Tuesday, December 31, 2024

CULTCHA Clash Outer National Music Review: The Process "Weapons Of Mass Percussion" DAB (David Asher Band) "War Profiteers" Dabtronic "I Blinked" ft. Janique James & Mark Stewart

 

CULTCHA Clash Outer National Music Review:

The Process - Weapons Of Mass Percussion (2024 Remaster)

DAB (David Asher Band) - War Profiteers 

(2024 Bandcamp)

Dabtronic ft. Janique James & Mark Stewart - I Blinked

(2024 Bandcamp)


Selecta J-Cut

This one is long overdue, it's been a rather hectic year and I had put writing on the back burner (apologies, David) and things kind of snowballed out of control so I failed to get back to it until now. I figured that I could cover all three David Asher related releases in a year end wrap-up (better late than never, right?)

David had reached out to me several years ago to review his band, The Process's album from 2016, titled Who Is This Mad Band? which was right up my alley and led me to start the CULTCHA Clash Outer National "digital zine." The follow-up dub version of the album, Dub World was subsequently reviewed. David also joined me for the first official Duburbia Podcast (see link below). We have since had a long distance friendship rooted in a mutual fandom of producer Adrian Sherwood (who Asher has worked with on several projects) and the On-U Sound label. (If you haven't already, check out the On-U Sound Sunday Roast hosted monthly by David)


The Process - Weapons Of Mass Percussion Remaster


Beginning with the remaster of Weapons Of Mass Percussion, which was originally released in 2006. Conceptually, the album deals with the politics of the time (post 9/11), including sound bites and samples of the media, manufacturing consent for the disastrous wars that came as a result of the attacks on that day. Musically, the sound is reminiscent of the futurist funk-dub of Tackhead and at times not too dissimilar from On-U Sound mainstays, Dub Syndicate, at other times dabbling in the electronic territory of drum & bass, such as in the title track. Overall, it's a heavy, dubbed-out, reggae rocker with traces Asher's distinct vocal stylings, peppered with George Bush or other talking heads from the media. It compels the listener to open their eyes and think outside of the establishment's narrative.  

The album may have been recorded nearly 20 years ago, but the subject matter is still relevant, and the re-master sounds superb! Check it out at Bandcamp: https://theprocess77.bandcamp.com/album/weapons-of-mass-percussion-2024-remaster





DAB David Asher Band - War Profiteers

War Profiteers by DAB David Asher Band is a single that was released digitally in May, 2024, the follow-up to DAB's 2021 debut LP DAB David Asher Band and 2023's Jah Shield. Straight forward modern reggae that does not shy away from social consciousness, shining light on the wicked, this is truly righteous music. 
It seems as if DAB's sound gets a little bit stronger on each release, looking forward to the next LP!
 I Blinked by Dabtronic featuring Janique James and Mark Stewart is the most current of the three, released in November of 2024. This project explores, as the name would imply, the electronic side of Mr. Asher.  
Hailing from Birmingham, Janique James vocals are sultry and mysterious, juxtaposed with the late Mark Stewart's stylings, captured here on what must be one of his last recordings before his death in 2023.
There are 8 mixes including dub and instrumental versions as well as the original Dabtronic mix, as well as mixes by UFOA and Alien-Levi and On-U Sound - my personal favorite, no surprise there. The Sherwood mix is more sparse and arranged a little differently, but all of the versions are enjoyable.
The release is digital as well as limited edition vinyl and cd, 100 of each are available so get them while you can. Available from Bandcamp: https://dabtronic.bandcamp.com/album/i-blinked


Check out the Duburbia Podcast with David Asher below!










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Thursday, November 9, 2023

CULTCHA Clash Outer National Music Review: DAB (David Asher Band) - Jah Shield (Bandcamp)

 

CULTCHA Clash Outer National Music Review:

DAB (David Asher Band) - Jah Shield 

(2023 Bandcamp)

Selecta J-Cut




David Asher is an individual who puts his whole heart and soul into his music, and it shows. From his time fronting Detroit's premier reggae / rock band, The Process, to his more recent work with DAB, he's been putting out original music for over 30 years.





The first new single since 2021's self-titled DAB LP does not disappoint. From the start of the track one finds themselves immersed with infectious rhythms and positive vibrations.

David's vocal delivery is raw and soulful, lyrical content is righteous. According to Asher... "about the Creator's protection from jealous bad-minded people, vampires and back-biters." The instrumentation sounds fresh, reggae lovers will want to hear this.

Production is high quality, by Mr. Asher and Chris Lewis. the sound is full, rich and crystal clear. Played in a club, this one is sure to get some motion on the dance floor!  

Get the digital release, including instrumental version, from Bandcamp.



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CULTCHA Clash Outer National Record Review: Creation Rebel - Hostile Environment (On-U Sound)

 

CULTCHA Clash Outer National Record Review:

Creation Rebel - Hostile Environment 

(2023 On-U Sound Records)

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Back with their first album in over forty years, On-U Sound's original house band, Creation Rebel is back with a vengeance. 

With an album titled after former Prime Minister Theresa May's heavy-handed immigration policy, the band who originally formed to back the late Prince Far I on his European tour and went on, along with with Adrian Sherwood, to spark a punky reggae revolution in the U.K. with the developement of On-U Sound, is dread in every sense. Serious music for serious times.

Original members Crucial Tony (guitar), Charlie 'Eskimo' Fox (drums / vocals), and Mr. Magoo (percussion / vocals) come together (Keith 'Lizard' Logan, their original bassist has passed but is present in tribute, a print of his image adorns the insert) with bass player, Kenton 'Fish' Brown and keyboardist Cyrus Richards for the album. Of course, Sherwood is at the controls!





It was pressed on yellow vinyl and the A side is set off by Swiftly (The Right One) which, fittingly, features vintage vocals from Prince Far I as well as the conscious singing of Mr. Magoo. Production is crisp and the players are tight.

Stonebridge Warrior is a version, or instrumental, it's steppers type beat drives the track that treads the line between dub reggae and jazz. Quite sophisticated when juxtaposed with the groups early work.

Drummer, Eskimo Fox steps up to the mic for Under Pressure, singing, deejaying and generally nicing up the tune.




That's More Like It is a dub, the instrumentation is spacious, leaving plenty of room for Sherwood's mix-board wizardry and sound effects. The spaced-out psychedelia present in earlier work from the group, like Starship Africa, is captured on this track.

Jubilee Clock rounds out the first side on a strong note, another steppers type track with peaking bass, play it loud!




This Thinking Feeling sets off side B with pure fire, pairing posthumous Prince Far I lyrics with lyrical assassin, Daddy Freddy, who has collaborated on a few On-U releases, of late.

Another Mr. Magoo vocal track, Whatever It Takes is an uplifting one accentuated by Dean Fraser's saxaphone and trumpet by Okiel McIntyre.

The jazz infused Salutation Gardens Crown Hill Road is a dub with haunting keys and space age reverb and delay that the label has become known for.

Gaudi is the guest synth player for The People's Sound (Tribute To Daddy Vego), another heavy dub version with all of it's players in top form.

The final cut is Off The Spectrum,  ending the LP in a fine style. From the tip-top to the last drop, this one is a winner.

Here's an interview from On-U Sound with the group discussing the new album.




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CULTCHA Clash Outer National Record Review: African Head Charge - TripTo Bolgatanga (On-U Sound)

 

CULTCHA Clash Outer National Record Review:

African Head Charge - Trip To Bolgatanga 

(2023 On-U Sound Records)

Selecta J-Cut


African Head Charge - Trip To Bolgatanga (2023 On-U Sound Records)



The first studio album from the group since 2011's Voodoo Of The Godsent (On-U Sound Records),  Trip To Bolgatanga finds Bonjo Iyahbinghi Noah, the central figure of African Head Charge since it’s formation in 1981, further expanding the boundaries of ambient, psychedelic dub with African rhythms.

This time around, tempos are up. Not that the group ever confined itself to down tempo rhythms before, quite the contrary, as would become evident with one listen to My Life In A Hole In The Ground, their debut LP that was released by On-U Sound in 1981. The group has had a following amongst garage / house music aficionados for decades, and on this release, a very modern, electronic sound is embraced. Simultaneously, the roots elements of African drums and chants are not left behind, and the popularity of Afro-Beat is fully taken advantage of with the inclusion of African singers & players of instruments, like King Ayisoba, Ghanaian vocalist and kologo (traditional two-stringed guitar like instrument) player on two tracks.  

A Bad Attitude is the first tune and features King Ayisoba as well as vocal snippets from Noah, a P.M.A. P.S.A. done the On-U Sound A.H.C. way. This one sets the energy for the album and would surely get the dance floor jumping.




Accra Electronica is another uptempo cut with a familiar bass line and clarinet by Paul Booth. It's a high energy club banger with intense percussion.

The following track, Push Me Pull You brings the BPM down to a more expected dub tempo. The mystical sounding chants that A.H.C. are known for with gliding sub bass, and more horn contributions from Booth that sound organic in contrast. The smashing snares echo like noise from another dimension. This one will be massive played on a proper sound system.





I Chant Too has what reminds me of an The Art Of Noise vibe and is another slower tune that showcases Noah's drumming skills.

Asalatua kicks the tempo back up to a house groove and features additional percussion by Emmanuel Okine (Aka Iu) and Mensah Akaa. The call and response type of chant is captivating. 





Side B starts with Passing Clouds, a rather ethereal one which features an arrangement from Ital Horns (David Fullwood & Richard Doswell). Akanuoe Angela from Bolgatanga guests on percussion and backing vocals.

I'm A Winner is another positive reinforcement in the form of an interlude with a bit of a dancehall vibe with wicked synths. 

The title track is  A Trip To Bolgatanga, a hypnotic groove with percussive triplets that give it a clunky feel which Doug Wimbish's bass rides along fluidly. Paul Booth's fantastic horn arrangement eases the tune out at the end.

Never Regret A Day is another track with positive affirmations chanted over a bouncy track with a funky flute.

The final tune on the album is Microdosing, which further excavates into and creates the vision of a psychedelic Africa pursued by Noah and company for many years, now.




As anyone who follows CULTCHA Clash Outer National knows, we are proponents and advocators for anything On-U Sound related or Adrian Sherwood produced, this one is no exception other than the fact that On-U records are always exceptional, to me. Buy it!  

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Saturday, October 7, 2023

CULTCHA Clash Outer National Record Review: Public Image Limited - End Of The World (PiL Official)

 

CULTCHA Clash Outer National Record Review:

Public Image Ltd. - End Of The World 

(2023 PiL Official)

Selecta J-Cut

Public Image Ltd. - End Of The World (PiL Official)


I had pre-ordered this album from MerchBar and waited for it's arrival for nearly a month after the release date before cancelling and ordering it from Discogs, so this time it's not all my fault that the review isn't posted in a timely manner...

Available from P.I.L.Official: https://www.pilofficial.com/#/

P.I.L. are a band that I will always buy a new album from, John Lydon has been sort of a hero of mine since I was 12 years old, when I got a copy of Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols. The debut Public Image Ltd. album, First Issue, is the record in my collection that I have owned for the longest (hung on to the same copy since 1984). They fall into my top 10 bands list, without a doubt, and even the albums that aren't spectacular are at least "pretty good," to me.

This one is no exception. Pressed on double vinyl at 45 RPM for superior sound quality, the packaging is exceptional, including several variations of colored vinyl, a gatefold jacket, and artwork by Mr. Lydon, whose immediately identifiable lyrics and vocal delivery has been at the group’s forefront since its inception. The band consists of Bruce Smith on drums, who is also a founding member of another of my favorites, The Pop Group. Lu Edmonds, previously of The Damned, The Mekons, Shriekback and numerous other groups, is on guitar. Scott Firth plays bass, rounding out the groups diverse sound with a background in jazz and funk.

The albums opener, Penge is poignant in its bleak imagery and martial instrumentation. It sets the album off on a strong note and prepares the listener for the rough terrain that lies ahead.




End Of The World, the following track, is futuristic and nihilistic. Lu’s guitar sounds otherworldly, the group, in its current carnation, undoubtedly work well together. 

Car Chase is one of my picks from the album. Exciting musically, dance-provoking and bass heavy without pretension, raw and purely energetic.




Being Stupid Again sets off side 2 of record one. Johnny will always say what’s on his mind and I always feel like what he says is from the heart, I always respect him (even when he puts on a silly red hat), but I’m not really into the vocals on this one… It seems to be some kind a reaction to “woke-ism” or cancel culture, or something. Ultimately, it sounds a bit like the rantings of an old man who’s watched too much Fox “News.” The track is hot, though! I would love to see what Dennis Bovell or Adrian Sherwood would make of the master tapes of this one, a dub version to make it a little bit less "Get off my lawn!" would be Fire!

Walls has the vintage P.I.L. Second Edition feel, instrumentally, with a little bit more of a melodic side of Lydon showing through.

Pretty Awful sounds a bit like eighties pop, it’s grown on me a bit after a few plays. That one sums up the first record of the set, So far it’s not my favorite P.I.L. Album, but I don’t regret the purchase.

Strange opens up record two. This one is really interesting, as are most of the tunes on side 3. Not too far off from some of what the group has done in the past but well written and produced. 

Dirty Murky Delight if fun, quirky and goofy, a swinging jazz number with Lydon doing a lounge scat kind of thing.

 The Do That is another fun one with a bouncy rhythm and a stream of consciousness kind of lyrical flow that is a little reminiscent of Lee “Scratch” Perry’s vocal rants.

LFCF (Liars, Fakes, Cheats & Frauds) is obviously aimed at Johnny’s former Sex Pistols mates over the beef from the recent Disney production about the band. Not quite the screed that Low Life came off as in 1978, but the bluesy backing track goes pretty hard.

North West Passage shows Lydon and company at their peak, undeniably P.I.L. While not trying to recreate anything from the past. Lyrics as introspective and honest as ever and a grinding, mid-tempo groove pushes on tirelessly.





Hawaii is the song that John wrote for his late wife, Nora, as he cared for her at the end of her life. The song was the groups entry to this year's Eurovision song contest. Maybe I'm just partial to the band, but I find this song to be beautiful and a fitting closure for the End Of The World. 





On a final note, I would like to come back to the silly red hat... The P.I.L. website features a segment from Fox of their resident twat, Greg Gutfeld, comparing the defeated ex-president to the rest of the candidates that the GOP has to offer in terms of Johnny Rotten to the rest of The Sex Pistols, implying that Johnny was the main character, so to speak. I've also heard Johnny himself compare the media's treatment of the pathologically lying con-man, defeated ex-president to the treatment that he received from the press when the Pistols were in their heyday. The difference that I can't help but notice is that John Lydon / Rotten has always exercised honesty and integrity in his words and actions... the shock value may be similar, but that is where the similarities end, in my opinion. 







https://cultchaclash.blogspot.com/




 
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