If I liked vocals in reggae, Perfect Giddimani would definitely be one of my favorites. The guy's got it: Not only can he sing (meaning he hits the right notes and has a good phrasing and breathing technique) and DJ skills, but above all, he can also write fine lyrics and catchy hooks. Sure, he occasionally has fits of screaming, which you can easily overlook or ignore. Perfect Giddimani certainly demonstrates a good hand in his selection of producers and backing tracks—for example, from House of Riddim or Irie Vibrations.
This time Perfect Giddimani has chosen to collaborate with Victor Gallardo aka Sinky Beatz – a Spanish music producer and trained jazz musician who, according to his own statements, specializes in roots reggae and Dub He succeeds quite well and anyone can download his riddims for a reasonable price of 49 or 99 US$ via his Website Perfect Giddimani may have handled it this way for his current album "Sibusiso (Blessings)" – although it can be assumed that the collaboration goes deeper. Sinky Beatz also releases his riddims on various streaming platforms – which raises the question: why? Such monotonous instrumentals, smothered by soft keyboard carpets, are not necessarily appealing to the experienced listener and definitely fall into the category of background music. Last year's album "Dubphilia” – a pleasantly listening collection of fine DubTunes with catchy basslines and just the right amount of dynamics. What's real instrumentation and what's thanks to samples or AI remains to be seen; the album is certainly worth recommending – among other things, because the keyboard layers are used rather sparingly.
The same applies to the recently published “Sibusiso in Dub“ (Giddimani Records), the companion album to Perfect Giddimani's “Sibusiso (Blessings)“. Solidly produced by Sinky Beatz, it scores with first-class sound and wonderfully embedded DubEffects; they also didn't forget to leave many hooks in the mix. Only the overused bass sound effect could have been used more sparingly. We know it from the Mad Professor mixes, where it can be seen as his USP. However, the Professor never managed to integrate it into the mix as beautifully and perfectly as Sinky Beatz.
Is “Sibusiso in Dub“ also Roots-Dub At its best? No, but pretty close. A little less perfection might have done the album good – you soon get tired of too much beauty. Nevertheless, a thumbs up for this production... and every now and then I'm strongly tempted to give it a second thumbs up, too.
15 replies to “Perfect Giddimani & Sinky Beatz: Sibusiso in Dub"
According to my information, Sinky Beats has only been produced. The Dub Mix was made by Sebastien Hout from the French band Tu Shung Peng.
Artist Perfect Giddimani
Produced by Sinky Beatz
Mixed and mastered by Sebastien Hout.
According to the liner notes on the cover of the album, the Dub Mixing was done by Sinky Beatz. The (Vocal)-Mixing & Mastering for the Vocal-Album was done by Mr. Hout.
No all the dub mixes were done my Sinky Beatz! Sebastien only mixed the album. The French band had nothing to do with the riddims! They were all made by Sinky!
Yo! When it comes to Perfect Giddimani's singing, I've been on his side for a long time. And I even have a few of his tunes with the Roots Radics on the album "Farm Work." I don't like everything he does, but I know enough of his really good tunes to like him a lot. Occasionally, he screams a bit before he has a real "screaming fit." When it comes to singing, less is ALWAYS more!!! (It's not just my opinion, I guess.)
So why did I come to this DubAlbum, contrary to my usual habits, not yet commented, even though “Dubphilia" by Sinky Beats firmly established itself in my Top 5 charts for 2024. Quite simply because, in this case, they faded a little too much into the background for me and didn't send me to the front. But I should really commend them for that, because I don't feel like going to the front and giving my life for some arrogant idiots. I don't understand what all these soldiers are sitting on and still sacrificing themselves for senseless and idiotic reasons for war. Also very current, I would say, "Hey Putin, if you're so war-crazy, then go yourself. The Americans sacrificed themselves many times for Europe and freed us from the Nazi plague. And today they're just giving us away. The Vietnam veterans aren't considered heroes either. And the German soldiers sacrificed themselves for the utter nonsense. Among other things, they froze to death miserably on the Eastern Front. And for what??? For a madman and his sycophants. There is not a single reason for war, and yet soldiers of every generation are being taken for a ride again and again. The Russians are also being completely taken for a ride right now, by not even providing them with the bare necessities. What war has brought more than dead women and children, dead sons at the front, destroyed homes and the accompanying homelessness and general misery??? It would be nice if I could DubFan who is in Dubblog, was able to give some good advice and pass it on to all his comrades. Because they don't know what they're doing! Defensive warfare is, of course, something completely different! Turning the other cheek isn't possible!!!).
Yes, you can delete it or criticize me privately or publicly for spreading my "wisdom" here, but I can't just talk about music while people out there freak out and simply don't learn anything.
And besides, these Dubs and also the vocal versions of
"Sibusiso" is a bit too lame at the moment. They're not bad and pleasant to listen to, but they're also sufficient as background music.
Even the "bass fart" doesn't have as much impact here as the Mad Professor's. That could be a good thing, though, assuming it's not always true that the quiet farts... well, you know what I mean... There's no point in elaborating on this until there are any odor comments.
The world as it is right now stinks to me at least 2000 miles against the wind ………………… lemmi
Ahhh, lemmi, you're a force to be reckoned with: Who else would have mentioned the infamous bass farts at this point? Three thumbs up for you, lemmi!
The very apt term "Bassfurz" is a word coined by gtk. So credit where credit is due.
Although I have spent time with my reggae and DubAs a Mad Professor fan all my life, this effect wasn't really one of my favorites. Luckily, they didn't stink enough to make the whole DubTo diminish Mad Professor's work. I actually quite like the way Sinky Beatz uses the effect. And that's also because it reminds me of Mad Professor. He really made me crazy over time.dubCombined with my "craziness," which I've always had, this often turned into positive madness, which I wouldn't want to miss. I think you need a healthy portion of
“Coolness in Foolishness” to even focus on DubTo be able to let in music ……..
"Gimme the Dub ! The Rub A Dub !” ……………….lemmi
Yes, I also find the forced perfection excessive. At least there are one or two Dubeffect that makes the tunes distinguishable from pure instrumentals. Less farting and more variety would Dubessence and my ears liked it:-)
I agree, Giovanni. I always wonder where in the current DubProductions are about courage, a willingness to take risks, a sense of the unexpected. Why not completely overdrive an instrument or vocal fragment against all reason? I last heard something like that in 2004 in an Adrian Sherwood production – and it still sounds awesome today. In my opinion, something like that can elevate dull studio work to art.
Wow! I can't do anything else now.
I just have to get that off my chest. Adrian Sherwood is the best anyway, although in my opinion Haris Pilton is hot on his heels. But it is precisely this exaggeration, which defies all reason, and the very skillful over-modulation of vocals or
Instrumental fragments are in my favoriteDub of all times in flawless perfection.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygEfdlG1ot0
It's not even the best BiasLine of all time for me but it's very effective and Adrian Sherwood makes the mixer
to the command post of the Starship Enterprise! And when the basis comes from musicians like Skip Mc Donald, the perfect DubNothing stands in the way of an experience.
So long …………… .. lemmi
I suggest you listen here:
https://youtu.be/o75HbdtIzac?si=xNvfTg4M2ONtVh7H&t=323
There's a hidden track ("Nutt'n nah gwan") that starts at minute 05:23. The climax, a stress test for the loudspeakers, takes place at minute 08:44.
Hats off, Mr. Sherwood!
But so exactly right! At this DubTune also had to think about radical aggroDub goes. That's what I mean, with DubEffects that would scare the police. Even Michael Meyers gets a fright. This hidden track was the main reason I was glad I chose the CD version over the vinyl. However, the vinyl version features another track that isn't available on the CD. It's not as "radical," though.
Yes, now the box is open and I have to control myself not to let everyone ( Dub )Tune from On .U Sound. But for me a very special DubMoment is also in the “Fade Away” version by the New Age Steppers in the 1980 edition. At minute 4:44
the singer (Ari Up?) goes to heaven with her voice and normally I would get out as fast as possible but not at On .U Sound! Adrian Shwerwood mixes it so brilliantly that I get really thick, almost bursting goosebumps every time. And I can't stop myself from telling a little story. Although it ended in defeat for me, it has to come out now. Here in my home town, too, we once had a real SoundSystem boom and since people knew me from various other events, I was allowed to play a part in the warm-up despite that or exactly because of that (I still don't know).
(how should I say) in the truest sense of the word DubSession to my liking. What an awesome moment (approx. 2 hours) that was for me cannot be put into words. From King Tubby to Lee Perry, Mad Professor, Shah Shaka, Scientist and Prince Jammy as well as Augustus Paplo, to On .U Sound, I was able to play everything that the Göttingen underworld had never heard before. I can only say that the room was never empty and I had no inhibitions whatsoever. I even played "Fade Away" by the New Age Steppers, but I was still too much for the sound system guys. Even before this magical scene with
the “Song of Heaven” by Ari Up (?), they just threw in a Duncehall tune like Mrs. Mittenreinschwätzer and my magical opening act of excellent Dub“material” ended abruptly. Yes, it was a traumatic experience for me, one I will never forget. I still see it as the biggest defeat of my life. If they had at least let the tune play out, then I would have been completely satisfied with the evening, but as it is, it always leaves a bad taste in my mouth. That’s how they always were, those SoundSystem guys. The tune plays for about 10 seconds, then stops, rewind, next singer, next version. That wasn’t and isn’t my thing. Anyway, it wasn’t all that bad, of course, and I was able to play for the Sound System several times afterwards as part of the so-called warm-up, showing people that Jamaica isn’t just about duncehall. Besides, we all liked and still like each other very much. Oh, I have to put “Fade Away” in here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aPQbYMPEOU
What a topic! I could make a whole playlist with
I want to put the offbeat On .U Sound productions in here, but I have to “do it middach” first.
So long and have fun ……………….. lemmi
A direct hit, lemmi. The original version of "Fade Away" is one of my favorite songs: Great lyrics, a classically beautiful bassline, and an acoustically impressive and powerfully mixed bass drum—unheard of in reggae at the time. I also believe every word Junior Byles sings. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Ari Up—that lovely woman was everything, but definitely not a good singer (I send a big "sorry" to heaven for that). A. Sherwood's mix, on the other hand, is very well done, especially when viewed in its contemporary context. And disco mixes are my thing anyway... love it.
Yes, that's right gtk!
“Fade Away” in the film Rockers evoked a similarly strong reaction in my body and mind as the magnificent performance of Kiddus I with
"Graduation in Zion." I believe, or rather, I'm inclined to firmly believe, that there were a lot more reggae fans after this performance than before.
I have nothing to add about Ari Up (sorry).... In any case, she's a good woman (as far as I can say).
“Good things happening over there” ………………… lemmi
I'm getting right into this anthem. I first heard the bassline when I was 15, in an interlude by Radio Bemba aka Mano Negra/Manu Chao. I had no idea about reggae back then, but I still repeated this interlude over and over again. And now I get to hear this version. Yes, unfortunately for the first time :-/. It's fine, but the lady's voice has just as little power as the rest. If I didn't know the bassline, I would hardly be able to hear its genius. An interesting version, but nothing beats the original by Junior Byles! Big up!
Absolutely! The original versions are always the best.
The On .U Sound version is more like the “truffle version”.
And not everyone likes truffles. I don't even know what they taste like. I haven't had one yet.
Greetings …………… lemmy