Every now and then albums are needed that don't dare to experiment, that don't want to irritate listening habits, that are neither socially critical nor provocative, that do not consider themselves to be the center of the world and also do not gather superstars, but just plain and very modest, good music Offer. One such album is "Spanish Town Rock“(HAT) by Matic Horns. Contrary to the plural of the name, there is only one man behind Matic Horns: Henry Tenyue, trombonist based in London. His playing can be heard in countless reggae productions and not infrequently also at live concerts by Jamaican artists touring Europe. Now he presents one of his rare solo albums with “Spanish Town Rock”. It was produced by Mafia & Fluxy and mixed by Gussie P and Bitty McLean among others - guarantors for strong rhythms and tight sound. Most of the tracks on the album are based on existing riddims and songs, so Henry Tenyue and his crew could just concentrate on playing their instruments. And that's superb. The backings (on which besides Mafia & Fluxy and others also Carlton "Bubblers" Ogilvie contributed) are super tight, crisp & rock solid. Their sound is fantastic and the restrained mix is beyond any doubt. Tenyue's trombone playing sounds above it - warm, majestic and timeless. Just beautiful.
6 replies to "Matic Horns: Spanish Town Rock"
Oh man,
you make me fed up. I was hoping “Spanish Town Rock” would be something like the summary of “Musical Storm”. But nothing there, I also need the disc.
"There is more than enough for all the needy but there is never enough for all the greedy"
…………………………. lemmi
Yes, a well done album that shows the love for the "handmade" and Mafia & Fluxy influence. This category includes a similarly beautiful album that I just discovered by chance: Alific - "Dub in the District “, by US DJ and producer Brendan Danbe. More instrumental than dub, but such conventional albums have unfortunately long been a rarity.
I "don't like" doing this because it is basically an insider tip. "Dub in the District ”I also like“ Echos from the Soul ”behind the seven mountains with the seven dwarfs a thousand and one times better. Sorry for the little exaggeration. A best off from both discs then of course leaves nothing to be desired. Woe to you put it on publicly somewhere ;-) ... I want to be the first ;-) but at the moment I have no options or not enough electricity in the habit. So: Enjoy the “Forwards!” When you play it to the people.
I don´t like Alific, I Love It ……………………. lemmi
Oh, in this context I have to ask if you know about Stick Figure.
The or they are somehow connected with Alific.
Everyone is always talking about soy and rebellion (or the like) while the ones against Stick Figure are just a copy! Yes, I know, is an exaggeration, but still my opinion.
Yeah man !!! Alific / Stick Figure …… hand-played music with a really good fat sound. I wish Jamaican recordings sounded this good too. But somehow the Jamaicans are being ripped off or not supported enough.
"Don't fight the feeling" …………………. lemmi
And because it fits well, here is another new release:
Dennis Brown Riddims - feat. Sly & Robbie and The Tad's Roots Band
Pretty good when you first listen, even if you could have left the Shubidu vocals. But Sly & Robbie play old school style, so I get on my knees. “Ghetto Girl”, for example, is simply fantastic. I would like to know how this album came about and who the Tad's Roots Band is.
https://www.reggaerecord.com/download/en/description.php?release_id=717048
The band is likely producer Tad Dawkin's house band. I think that the album simply brings together the rhythms produced by Tads for Dennis Brown. But I find it a bit too soft and also just listened to the songs too often.