I love the hypnotic, hard Dub-Sound of sound system sessions - these repetitive rhythms always captivate me. But recently my enthusiasm for handmade, analogue produced music has grown even stronger. I have the feeling that it is "richer" and the sound is more complex - of course only when it is played, recorded and produced really well. Apart from that, I have a really great appreciation for talented musicians. It is simply a true craft art to create good instrumentals and Dubs manually precise and with perfect timing. After recently dealing extensively with AI-generated music, my appreciation for man-made music has grown even more. And it is in this mood that I now come across Message's new album, "Showcase II" (Messengers) - and what can I say? “Showcase I” already impressed me, and now I am at "Showcase II“ enchants us again. The concept has – fortunately – not changed. The album contains seven instrumentals and seven Dubversions. Lead instruments are again mostly melodica, trombone and sometimes a keyboard. All pieces are original compositions by the band, were recorded live in the Lone Ark studio in Santander (northern Spain) and recorded on good old magnetic tape. Studio mastermind Roberto Sánchez himself sat on the drums and also took care of the recording. And of course the whole thing is once again seen as a homage to Jamaican reggae of the 1970s. Even at first listen, you can hear that Message doesn't just copy, but captures the essence of the genre and reinterprets it. The musicians succeed in doing this perfectly, not least thanks to the live recording, because this is the only way to really capture the energy and vibes that make roots reggae so special. It gives the album a special magic and an authentic, lively sound that is often missing from digital productions (which, however, have other qualities!). “Showcase II” is a work that not only honors the musical architects of the genre - the Jamaican musicians of the 1970s - but also shows how the band Message has found its own way within this tradition. Every track on “Showcase II” radiates the spirit of the band, the sense of community and the love of music. The best that reggae has to offer comes together here: brilliant craftsmanship, perfect production and, last but not least, really good compositions. We'll have to wait and see whether I have to sing such hymns of praise again for “Showcase III”. I certainly wouldn't mind.
3 Responses to “Message: Showcase II”
Back then with “Showcase 1” I promised myself that I would get the album in physical form. The sound of the album leaves nothing to be desired on CD and the band played really “tight” on “Showcase 1”, to use Seeed’s words.
But it didn't take long before I realized that the melodica was really annoying me too much, or rather, "let's" say, it was boring me quite a bit. I would like to describe the effect of the melodica on my nervous system in my somewhat unconventional way. The melodica in Dub has a similar effect on me as a tattoo on the beautiful, smooth and delicate skin of a woman, which I perceive as a gift from nature or heaven or, let's just say, a gift from GODJAHALLAH.
No matter what meaning or whatever else it may have for the "frustrated tattooed", to me every motif looks like a fire memorial burned with a Bunsen burner directly onto the beautiful skin. For me it's almost a mortal sin that I can only attribute to an AI. In this case, "AI" stands for "no intelligence". But that's just a side note.
In “Showcase 2” the melodica is not nearly as “penetrative” and the band plays exactly as described in the review. Or simply “Really Tight”!!! But hey… don’t think that I have nothing to complain about. In “Lightning and Thunder” and even more so in the DubVersion, the good old King Tubby is not only honored, but successfully tried to copy him exactly. Maybe I am mistaken, but this is exactly the “KingTubbyCimbleStyle” that does NOT ( ! ) make me Dub .
And as if they wanted to make up for it, they hit
“ETHIOPIA” really hits the spot. “A BIG TUNE DAT”!!!
What on the DubVersion is just as true. (May the Jamaicans forgive me for having misused their Patwa a little here, but some things sound best in the original and only then do they really get to the point. Which in principle also applies completely to the music itself.)
I also think the omission of “Gildo Horn” is very commendable. If you know what I mean?!
I don’t really know how I got to the DubStyle by Roberto Sanchez. I don’t always need the Dub, where all “nine gates” are wide open and you can see the tree from all the ( Dub )-tinsel is hardly recognizable anymore but a little bit more “Mad” could be good, if I am not mistaken.
OK, complaining is fun (at least for the person complaining) but all my little gripes shouldn't hide the fact that I also really like "Showcase 2".
Oh and by the way ……. a melodica in Dub is not always as bad as a tattoo on beautiful skin... (Tell it to the children)
"Dub Me Crazy” …………………. lemmi
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