Recenzje

Recenzja płyty, DVD etc.

Out On The Streets EP – Blue Hill feat. Lutan Fyah, Kali Green&Konta

Out On The Streets EP – Blue Hill feat. Lutan Fyah, Kali Green&Konta

LIONS002 Release InfoLion’s Den doesn’t slow down – after a great 12” (http://dubmassive.org/6026/panda-dub-ft-daddy-freddy-brother-culture-kali-green-lent-roots-pour-chant-ep) the time has come for a next, tough production by Blue Hill. He comes from Greece and especially for Lion’s Den created a heavy rhythm somewhere between dub and jungle. We can hear Lutan Fyah’s  vocals in “Get out’, in which he calls everybody, mainly the youth, to take the matter into their own hands in the time of political turbulence. On the same rhythm there appear also Kali Green (known from the first Lion’s Den album) and Konta from Berlin, calling for revolution and determined fight with the system, in both English and German. That’s the first side of the album, on the second one there are remixes of “Get out”. First made by Roommate and Ras Lion – the leader of Lion’s Den. They created a tune closer to dubstep with a strong influence of dub and steppers. The second remix done by Lost City JNGL, who, just like Roommate, comes from USA, represents club-jungle style. Lastly, there is a feast for junglists organised by Fleck, a producer from Athens. To sum up, it’s an album for everybody, who likes Radikal Guru, Alpha Steppa or Tour de Force – heavy bass and conscious message!

 

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Dakan Riddim feat. Daba Makourejah, Bloffou, Manjul & Russ Disciples (12”)

Dakan Riddim feat. Daba Makourejah, Bloffou, Manjul & Russ Disciples (12”)

dakanADub music in France lives on its own, vinyls with good productions are released practically every month, even outbidding UK market probably. I admire French releases, primarily because of their boldness and uncompromising nature, as demonstrated by this 12” published by Drum Sound Production – rising label, which shows us musicians from Africa and their approach to dub. On the A side we have “Rejoice” by Daba Makourejah, her beautiful, delicate vocal decorates steppers riddim with gorgeous melodica, extended to the front plan in dub version. On the B side we got “Dakan” sung by Bloffou – here beautiful, African style singing goes into sharp chatting. The album ends with dub version containing lots of reverbs, echos and delays, prepared by great Russ D, which can be heard from the beginning.

 

A1. Daba Makourejah – Rejoice
A2.Redub (Melodica part)

B1. Bloffou – Dakan
B2. Russ Disciples – Dakan Dub

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Digi.Signa – Anthony B & Daddy Spencer (12”)

Digi.Signa – Anthony B & Daddy Spencer (12”)

DIGI-SIGNA-YOUTHMAM-A1Thanks to collaboration between Segnale Digitale and Warsound we get an amazing, 12 inch album with Daddy Spencer and Anthony B on vocals, produced by Manasseh and Vibronics. It’s not a coincidence that those artists meet on that album – Daddy perfectly fits the calm, pulsating rhythm made by Nick Manasseh, who is one of the best reggae music producers. The B side is another petard – Anthony B meets Vibronics and that steppers really destroys fascism with its power, it should appear on every sound system party and support the fight with system denaturalizations!

You can preview it here: http://segnaledigitale.org/eng/youthman.html

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Mystical Powa meets Kibir La Amlak

Mystical Powa meets Kibir La Amlak

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Thanks to the producers Marco Zion and Marco Isla, representatives of southern Italy, we have another proof that Italians are dealing very well on dub scene. Working together since 2006, five years later they founded record label for releasing productions with deep bass and peace and love in lyric layer. They are also the organizers of the events like “Roots Evolution”, “Natural Vibes”, “Dubwood” and have played with a lot of top sound systems from Europe.

Their 12” single featuring MrDill Lion Warriah and Kibir La Amlak has been released recently. On the first side we have steppers “Jah Jah Know” with beautiful vocal by Lion Warriah, who is blessing Most High. We have also dub version performed by Kibir La Amlak with powerful bass, exposed drums and a lot of space. The second side is “Trust the dream” by Mulu and I-Jah Salomon, Kibir La Amlak family. Here we have beautiful Mulu’s vocal and the beginning, with the classic statement of Marcus Garvey, creates a mystical song with great saxophone melody.

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Restless Mashaits – “Goulet Sessions 2003-2013”

Restless Mashaits – “Goulet Sessions 2003-2013”

sleevefrontNot often there are released albums with strictly instrumental dub, unfortunately it’s a rarity nowadays (I don’t count dub versions of the albums or represses). This gap, thanks to Swiss label Addis Records, is filled by Restless Mashaits, a musical duo: Jil and Stuff, who on this album have been supported by reggae/dub music legends – Dean Frazer, Deadly Headly, Jonah Dan, Dizzy Moore, Scully and Stepper Out, and the mixing was done by Russ Disciples himself.

The album contains 11 tracks and some of them have additional versions. On the very beginning I’ve been knocked down by bass in “Restless Mashaits”, and the version and it’s beautiful sax completely floored me. After that, I was afraid what’s going to happen next: “Ini dub” is a solid roots, which will please everybody. This version is told to be released on a vinyl (alongside the remix) with two vocalists: Nello B and Sizzla. Afterwards there is a tune, which already made a huge confusion – “Ghetto blues” is a tough composition with sax by Dean Frazer, pure mastery; every dub fan will enjoy the version. It’s just the half of the album and i barely can recover myself… Luckily, “Warriors” gives us a bit of rest with it’s beautiful winds section, which has been thrown to the fore in the dub version, with the space and echoes it creates an amazing effect. The next tune is “The riddim the rebel” with a proper bass and winds, just like in “Downtown dub”. On the end there is “Praises dub”, which perfectly copes that incredible album. I’m sure that most of the tunes will be played on sound systems and I wish Addis to produce more albums like that!

Check out, how “Ghetto Blues” runs on a sound system:

 

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Nello B – “Vibes Overdue”

Nello B – “Vibes Overdue”

nelloB-rectoAlthough Nello B (Nelson Barret) isn’t a novice, I didn’t know him before I got that album. I made up that lack of knowledge quickly and with a huge surprise began to check out musical achievements of that Jamaican. He performed alongside sound systems like Cultural Warriors, Koogah, Black Messenjah, RDK, Little Lion and bands The Vibes Crew, Restless Mashaits, Mix Up Race and Positiv Band. I’ve been shocked when I saw who is responsible for the music on the album: OBF/Top Ranking Geneva, Romain Iron Dubz, Duss Disciple, Yannis Rockradiohermes Ruben – impressing top producers.

The album is opened by tune named “Keep the faya burnin” made by OBF with a dub version. That dark track proves that the French are in the best shape and Nello fills it with an amazing power using his voice. The next 4 tunes are mixed by Russ D. “No love” is a steppers with pleasant singing by Nello B, in “InI Soldier” he’s supported by Christine Miller, what with a beautiful melodica creates a very good track. “Run run run” is a solid dub. In the next tune appears a guest well known in the whole world – Brother Culture and Addis Pablo plays on melodica, the integrity sounds brilliant. Tune number 6 was created by Iron Dubz – French, who specialize in heavy dub sounds, “Full Time” in junction with Nello’s voice is a tune, which will be played on sessions all over the world. To be honest, every single track from that album deserves to be played anywhere reggae dub sounds are welcome. Nello B also refers the roots, in “Stop that Train” the winds and rhythmic section work together really good and make one of the calmest tracks on the album. “Country Life” is one of the tunes that makes your body move to the rhythm. Lyrically Nello B is excellent, for example in “Good over Evil” and his voice calms you down, even if he sings about such important things. The last regular tune is “Dance&Shout”, which has incredible power, as it’s mixed by Russ D. On the desert we have 2 dub versions, one by OBF, which I mentioned before, and the second one is “Diamonds&dub”.

Nello B lives in Switzerland. He recorded the vocals in Geneva, where Addis Records (they released that amazing album) is placed. It’s worth to hear it, for a long time I haven’t heard an album, where the voice fits every tune so well. 

 

 

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Pressure Dub Sound

Pressure Dub Sound

FrontGuys from Pressure Dub Sound gave me a lot of pleasure releasing a LP, which is a summation of their whole activity (I wrote about them here – http://dubmassive.org/5586/pressure-dub-sound). This time they offer 6 tracks and 6 dub versions. After taking a look at the tracklist, you could say that you know half of them, but in that combination they create incredible, consistent material. We start from “I’n’I Rootsman” and a great dub version with melodica by Addis Pablo. After the tough beginning we move on to “Roots fanatics” in version of Italian producer Madaski. The next tune is a very good steppers “I love Jah”, where the vocalist – Mr Dill Lion Warriah – declares his love to The Most High. In this place he deserves an applause, I follow his vocal carrier for a long time and that album shows that he’s on a very good level. It’s time for the adaptation of the old rhythm – “Babylonia” uses the rhythm from “Blood Dunza” – amazing revamp by Pressure Dub Sound and the dub version “Blood dub” causes the whole body to feel tingly. After all of those sensations, we get knocked down by the biggest hit of the group “Sitting Bull”, which has been remixed many times and here we get version by Gary Clunk, who destroys with the bassline, showing how big potential is in the tracks made by the Italian and how much you can squeeze from them. On the desert we have “Lion Powa”, where Mr Dill Lion Warriah chats like a born Jamaican and a remix by dub pioneers Zion Train, who create a version with a tuff bass in their own style. A big plus for the cover – might seem simple, but illustrates well what you can expect from the album. 

 

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Bababoom Hi Fi Sound System – “Skylarking Riddim”

Bababoom Hi Fi Sound System – “Skylarking Riddim”

COVER FRONTItaly has a pretty good position on the dub scene, but a fact is that Italian releases appear a bit rarely, so it’s even more joyful for us to introduce new 12” by Bababoom Hi Fi from Naples, who are present for 10 years on the sound system scene. In 2013 they started their own label and released another 12” “Rumors” with Jules and amazing Dennis Alcapone. This time we get a solid dose of roots sounds that refer a hit named “Skylarking” performed by The Roots Defender – an Italian top backing band. On the A side we can hear Kojo Neatness on vocals – he comes from Kingston and has already appeared i.a. on Dreadsquad productions. Bush Chemist is responsible for the dub version and at the end of the side there are the incredible Ital Horns and their version, as always on a really high level. Side B contains Blackout JA, who reminds me of Buju Banton (what is a big plus), we also get dubplate mix and a version by Dougie – so different than the one on the A side: there is more space, echo and reverbs. This release confirms that it’s worth to follow the Italian, big sound system scene.

 

Posted by Bedi in Recenzje