Where "I Grade" is on it, quality is in it - no question: Best sound, brand "sophisticated". See the review of the recently released Zion I Kings album "Future Ocean's Echo“, which thrives on concept first and, well, riddims and effects second. But if the former is missing and the latter isn't the icing on the cake either, then it sounds like Christo's DC's newer one Dub counterpart to his "crisis 2.0" Album that, no-na, "Crisis 2.0 in Dub“ (Honest Music) – both mixed by Laurent Alfred aka I Grade.
To make it short: "sophisticated" stands for cultivated boredom. The riddims ripple neatly along without any arc of suspense; due to a lack of concise basslines, it doesn't want to be recognizable. The same goes for the mix: although there's no stinginess with effects, it doesn't quite spark. In the sound, everything seems to be more or less equally loud/quiet, courageous fade-outs are missing, acoustic uniformity reigns, less would be more. A disappointment, since one is better from I grade Dubs used to. In comparison, the vocal album Crisis 2.0 does better: It's Christos DC's voice that ties it all together and provides direction.
The example above may not demonstrate the catchiest melody line, but it is, hands down, the best riddim on the album. And so it finally comes that in the present case I actually play the vocal tracks of the Dubvariant, especially since sound gimmicks have also been incorporated there. Which shows: Sometimes you've already delivered the best and it doesn't need any further processing - and yes, you can also overdo it with perfection.
15 Responses to “Christos DC: Crisis 2.0 in Dub"
I've been wondering when there will be a (small) slating, but then I thought that maybe everything would only be discussed from the point of "good" (which would also be ok for me). I could also imagine that it's not that easy not to review a release so positively (let alone negatively) anyway, since I assume that you've known each other over the years and, I can understand that, you don't have anyone for you want to alienate his work. From the punk/HC context, I know that magazines/fanzines like to "catch" newcomers who don't yet have such a large scene lobby. Like that at DUB I don't know, but from my own experience with my articles in fanzines, reviews have always been the hardest for me. Then I'd rather have an interview or a concert review with/about bands that I liked and that I wish other people would also get to know.
But what I actually (only) wanted to ask: How does a meeting like this result in a 3,5 star rating? That's still pretty decent for me at 5 in my perception. Has there ever been 1 or 2 stars?
Hello Andi,
Nice input from you, here are my thoughts on it:
The aim of a good review is for the recipient to deal with the subject of the review - in our case this means that they ultimately listen to the album and make their own judgement. He finds the main reason for this in very good, but also in very bad ratings - i.e. in joy or anger. In this respect, a rating like the above with 3,5 stars is something like "meh" - for such an album I wouldn't want to bother to look for it on Spotify or anywhere else. In that sense, the average "meh" review is worse than anything else.
Another point for an evaluation is always the comparison with the artist's previous works, i.e. his development, and of course he is also in competition with current events and zeitgeist in the genre. That was also a reason for the above 3,5 stars. It also has to be mentioned that the objective review can only be created if you also know the follow-up album; only in this way is it possible to locate it in the oeuvre.
Ultimately, I'm more known for my slating, for example here: https://dubblog.de/sly-robbie-dub-serge/
Of course you have to listen to some nasty belches for something like that, but as one of the commentators put it: "Holy bang, that reads like a musical accident. I need to hear it right now???” And that's what it's all about, that's the point and purpose of my reviews.
In this respect, I consider continuous cheering reviews to be purely a promotional tool, since there are enough websites that hire themselves out for it. Here in dubblog.de we are far away from that imo, the different characters of the reviewers make sure of that.
The world as I see it :-)
gtk
Hi Andi,
I can only speak for myself and I don't review albums at all that I don't like myself. As you probably know yourself, a review requires listening to an album far more than once. Ideally even in all situations in life, in order to at least get a comprehensive, albeit subjective, picture. Listening to albums that I don't like several times voluntarily borders on masochism and thank God I'm not predisposed to that. So what I don't like, I don't hear and consequently don't talk about it. To be honest, this "star distribution" is horrible for me, but a necessary must that I personally would love to do without.
"Have there ever been 1 or 2 stars?" Definitely not from my side for the reasons explained above.
Thank you for your reply. Again to explain my (stupid) request: I'm with DUB far from being so well positioned and I was incredibly happy when I discovered the blog here. With every year I learn something new and can now also better distinguish between the individual types of play (from Lemmi's expression Aggrodub By the way, the other day I felt addressed haha) differentiating in order to read out for myself what suits my taste. This in turn usually means that as a collector I buy the vinyl or – if not available – download the music somewhere. In any case, the / your / your reviews are important to me as part of my decision to buy a record. So I will continue to let stars be stars and focus on the review itself. .
Äääähm, I'm starting to feel really "weird" here. Now it turns out for me that Andi ( high Andi, everything's fine, I'm just kidding ;-) ..... ) is "scientifically" involved with music or the attempt to create music (i.e. punk ;-) ). and occasionally writes reviews. Aren't there any normal "stone-knockers" like me here? Am I the only worker here? is Dub again only something for intellectuals? Do you have to be intellectual to write reviews?
Does anyone here understand what I mean? ……………………..
Come down lemmi! Come down!
Yes, on the one hand I'm really just kidding, but sometimes I really ask myself why such "normal people" like me mainly limit themselves to writing hate comments on the internet. If they say anything at all. Why don't the intelligent ones listen too Dub ?! intelligence Dub Music !!! Brain Music !
Brrrrrrt ! Stop ! Rewind! Everything again at the beginning.
So from my point of view it's not possible to slam a Dubto write an album. Even the “worst DubAlbum” is still good music ;-)
But maybe someone will try to make fun of it and try it anyway. My comments don't always read positively either, but in the end I always try to describe why I'm a Dubalbum doesn't bring me to the usual ecstasy that I'm used to Dub and of course mostly overwhelms with reggae.
And with Christos DC I now also know that complete ecstasy won't work for me. I have many good audio samples on “Deep In Dub“ already heard. I extracted quite a few things again and put them in my special highlights. Yes, I even bought Christos DC because it came across as quite crisp at first. Then I noticed that the BassLines still didn't really grab me even after the 5th complete round and now I don't like playing Christos DC that much anymore. For me, these are the key experiences that have moved me DubMusic and music in general, only and almost exclusively to "evaluate" the bass line. It doesn't matter what you think, but for me it's almost become a survival strategy that keeps me from stuffing myself with information. And when gtk describes and evaluates an album by Christos DC like this, I know for sure that I don't have to listen to it to form my own opinion. The review here confirms my general perception of Christos DC so much that I don't have to worry about it in this case. However, I know from experience that Christos DC can also throw out a little highlight for my lists, so I'd rather check out the album.
The audio sample was quite OK, but quite OK doesn't lead to ecstasy. And since I don't take any "ecstasy" with MDMA, the occasional ecstasy has to be gone Dub come yourself.
Should I still have found a real highlight for me on this album, I'll get back to you.
“I am the normal one” …………………………………… lemmi ( yeah yeah lemmi, keep dreaming .... )
Hey Lemmi. You are the most important "authority" here on the blog in terms of reviews. On the one hand, because your comments are entertaining and I enjoy reading them, and on the other hand, because you (we) can let off steam here as commentators without running the risk of offending anyone.
But something else: you recently gave me the term aggrodub attached. What would that mean for you? Let's get some things out...
Hi Andy!
Spontaneously (is my word of the day today) I recommend you plow the whole
On .U Sound "World Pool" through. Every now and then they also have "beautiful" DubBut sgamacht alone a Dough Wimbish on the bass and a Skip Mc Donald alias Little Ax on the guitar exudes (at least for me) the necessary portion of aggression.
Let's just take "Avant Guarding" New Age Steppers and how could it be otherwise the "Aggro Dub Version". BassLine, as well as the entire groove and last but not least the ANNOUNCEMENT (!) "no matter what language you speak / This is an Aggro Dub Version" contains more "litrical talent" for me than all works from shakespeare to "hamlet" ;-) put together. A bit of theatricality is a must for me.
Or "Wadada" from Dub Syndicate and the version of Dubblestandart again a bit more aggro …….
It's actually a very nice task to make a list. At the moment, however, the process and the loss of time is very aggressive towards me. So it might take a while.
Maybe I'll come up with "Aggro Dub Versions” with you anyway a little more like a “wimp” over. Because as someone who "even" listens to punk, is Dub then probably a different kind of aggression altogether, if at all.
For me, punk is no longer aggression, but pure hatred of everything. Anyway, music seems to hate me too. That's really too brutal for me.
And since Adrian Sherwood was once, or still is, a punk at heart, On .U Sound may just have the perfect blend of aggression and pure magic.
And then at “Aggro Dub“ Always my – almost – favoriteDubdisc on. "Dub Project Part II" ( Twilight Productions ). I find it aggressive when you throw out riddims like that without compromise and without regard to (financial) losses.
New Age Steppers is a Punky Reggae Party…………. lemmi
Yes, you've started something Andi!
But since I know that I am always and everywhere ( somehow ) different, so also here in the DubBlog, I give you and everyone else Dubfans around the world another example of what I mean by “Agggro Dub“ stop. If you also find it chilled, like many other people who always perceive reggae as “chilled” and “good vibes”, then we don’t need to go any further.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVRXoKyZaxs
These crisp drums, these strange "noises" in and around the instruments and this radical guitar......I can't put it into words how much it flashes me. Even after more than thirty years, for me it's still the non plus ultra in things Dub or aggroDub.
Music where the cops and the political tricksters get scared.
Should I be there with my perception of everyone, that would not be a problem.
I would only look forward to my Tron der DubConnoisseurs set this Tune+ with a sublime grinDub hear and pity all mankind. I would take a deep breath for that ;-)
Reaching the Bad Man………………. lemmi
I also have the record (of course) and it's awesome. I'm with you there
Hi Lemmi, thank you for your feedback. At On.U I'm very well positioned and now – after your explanations – I understand what you mean by aggro Dub mean. But my request was already worth it, because that Dub I didn't know Project Part II until now. Thanks for the tip! Question: Do you like Jah Schulz? I'm a real fanboy, also because I perceive his music to be developing in an increasingly "rougher" direction. The last showcase was already slightly exhausting awesome.
Hey, high Andy!
"Extremely cool" ! I didn't even know that phrase.
Yes, since you're a Jah Schulz fanboy, I have to be careful with my assessment so that it doesn't hurt you.
I even got a vinyl disc from him and if you really don't have to be considerate of neighbors and friends at all, you (I) can also listen to it at the appropriate or necessary volume. Unfortunately, this is extremely rarely the case. So the disc is only in wait as a decoration in my very holey little collection. Everything else I got from him then (here in Dubblog there were already a few suggestions ) went - for me - already in the similar direction, so that I no longer took advantage of the purchase option. I think for his music/Dubs you need an open field so that you don't offend anyone when it comes to the bass waves. It doesn't offer me enough for the rather quiet and dignified listening in my own (rented) 4 walls, so unfortunately I'm not really familiar with it either. Especially not compared to a FanBoy ;-)
You've also made me curious now, with the "rougher direction", so that I really urgently need to look into his last productions
want to listen in.
Unfortunately, I also have to honestly say that I'm a little "racist" when it comes to music perception. I've always needed a certain "exoticism" in music so that I'm magically flashed. Europeans and their descendants may be too close to me and are not able to surprise me and inspire or even enchant me with - for me - strange music arrangements. Exceptions are very rare and of course I also have a certain tolerance range and sometimes use something “normal”.
But the real fascination – so to speak, almost an “exhaustingly horny ecstasy” ;-) arises for me almost only when I am allowed to hear African musicians who “in the best case” have taken mind-altering drugs, which make me a shaman from afar would. Or something like that.
In other words, I only like Jah Schulz when he's loud.... ;-)
So long first of all …………….. lemmi
From coast to coast! From Dub to Dub !
It can go that fast! I'm now also a "fanboy" .... ;-)
This showcase album is for someone who is basically on Dubprojects is very close, I would say. The Ridddims on "DubShowcase" are just as wacky as the ones on e.g. "Dub Project Part II.” At the first SoundCheck I have two Dubs packed in a playlist. After the second check it was already 5...... let's see if I can't even get a vinyl disc from them.
I really like most of them.
It always becomes particularly mystical when I think, "Where does that sound so familiar from?" That's how I felt with "What Dub“!
Luckily I didn't have to rack my brains for too long to figure it out. "What Dub“ I “filed” it into my playlist without hesitation, because it was the one that fascinated me the most and of course I still am. This Dub grooves exactly like "Dictionary" from "Overdubbed” album by Sly and Robbie mixed by Dubmatrix. I even think Jah Schulz's is a bit better at the moment, because he conveys the sound of the riddim a little more clearly. I admit that my "perfect pitch" is letting me down again. So I can't swear by the best will in the world that it's the same for both Dubs is the same template.
I think I could have bought the part but ( somehow ) vinyl discs are probably only intended for the descendants of Goldman and Sachs. I really don't find 30 euros (60 marks) for a current edition of a disc any longer acceptable. There are said to be people who pay a hundred euros and more for rarities. Any sound like that would get stuck in my ear. But those are other topics…………..
In any case, it's also very good that we talked about Jah Schulz again......
So long………… lemmi
@ GTK: "So a rating like the 3,5 stars above is something like 'meh' - I wouldn't bother looking for it on Spotify or anywhere else for an album like that."
So I use completely different criteria:
1 star = insufficient
2 stars = sufficient
3 stars = satisfactory
4 stars = good
5 stars = very good
Ergo, with (my) rating of 3,5 stars, the album is between "satisfactory" and "good" and is definitely worth listening to.
Dub is always worth hearing for me anyway. It's sometimes more sometimes less ;-)
I treated myself to this Christos Dc disc again and “had” or was actually allowed to have a few more Dubs in a playlist. All in all, as I expected, but two three Dubs have wrapped me around their finger.
Well, since the album didn't get one, not two, but 3 1/2 stars, I'm personally at peace with everyone and everything.
I think it's great that there are stars. Not just here DubBlog, not only in the starry sky, but apparently everywhere !!!
Love, Peace and Unity ……………………… lemmi
I have to say a few words on the subject of "torsion". As a rule, I ignore albums that I consider "inadequate" and concentrate on the recommended new releases. On the one hand, bad music isn't worth investigating, and on the other hand, I want to avoid offending musicians or producers with a scathing. Even a bad album puts a lot of work and heart and soul into it. It hurts to read harsh criticism.
Occasionally I have to review bad albums (has happened to me all the time with Lee Perry). This is always necessary when an album comes from a well-known artist. Then there is a kind of "public interest" in it. A negative review then serves as a warning ;-).