It's not easy for a One Riddim album: There are better ones out there – such as Ijahman Levi's "On-Track“, whose riddim is abysmal, but Ijahman's voice and songwriting easily make up for this shortcoming. Or about Seeed's "Doctor's Darling"-Riddim, who suffers from more or less crooked vocals and the notorious VP mastering, but the riddim is killer: © Roots Radics, re-recorded with mighty pressure by Seeed. Then of course there are the worse ones - you only have to listen to them through VP's “Riddim Driven” catalogue. As always, exceptions confirm the rule, see above.
If then such a riddim album exclusively with instrumentals or Dubs is equipped, the difference between good and bad becomes even clearer. Mickey Dread's 1982'sJungle signal"-Theme for the British TV documentary "Deep roots music' - immortalized in several majestic versions on the album of the same name - is arguably one of the best releases of its kind (although, admittedly, there are others). Dubversions can be heard).
As a negative counterweight I would like to mention Adrian Donsome Hanson's "Freedom Sound Riddim (Dub mixing)". The pale, monotonously flat riddim just doesn't cut it – even if Mr. Hanson thinks it's worth a 14 track album. Ultimately, the secret of its success has to be a rich, catchy riddim that offers new insights layer after layer – on the aforementioned “Junge Signal” this works splendidly; then you don't even need big ones Dub-Effects.
So how's Seanie doing T/Aldubb/Rob Smiths' new "Punky Reggae Party (Remixes)"-Release (Echo Beach)? Bob Marley's original version will probably be hard to top: a killer riddim with a lot of drive behind it. Interestingly, a completely atypical-sounding Lee Perry production for which Island Records is more likely to be responsible - especially since the track was released there as the B-side of the "Jamming" 7″ and 12″. LSP's original version may have sounded very different:
But back to the new material, to the re-recording with Seanie T on the mic. First heard on Lee Grove's "Dance A Dub"-Album as a brisk dance groove with more than convincing vocals, followed by one more in keeping with the Island Records original Dubversion on the "Dub for fashion 1"-Samplers. The latter comes from Aldubb, who now presents them in vocal, extended, riddim-instrumental and whatever versions. You can't kill a good riddim, especially when you're like Aldubb remains relatively close to the original. Not even the notorious, monotonous arrangements by Rob Smith, who again uses the same sounds in his versions, manage to do that. Then there's another one as compensation Dub-Mix by Umberto Echo, who by far has the most beautiful sound from Aldubb's recording tickles out:
Whether the "Punky Reggae Party" remixes are about Aldubb vs. Rob Smith, in other words: it's a one or two riddim album, let the listener decide. I stick to a clear 1-0 for Aldubb's Riddim; but the winner's trophy goes to Umberto Echo.
12 Responses to “Seanie T/Aldubb / Rob Smith: Punky Reggae Party”
In another small forum I read a comment that came across as really devastating. I would have liked to put that in here as a quote. But I don't know if that's "legal", so I'm just saying, I don't think the data is that bad, but I can also really wave it through without batting an eyelid. My choice of DubMusic is just too big for me to have to listen to the same riddim 10+ times in a row. And then it's only two (three) Dubwizzards that make it easy for themselves and leave it up to the listener to choose the best ones DubPick out the mix yourself. Put it that way, it even sounds quite nice to me. According to the motto, "take what you need". Well, I don't need any of this. Of course I care about everyone Dub would be happy if I unexpectedly heard it somewhere. the Dubs aren't bad, but two kilos of my favorite ice cream in a row would make me sick too. Umberto Echo actually likes the finest here Dubmix but I have to admit that I was already after the third Dub didn't want to listen too closely. If you put that under "DubIf you want to investigate "scientific" aspects, then everyone is welcome to do so for themselves, but then I'll go "fishing" for so long. I see Dub not as a “task” but as pure pleasure in the fascination ……………
There are enough people who don't have a problem with One - Riddim - albums ...... I, on the other hand, still don't see any point in it. While this may seem like a native Jamaican phenomenon, it doesn't make it any better for me. And I prefer not to write here in words what I think of the Jamaicans, who still dare to this day to massacre their heroes just like that. Bomboklaat Jamaica !!!
Ok, I'm getting out of hand. That could backfire.
So best regards …………………. lemmi
Lemmi do you mean my comment that I wrote out of initial frustration?
"What drug drives you to release such an inconsequential album with 10 remixes of the same mediocre Bob Marley track? Who else should be interested in that? Subterranean and grotty at the same time. It used to be safe to buy Echo Beach albums unheard. For several years, however, this store has been massively declining and regularly disappoints me across the board. The worst example from recent times is Police in Helikopter vom Dubinator.
In my opinion, Punky Reggae Party falls under the category of “albums that nobody really needs.”
Nothing has changed to this day!
Greetings Alex
Hello Alex, your first comment seems to have disappeared into the wide web, sorry!
I can understand your and lemmi's comments and I promise: It won't get any better. More tomorrow – here in dubblog.de.
Yo all right Alex!
Glad you cleared things up here. When I read your comment on “kassel ites”, I had to smile immensely because it basically gets to the point.
Yes gtk, now the comment is back ;-) …………………..
The www doesn't lose anything after all ...... except for great tunes that you've had in your playlist for a long time and which are then suddenly simply removed out of abysmal malice. You could almost take a broken bottleneck and cut out my heart with it. It wouldn't be much worse for me either. (Oh dear, my river is overflowing its banks again).
"By The Rivers Of Babylon" …………………….. lemmi
I always liked "Punky Reggae Party" – it has a good punch & drive, a catchy melody and at the time it had crossover potential if the tune hadn't withered away as a B-side. But I never believed that the island version was produced by LSP... no matter how many times you read it.
I would like to say about Echo Beach that I have a lot of respect for the label. Wonderful albums have been released there, and it's clear: It can't always all be continuously supadupa, especially when you've been in business as long as Echo Beach. But I would like to emphasize one thing: there is probably no other label in this country that has worked so intensively with the genre Dub set apart and the Dub-Flag held high like Echo Beach. Where would we be, where would be more contemporary Dub without this label? In any case, I hope Echo Beach will continue to do so for a long time and I am happy about every new release - but I will always openly represent my subjective opinion in the reviews.
"Keep The Fyah Burning!"
I would like or have to smear a little mustard on it.
I still enjoy listening to "Punky Reggae Party" although I count it as one of Bob Marley's "mediocre tunes". There really is only top class and two mediocre tunes by Bob Marley. I actually find "Is this love" quite weak for a tune by Bob Marley and the Wailers, but whenever it does play somewhere, it stands out by miles among all radio tunes. So far out that you could easily build an elevator to the moon with it, but compared to almost all other tunes by Bob Marley and The Wailers it's only mediocre for me.
Echo Beach has also accumulated a decade long bonus with me and for the king size sessions alone I will always be grateful. But nothing has been published for me for a long time that really knocks my socks off. I sometimes have the feeling that too DubProducers are looking at least a bit towards the mainstream around that Dubto increase the audience. Who wants to blame them?! This is particularly important to me with ODG (On Dub Ground ) noticed very often. the Dubs often sound a bit like Dewid Getter ( he's that again ) and made me stop checking ODG. That may be a mistake, because they really make a lot of noise, but I'm not DubScout and don't bother digging through the thick "mainstreamDubSoup” just to possibly get one Dub to find the one that really flashes me. Also, they're way too modern for me. They just stream their goods online. They should bring out a best off sampler. I do believe that there could easily be a double album ( maybe even two ) but ODG has become an assembly line for meDub milled. If you want to teach me something better, you can recommend a sampler here.
I “recommend” myself or “have the honor” ………………… lemmi
We're talking about a label that thankfully caters to a niche genre. As a label, you have to stretch and stretch a little to keep it going. In this respect, I also understand excursions into hip areas. I mean we live in a time where you can say "dub' understands car pimping more than a genre of music. Kudos to anyone who does Dub-Holds up banner.
"Hawe'däre", as we locals of older age say.
I always find it very refreshing what you see here in the DubBlog learns along the way. "Dub is pimping cars". I don't even know if I should get upset about it now. It stays strangely calm inside me. Somehow I almost don't care how Dub noticeable in the population. main thing Dub !
Next time I'll ask my colleagues if they're going to clean their car againdubbed if they have lowered it a little or "mixed in" a spoiler on the Golf. Haven't had a car for a long time, but when the new "Golf Dub“ comes out, I have to go deep into myself again.
And I'm curious how much I'll have to pay for the beers in Austria when I say goodbye with "Hawe'däre". But that doesn't mean that I don't like the beer prices in Austria. No no, that's fine. If you leave Ischgl aside.
Since I'm not one of the "natives" in Austria, I prefer to say goodbye in "piefkisch":
Have the honor ( and use the teaching ) ………………. lemmi
I'm currently looking for the latest ODG record from miniman. https://minimandublive.bandcamp.com/album/arborescence
But be careful, I would also recommend the record to my dad, so it's more of a pop disc, with lyrics borrowed from Stromae, if you like records like jj - no2 you could celebrate them too.
Otherwise, I hardly know any discs that really bring out a lot..
I'm here by the way only because of the comment column….
by odgprod
I think Miniman is really great!
I've already put quite a few things into my playlist. Unfortunately I found them Dubs that one can buy on disc or might not at best. But from Miniman, ODG could like two three Dubs on the tactile sampler I wanted. But please don't do what you would recommend to your dad. I get zero
– in numbers : 00000000000000 …….. – Dubfeeling
Exactly these and similar things I meant when I heard about the assembly line(dub) spoke for "auto mechanics" with spoilers on the Gulf.
So long ……………… lemmi
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