Dub Spencer & Trance Hill: Black Album

The Zurich Dub-Combo Dub Spencer & Trance Hill is in dubblog a regular guest. Their albums usually get 5 out of 5 stars, which is the highest rating. If a friend points out a “previously officially unpublished, only known to a small circle” work that has appeared on YouTube via Twitter, then of course you will listen carefully. Since September 2020 the "Black album“Apparently online there and has so far reached a good 800 listeners. So it remained an insider tip and raised even more questions for it. Indeed: What is this “Black Album” about?

Band bassist and manager Marcel “Masi” Stalder sheds light on the matter on request. Around the time of “Riding Strange Horses” (2010) Nicolai Beverungen worked for his record label Echo Beach - wherever Dub Spencer & Trance Hill publish their stuff - the idea of ​​an Echo Beach anniversary album had with verdubGood versions of well-known songs, to which the people of Zurich should also make a contribution. Because at that time Stalder and colleagues had so much fun recording strange songs dubTo put on a nice dress, they suddenly recorded around a dozen tracks with the idea of ​​releasing them as a separate album. The problem: The rights were not available for all songs. Therefore, the album disappeared in the drawer - with the exception of one song that made it onto the aforementioned "Riding Strange Horses", which was only equipped with cover versions: "Enter Sandman" by Metallica.

The rest of the "Black Album" found the light of the public in a different way. For one thing, it offered Dub Spencer & Trance Hill to their fans after concerts on self-burned CDs; However, it was a very small edition of only around 100 pieces. On the other hand, Echo Beach brought out a best of the Zurich band in 2017 with “Return Of The Supervinyl”. As the name suggests, only on vinyl, but with a treat - a link to the "Black Album", which was never officially released. Because the activation of the link was only possible in a roundabout way and required a lot of nerve, the vinyl edition was quickly sold out, the ominous work was still reserved for a small group of interested people. Until it was uploaded to Youtube almost a year ago. Presumably from a fan.

Now that the winding paths of the “Black Album” have been clarified, the most important question still arises: Is it worth listening to the ten songs on it? Absolutely - if you are on verdubbte cover versions are available! Marcel Stalder explains with a laugh that every member of the band has brought in his “youthful sins”, his “musical hateful love”. What Dub Spencer & Trance Hill made it out of it is - once again - simply great. Even “The Final Countdown” by Europe (the original causes me physical pain personally) is an experience. In contrast to “Riding Strange Horses”, the original voices are missing on the “Black Album”. But it doesn't matter. That was the only way James Brown's “I Feel Good” could turn out so spooky and gloomy. Nothing more is revealed, except that one likes to put up with such youthful sins. The album fits in seamlessly with the early work of Dub Spencer & Trance Hill one. It is not difficult to read from the previous lines that the writer would like an official publication at a later date.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb6x1D8baRg

Tracklist:

1. "Enter Dubman "(" Enter Sandman "by Metallica)

2. "The Final Dub Down "(" The Final Countdown "from Europe)

3. "Eye Of The Lion" ("Eye Of The Tiger" by Survivor from the "Rocky IV" soundtrack)

4. "Bomb Back" feat. Nya ("Bomb Track" by Rage Against The Machine)

5. "Chilly Jean" ("Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson)

6. "Tire" ("Fire" by Jimi Hendrix)

7. "I Feel Stoned" ("I Feel Good" by James Brown)

8. "Owner Of A Dub Heart “feat. The Homestories ("Owner Of A Lonely Heart" by Yes)

9. "The Sea" ("The Ocean" by Led Zeppelin)

10. "Until The End Of The Disc" ("Until The End Of The World" by U2)