Rafter: It's reggae

It's always exciting - but often frustrating - to hear how artists from other genres are approaching reggae. If this approach comes from the field of rock, I am skeptical per se. If, on the other hand, it comes from the direction of electronic music or from the huge field of world music, then I hope for good. In the present case, an artist who is usually at home with art punk and noise has made his way to reggae. “Urghh” - the spontaneous reaction is - let's call it: cautious. But completely wrong. It's reggae (Asthmatic Kitty) by Rafters is a real find. The cool thing about such reggae experiments by strange musicians is that instead of “same, same but different” they promise real variety, true innovation and fundamentally new things. I am of the opinion: Rafter succeeded in doing this. He describes himself as "The most intense and powerful music nerd you may ever meet", lives in California and discovered his love for reggae on a trip to Maui. He then wrote a love letter to the genre and produced 12 absolutely extraordinary ones Dub-Tracks. (Who asks for a reference: Hey-O-Hansen would most likely fit). It starts with the sound. How can he be described? Brittle? Experimental? Arty? At least it's the opposite of the clean, precise, digital studioDub-Sounds that we are used to. Then there are the compositions and arrangements: their components are familiar, their weird combination, on the other hand, is "strange" in a positive sense. Samples from hits from the 60s meet fat brass sections, ska rhythms meet synthetic sounds, heavy basslines meet ultra-light children's melodies, comb blows meet steel drums. The music deliberately has something naive, ultra-simple, which stands in sharp contrast to the bulky, heady sound, which nevertheless - and this is really remarkable - wonderfully grooved. I have no idea how it all works, but: it works, and very well. I love this album and listen to it all the time right now. And not as an intellectual compulsory discipline, but for the sheer fun of beautiful grooves, beautiful melodies, beautiful brass instruments and generally such wonderfully positive, relaxed, fresh interaction with Dub.