After his 2020 debut “Twin Souls Dub"The French multi-instrumentalist and sound engineer Zilla Dan surprises with an album that"Starlight Dub“(Self-published), but is actually more of a collection of atmospheric instrumentals that he recorded with the alto saxophonist Riwan Pruvot.
“I was pretty musical even as a small child and later wanted to have a career as a musician with my best friend. But after he tragically died in French Guiana, I started developing my own musical projects, ”explains Zilla Dan. “I met Riwan Pruvot in Bordeaux. He is a professional alto saxophonist, of French-Algerian descent. I suggested an album in the style of Bunny Lee & King Tubby Present Tommy McCook: Brass Rockers to produce. Riwan was delighted. I played drums, bass, piano and percussions and Riwan conjured up his saxophone melodies. Then I mixed the tracks on analog equipment because I wanted to reproduce the sound of King Tubby, Scientist and Prince Jammy - my heroes of the golden era of Jamaica Dubs. "
What may sound daunting to anyone with a preventive saxophone phobia (Kenny G and Dean Fraser send their regards), reveals itself here as a musical benefit that can rarely be experienced in reggae: a saxophone has been so soft, full and soulful since Branford Marsalis' work for Sting no longer to be heard. This is partly due to Privot's wonderful playing technique - but also to Dan's excellent recording technique and mixing of the instrument. Conclusion: The album rightly has it just before the end in one of the dubblog.de-Top 5 done: The rehabilitation of the saxophone, hurray!
The fact that Zilla Dan's production seems a bit awkward and reminiscent of early I-grade recordings doesn't detract from the whole thing - on the contrary, it adds to the charm of “Starlight Dub" at. The album concept also fits there - a not-too-extravagant musical journey through our solar system, which graphic artist Matteo Anselmo implemented in one of the most beautiful cover artworks of the last year. Throwing everything into the pan, the overall result is an acoustic and optical gem that can win over the listener from the first contact.
Text: gtk and René Wynands
8 responses to “Zilla Dan meets Riwan Pruvot: Starlight Dub"
Ok Ok, gtk and René try to get me back on the right path of virtue with their combined forces. And yes, I have to admit that I wasn't in the mood to listen to this record at the radar, because there is another wind instrument on the cover that stands out up there. But I have to admit, or rather I like to admit it, that I really like the album. Especially the instrumentals and the riddims are really cool and calm. Maybe because they also remind me of I-Grade or Zion I Kings. This certain warmth comes out not from the tempo but from the sound, which of course I particularly appreciate in winter. I immediately discovered a few highlights for myself and so I can “Earth Dub"/" Mars Dub"(!!!) and" Moon Dub“Put it in my very special favorites list. But that actually distracts from the fact that I would like to get the whole album. I guess it will stay in the private area for the occasional stream …….
Since I already had a few screws loose yesterday, I don't even dare to write about my maximum confusion now. But what the heck "Learning by doing" is my only recognized method when it comes to learning. And so I have to admit that the saxophone has not rehabbed for a long time because I don't hear a saxophone here.
Oops ... now isses out.
I hear this instrument a lot more here, which it also plays on the cover. I have no idea whether oboe, clarinet or vuvuzela, my curiosity does not go that far, but I neither hear nor see a saxophone. Ok i thought. That must be this alto saxophone, which I only know by name, but in all the pictures, including the one of the alto saxophone in WikiPedia, I see the optics of a saxophone that I know. In any case, I have not yet found a picture where an alto saxophone looks like the one on the cover. So I stay confused as much as I can because I can't hear the sounds of the saxophone either.
As I said, I don't know a lot about music, but I HEAR EVERYTHING. (Leaned far out of the window, if it's a saxophone but what the heck, today is Friday ;-))
The album is really really good though ………………………. lemmi
As beautiful as the cover is, it is confusing when it comes to the saxophone - it actually shows a soprano saxophone. Zilla Dan himself describes it as an alto saxophone.
It doesn't matter anywhere, the main thing is that it touches the listener.
I didn't care that much.
In any case, I've already learned something new.
Sounds very different to me than what you usually hear, and that's probably one of the reasons why it touched me in a positive way. I read that they sound a little deeper and that just touches me more. Thank you for turning my confusion into knowledge gtk.
Yeah, then I can close my window again now.
So long…………… lemmi
Classes available every day from Nine AM to Twelve midday. Dubblog, c'est juste trop de saxophone pour moi. Sur certains passages ça sun comme quelqu'un joue la gamme de haut en bas. Deux titres auraient suffi mais neuf fois le saxophone comme instrument principal est tout simplement trop d'une bonne chose. Non cet album ne me fait pas plaisir
Saya tidak bisa bahasa indonesia….
I think DubBlog still needs a "FrenchButton"
Google translator, your friend & helper.
Bonjour Bastian, je n'étais pas non plus fan du saxophone, mais j'ai beaucoup aimé cet album. À titre exceptionnel!
Je suis à nouveau complètement sur la bonne voie, mais dans ce context, je dois juste mettre ici un de mes morceaux préférés qui n'a rien à voir avec le reggae.
I'm completely off track again, but in this context I just have to put one of my favorite tunes in here that has nothing to do with reggae.