Bedi

Mar

2015

Black Star presents Vivian Jones

Roots is still alive! The review couldn’t be started any other way and everything because of a producer Black Star Ashera-E from Netherlands, Fire House Crew riddim band and the great legend of Jamaican and UK roots scenes Vivian Jones, who owns an amazing voice and spiritual lyrics. He played alongside Fasimbas, Jah Shaka All Stars (album “Jah Works”). Cooperation with Black Start began in 2009 when they first met in London. After the meeting, Vivian was invited to the Netherlands for a few festival gigs. In the meantime they recorded few tracks and slowly started thinking of recording an album together and today we get 10 tunes in roots reggae style with elements of ska and dub with some rhythms based on classic riddims. The album is opened by a classic roots ‘Chant Rastafari’, then takes us to ska rhythms with ‘Want It Fi Nothin’ with Spectacular as a guest. ‘Now They Are After Me’ lets us slow down and let us realise a few important things while listening to beautiful winds section parts. Thanks to ‘That Love’ we can come to know Vivian in lovers style which he fits very well. We then get one of the best tunes of the album – ‘All My Life’ with beautiful lyrics and dub version, where bass and drums create a very strong foundation – a classic dubwise with melodica, birds singing and keys part. The next track is ‘One Love’ with remarkable lyrics that will affect every conscious head, just like in the case of the next very good tune ‘Bhingy Dready’ with nyahbingi elements. At the end there is ‘If The Tree Could Talk’ with a mighty dub version that sums up this diversified album very well.

Mar

2015

Earthikal Towa – “Serious Time” EP ft. Murray Man, Petah Sunday & Natty Jack

Italian dub still in good shape, the sound system scene in Italy is on the rise, now due to Earhikal Towa Sound System straight from Rome. They have been acting on the scene since 2008 and their new release is the 4th production on wax – earlier they have presented us such artists like Paco Ten, Mighty Howard or Brother Culture.

The riddim on “Serious Time” EP is the work of Dread Rocker from Earthikal Towa, who made a powerful tune with a solid bass, moving like a slow, huge roller. Murry Man charmed this riddim as the first with strong lyrics, where he raises serious topics about our times. Also Petah Sunday, Earthikal Towa’s vocalist, in “Chatty Mouth” keeps Murry Man’s conscious message and Natty Jack in “Prime Ministra” leaves no doubt, who is responsible for the situation surrounding them. On the B side we have three versions: a dub one, with saxophone and “Warrior Cut”, which should smash a dancefloor on a good sound system.

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/earthikaltowasoundsystem

https://soundcloud.com/1bloodpromo/earthikaltowa-soundsystem-serious-time-ep

Mar

2015

Kibir La Amlak – “Heavens Declare / Firmament” (KLA Dub Box)

Kibir La Amlak pamper fans of soundsystem vibes, shortly after the first release from KLA Dub Box series we get another 7”. “Heavens Declare” was frequently tested on sessions with Salomon Heritage, where it gained big recognition. This led Kibir La Amlak crew to release this steppers with a solid bassline and drums with additional, beautiful instruments. JT is responsible for the dub version, which is a guarantee, that this tune will sound the best on a good sound system.

Links:

http://kibir-la-amlak.com/

PS. Next Dub Box 7” will be available in April, so stay tuned for another solid production!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5T0CAGEnz4&feature=youtu.be

Feb

2015

Mystical Records presents Idren Natural & Mystical Powa & Addis Pablo

We’ve been writing about Mystical Powa recently, about their collaboration with Kibir La Amlak (http://dubmassive.org/7818/mystical-powa-meets-kibir-la-amlak).This time two great artists met on their new 12” – Idren Natural and Addis Pablo. The A side belongs to the first one, who is one of the most characteristic vocalist on the sound system scene for me. His mystical, hypnotic vibe is heard especially in “Hold a Gathering” where the producers from Mysitcal Powa also added their mystic to this steppers style riddim. The B side belongs to Addis Pablo and his melodica, which is a very successful completion of the main theme.

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mystical-Powa/191567407534177

https://soundcloud.com/mysticalpowa/mystical-powa-mr005

Feb

2015

Earl Zero “Go To Zion” / Mam “Zion’s Blood” (Roots Vibes)

Roots Vibes label is in love with roots sounds from the 70., as evidenced by, amongst others, analog studio equipment. Besides many modern solutions in the process of recording they try to follow the path of King Tubby, Lee Perry, Scientist or King Jammy. On presented release they invited Earl Zero, a legendary Jamaican singer, to record the vocals. Together with great musicians Mr.Haze and Saymon they created a beautiful tune “Go To Zion”. All three artists met on some sunny Sunday, and, what’s interesting, for some of them it was their first meeting and we get effect as if they were a team, playing together for a long time. “Go To Zion” is prepared as a discomix, so after the vocal version we have dub version immediately, which will appeal to anyone who loves classic dubwise.

The B side is also very attractive due to a little-known vocalist Mam, who is a backing vocalist in Roots Vibes on a daily basis. Mam recorded several Jamaican classics and Roots Vibes will be releasing them in the near future. They started from “Zion’s Blood” – a Lee Perry’s cover. This tune performed by Mam is brilliant, it is also a discomix with dub version, where Mam is playing on a melodica.

Such releases proves that roots will never die. Even if the generation of good old singers will stop recording, there will be next ones, for whom roots music flows straight from the heart.

Listen:

http://youtu.be/Y4hE8eM-XbI

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/rootsvibes

http://www.rootsvibes.com/

Feb

2015

New releases from Control Tower

Control Tower doesn’t slow down and lets out two new releases straight from France – the authors are Dub Addict Sound System and dubVeda. The first one is active since 2005, created by amazing musical persons like Pilah, Nineteen, Anti-Bypass, Roots Massacre and Joe Pilgrim, all have a huge amount of good productions on their accounts. This time they present us a collaboration between producer Anti-Bypass and vocalist Joe Pilgrim, who created amazing roots&culture style tune ‘Humanity Arise’. On the B side we can hear Shanti D, known from cooperation with O.B.F. Track ‘The Toy is Broken’ is also a top-style dub recalling 70’s productions. Shanti’s voice timbre is similar to Horace Andy’s voice, what effects in a really great tune. It’s worth to stop by the dub version filled with amazing mood, clearly inspired with the king of dub – King Tubby. A real masterpiece.

https://soundcloud.com/dub-addict-sound-system/sets/dub-addict-present-the-d-anti

The second release is much more mysterious, as I meet dubVeda for the first time. dubVeda are conjoined forces of Mystiknarf known from Improvisators Dub and Nagual X, who plays in Illégal Dub and operates in Laboxprod. It’s a mixture of dub deep electro roots, as they describe their style. The A side with ‘Dub Indian Kogis’ is a journey into the world of etno flavoured music and the B side with ‘Early Mad Dub’, with a lot of ethnic threads flows into ska stylization. Dub version titled ‘Mad Dub’, where everything is more vivid and climatic, is a real killer – reminds me of early Zion Train productions.

https://soundcloud.com/nagualx/sets/vynile-dubveda-n-3-sortie-en

Links:

http://www.controltower.fr/

Feb

2015

Dixie Peach / Variedub – “Pressure” (Strictly Dub Records)

Operating in capital of Estonia – Tallinn, Strictly Dub Records label has just released its first vinyl, 7” with a great vocalist Dixie Peach, known mainly from cooperation with Jah Tubby’s. Spanish producer Variedub was invited to the cooperation, he created a very melodic steppers with great horns and a solid bassline. Together with beautiful Dixie’s voice and lyrics about the essence of a sound system it gives us a tune, which will be played on many sessions. The B side also deserves attention, Variedub shows how a good, proper dub version should look like – great space, a part of melodica and a bass in the foreground, resonating in the style which I love.

To sum up – it is very successful debut and it fills us with hope, that this label will be visible on the scene!

Links:

http://soundcloud.com/strictlydubs

https://soundcloud.com/strictlydubs/sdrv7001-dixie-peach-variedub

Feb

2015

Amoul Bayi Records – Stamina Li & Saah Karim

Amoul Bayi Records label presents us a new 12” with talented vocalist Saah Karim from Senegal and Stamina Li. In “Gunman Sound” Saah with his voice and lyrics about fighting the system with sounds perfectly fits into this steppers riddim, produced by Rootical45 – that is Mc Oliva from Blackboard Jungle. The B side of this 12” belongs to Sta’Sax aka Stamina Li, who adds a great part of saxophone to the riddim. Watch for new releases from Amoul Bayi Records – firstly on the grounds of great guests, secondly – because of essential roots&culture music and lastly – they have beautiful labels on records.