, sometimes with a digital jackhammer. When working with Ras Teo, he chose the former - thank God - especially since the sterile digi sounds never suited the singer particularly well - see Ras Teo's first albums. He is also responsible for the mix of “Bredda Daniel in Dub“, to which he gave an extra pinch of bass in contrast to the vocal album, which was rather weak in this regard. 

That's good, no question, but it could be a little more for my taste. Otherwise there's very little to complain about: more classic Dub with beautiful, no less classic effects - one more album that could just as easily have boomed out of the speakers back in the day. It fits, sits, lasts, is fun and is definitely worth recommending.

PS: If you want to get into more melodica, you can find many of the “Bredda Daniel” tracks on I David’s instrumental “Roots Radical"-Album.

Rating: 4 out of 5.
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Review

iGL & Alecho: Revolution

Okay, you can really get excited about the fact that “real” sound systemDub has been standing still for 25 years, but you can also be happy about that Dub takes exciting new paths in the vicinity of electronic minimal music. The album is a really nice example of this "Revolution" by iGL & Alecho (Dubphonics). The duo Konstantinos & Alexandra lives and works in Athens, where this album was also recorded. It's unmistakably offbeat-driven Dub, which, however, subtly has one foot in the electronic music genre and cleverly explores the possibilities of crossovers. I particularly like the finely balanced arrangements of the minimalist-looking rhythms. Surprisingly, they are by no means monotonous or even boring, but rather exciting audio pieces - which are worth getting involved with. At the Sound System Clash, no one would think of playing music by iGL & Alecho, but anyone who indulges in contemplation and listens carefully (at best through headphones) will be entertained in an intelligent way. By the way, that doesn't mean that the music lacks power and dynamism. Not at all. The beats are quite impressive - at the right volume. Since the tracks consistently avoid boasting, big pants and aggression, the pleasant impression of real relaxation is conveyed. Very pleasant.

Rating: 4 out of 5.