The UKDub- Pioneers of the 1990s are getting old and handing the baton on to their offspring: Mad Professor, Aba Shanti I, Jah Shaka and Alpha & Omega. In the latter case, son Ben takes over from father John Sprosen, while his aunt Christine Woodbridge continues to play bass undaunted. The new, old duo gave themselves the appropriate programmatic name "Dub Dynasty ". In April the dynasty with "holy cow“(Steppas Records) presented their new, third album. A mighty work that resembles a bass tsunami that rolls inexorably through the coastal jungle of an exotic country. The bass drum marches, the bass roars and above it you hear mystical jungle sounds and melodies from foreign countries. A magical, hypnotic sound that unmistakably follows the Alpha & Omega concept, but is ultimately clearer, more differentiated and undoubtedly more dynamic. A real evolutionary step. But the Holy Cow can not only be reduced to sound, because the album also offers really strong compositions, often striking melodies and occasionally even very nice vocal contributions. There are 19 tracks in total, eight of which Dub-Versions of the previous Dubs are. So: Dub galore and at the highest level.
12 replies to "Dub Dynasty: Holy Cow "
That should be the third album by Dub Be dynasty. I have to say that Thundering Mantis is the strongest album so far and Holy Cow can't quite keep up with that. So I gave it a 4/5
High René,
Just so you don't think I'm not doing this anymore. I would prefer I could give you full approval again, but I can't really judge this album because my bass boxes aren't starting right now. Reggae without a bass isn't possible anyway Dub without bass is like surfing on the Baltic Sea ...
I've always wondered why I just couldn't find Alpha and Omega really good, and I've found that you're making a pretty good explanation here. If the sound is clearer, more differentiated and more dynamic than with A u. O explains at least for me why I only have one alpha and omega disc. So the sound was always too unclear for me, too undifferentiated and not dynamic enough.
Greetings…………………… lemmi
After the "Thundering Mantis" was one of my most listened to albums in the last few years I am absolutely curious what to expect here and whether the beauty of the last record will be achieved again.
Maybe I wasn't in the mood yesterday (it was also a rainy Monday) or I have to play it again first. So far, I can only award second place at this point, "Thundering Mantis" is for me the awesome album that has more feeling in it and arouses more desire for "Skanken". Next - backward never;) - I listen to the "Unrelenting Force", maybe I like it better.
@lemmi,
Sound quality is always a thing. Good music should also be enjoyable on a moderate system. Much is now lo-fi on purpose. But there are also plenty of examples of sound that can really spoil the enjoyment of music. I haven't counted Alpha & Omega among them yet.
A bad example is Don Goliath or outside of reggaeDub-Universe of course the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I'm waiting for a properly remastered “Californication”, that would be worth a few euros to get rid of the maximum 12-bit sound and the mixture of analog and digital distortion.
Good mastering can also be a question of cost. Unfortunately even today. And there in Dub-Area no money is earned anyway you can be a bit tolerant as long as the bassline works :)
High Ropp Auff,
thank you for your dialogue!
Yes, I've had to have tolerance all my life. My statement, "the sound of A and O. would be so and so" was misleading ... .. in this case I should have written the music. The sound of A. u.O. is actually always great, but the music is that Dub in and of itself I was (almost) always too gloomy, somehow too depressed, too little upliftment. But Alpha and Omega also have the famous exceptions to the rule.
You are also right that good music should be enjoyable even without perfect sound. But reggae is not just music but medicine and if the sound is wrong,
then for me it is a bit like putting the ointment on the bandage and not on the skin. It is also likely that there are individual differences in what one looks for in music. For me it is music and first and foremost DUB especially SOUND and more important sound experiments. For me it is very important how the bass digs into my guts and digs around in them until I fall into a limitless feeling of wellbeing. I'm always looking for the perfect bass sound that shouldn't boom but at the same time goes into the spinal cord. That may be difficult, but this is the only way to give me respect, recognition and enthusiasm. Since I don't have a bass here at the moment (you understand? !!…. I don't have a bass at all !!!), I feel like Robby Nash in Hawaii without a surfboard …….
and the beach and the sea are gone too ……………………. lemmi
Oh no bass at all? That is bitter. For me the system is there, and not bad at all, but the living room doesn't allow you to really enjoy the bass. And by that I don't even mean the neighbors, but rather poorly cut 13,5m² in which a few tones boom and the rest can hardly be heard.
The bass in Matic Horn's “Raama Melody” or the one is almost perfect Dub, deep and very tight. Has the property of making me happy without cause. I think that's pretty close to what you're describing. Some of Kanka from Rouen manages that too (e.g. the track with Ranking Joe from the submersion, I'm not getting the title right now). And even if there is no Dub is Dub Inc seem to attach great importance to a good bass sound. “Chaque Nouvelle Page” also has an insane bassline.
With steppas it is habitually booming a little more than it should, must be.
I'm curious what the Young Veteran Hi Fi people hit me at the Katzensprung Festival.
Wow, Matic Horns are good. I didn't even have it on my screen.
This is not actually about the Matic Horns, but I would like to thank you very much for this very good tip. Yes, the bass sounds very good and above all they always have a really great bassline. Most of them have been known to me for a long time from Jamaica, including Flabba Holt, but the origin of bass and universally untouchable BassLines comes from the motherland of reggae.
In any case, the Matic Horns are very awesome. Great sound and great riddims…. all in all exactly my favorite music. Right now in a loop in my official dancehall. Really cool !!!
Give tanx …………………. lemmi
I'm happy that I can give the big dude (^^) a tip. Thanks to this blog and the riddim, it usually works the other way around.
By the way, I'm not sure whether "Matic Horns" is just the trumpeter or the whole band, or the producer in personal union with Tröt ...
Immediately I go to the banks of the Rhine with a bass-heavy battery PA and the “Rooted and Grounded” acquired at the end of last year - I can already smell the end of the day, “everyday life is turned into papers”.
Lucky
the Matic Horns were actually still available on Irie Carlo as a double CD! Since yesterday mine
I hope the Akku Pa did not trigger a tsunami on the opposite bank of the Rhine….
Cheers …………………. lemmi
Great thing, I'm still missing the CD. What's the name of the shop?
Jo Rheinufer was really nice, and rather relaxed - a few scoops are still missing for the tsunami.
Oh sorry man
the shop is called Irie Records (in Münster) …… you can listen to every disc (45 sec.) and then order. Unfortunately that doesn't work with Matic Horns anymore, because I was the only one lucky enough to have a copy left. Nevertheless, I can only recommend you and every other reggae fan to browse around a bit. But (attention !!!) it's addicting ……………… .. lemmi