Showing posts with label Dub. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dub. Show all posts

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 Record Review: Creation Rebel - Hostile Environment (On-U Sound)

 

CULTCHA Clash Outer National Record Review:

Creation Rebel - Hostile Environment 

(2023 On-U Sound Records)

Selecta J-Cut




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, August 12, 2023

CULTCHA Clash Outer National Record Review: Easy Star All-Stars - Ziggy Stardub (Easy Star Records)

 

CULTCHA Clash Outer National Record Review:

Easy Star All-Stars - Ziggy Stardub

(2023 Easy Star Records)

Selecta J-Cut


This marks my return to the world of writing after a brief hiatus starting last winter. In the usual fashion of C.C.O.N., this one is late (release date was April 21, 2023), but I felt it necessary to cover this one as it pays homage to an album that has been massively influential to me, as well as countless artists and listeners, alike.

Easy Star All-Stars have a reputation for their clever Reggae re-workings of iconic pop, rock and soul albums that have included renditions of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon (2003's Dub Side of the Moon), Michael Jackson's Thriller (2012's Easy Star's Thrilla) and The Beatles' Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (2009's Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band). 

Covering entire albums in an alternate genre certainly has its inherent novelty value, but there is nothing gimmicky about their dub, dancehall or drum 'n' bass interpretations of these classics.





The song sequence is the same as on the 1972 original on this one. The opening track, "Five Years" finds one of British Reggae's biggest names, Steel Pulse, joining the crew to reconstruct the Brixton born Bowie's apocalyptic ballad in a rub a dub style. 

It is followed by "Soul Love" featuring Mortimer. The tunes, so far into the album, don't stray too far from the original versions in lyrical content or song structure, with perhaps a little bit more boom in the low end. Other than the genre difference, these few don't deviate much from those of The Spiders From Mars.




Naomi Cowan offers a fresh voice to "Moonage Daydream" which rides upon the well known dancehall riddim, Cuss Cuss.

Another British Reggae act, Maxi Priest, contribute to this funky reanimation of "Star Man" which is sure to get a dance floor packed. 

"It Ain't Easy" features Samory I covering vocal duties over a steppers rhythm with blazing horns, closing out side one of the LP.

Side two is set off by "Lady Stardust," featuring Sundub (whose Spirits Eat Music was released by Easy Star Records earlier this year), which is reworked into a lovers rock sizzler.

Roots reggae veteran, Carlton Livingston, adds his vocals to the skanking version of "Star."




California's ska-punk legends, Fishbone, and JohnnyGo Figure transform "Hang On To Yourself" into a dancehall rock hybrid, incorporating the timeless riddim, Sleng Teng. That particular riddim was built around a pre-programmed Casio keyboard part, the story is that the programmer based the program off of a popular rock song... which was alleged to be "Hang On To Yourself" (some also thought it was "Anarchy In The U.K." by The Sex Pistols)... according to an interview with the programmer, neither of those are actually the inspiration for the beat, although the similarities are uncanny. Anyway, not sure if that was intentional on the part of the All-Stars, but I bet that it was. This is my top choice selection off of the album, would love to have a 7" pressing of it!

From east London, The Skints get in on the action, combining the Answer riddim to "Ziggy Stardust," serving great justice to the original title track.

Southern California's The Expanders join the gang for an energetic take of "Suffragette City" in a reggae rockers style.

The final cut is "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide," on which Macy Gray was enlisted for vocal duties. She's a surprise, recognizable guest that fits perfectly into those platform boots. Like most of the tracks on the album, this one doesn't depart much from the original tune but is a fresh take on an old favorite. It's powerful crescendo signals the end to this nostalgic and magical tale.





As a whole, if this one lacks in originality, then it makes up for it with quality of musicianship and adventurousness. It has extra sentimental value to me due to the impact that Ziggy Stardust, and most of Bowie's material from the seventies, had upon my young mind. It was the early eighties that these albums came to my attention (often found in discount bins or low-cost second hand racks at that time) and set me on a path that would lead me in multiple musical directions and eventually back... it seems like I'm not the only one.





Jon "Selecta J-Cut" Soldanels aka "Johnny Rebel" (photo from circa 1984)


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Sunday, October 9, 2022

CULTCHA Clash Outer National Record Review: Horace Andy - Midnight Scorchers (2022 On-U Sound)

 

CULTCHA Clash Outer National Record Review:

Horace Andy - Midnight Scorchers

(2022 On-U Sound)




This is the companion album of Andy's Midnight Rocker LP, which came out earlier this year on On-U Sound. It's not a strictly dub project, although there are, undoubtably, elements of it encountered throughout. 

It was expected that there would be a remix version of Midnight Rocker, similar to the way that Lee "Scratch" Perry's masterpieces, Rainford and Heavy Rain, were released by the same label in 2019. The twist with On-U Sound versions is that you come to expect the unexpected...




The tunes from Midnight Rocker are reworked impeccably by Adrian Sherwood and company. Beginning with "Come After Midnight," a dubbed out version of "Try Love" that leads into "Midnight Scorcher," a retake on "Safe From Harm" featuring toasting from Daddy Freddy.

Sherwood flexes his dubbing abilities on "Away With The Gun And Knife," stripping "Watch Over Them" to it's core, slathering the drum and bass with otherworldly effects. 

"Easy Money" is treated with Daddy Freddy's conscious lyricism for "Dirty Money Business," and "Rock To Sleep" is brought back as "Sleepy's Night Cap" with soothing cello work performed by Ivan "Celloman" Hussey that compliments Gaudi's melodic contributions.





"Feverish" is one for the sound clashes, an On-U Sound dub plate, you might say. Strictly for the hardcore!



"Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City" rides a bubbling dancehall riddim that accentuates the work of The Mighty Ital Horns, who contribute to several tracks on the LP.




Veteran deejay Lone Ranger makes an appearance on "Dub Guidance," a reworking of The Heptones classic, "Guiding Star."

"Mr. Bassie," an alteration of Andy's old-school hit, "Skylarking," is remixed with chatting by Daddy Freddy.




The brilliant album closes out with "Hell And Back," the version of "This Must Be Hell." The rhythm, derived from Take Five, has an ethereal feel to it, with melodica by Cyrus Richard.

This is one that shouldn't be missed. On-U Sound fans already know.





Infinite Felines is CULTCHA Clash Outer National's Animal Activism Project, we care for over 40 feral and domestic cats at our home, we'll be sharing our activities on our new blog, check it out!


https://infinitefelines.blogspot.com/


https://gofund.me/7d787879


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Friday, September 9, 2022

CULTCHA Clash Outer-National Music Review: The Bug Presents: Absent Riddim (2022 Pressure)

 

CULTCHA Clash Outer National Music Review:

The Bug presents - Various Artists - Absent Riddim 

(2022 Pressure)

The Bug presents - Various Artists - Absent Riddim (2022 Pressure)



This is a digital only release. I've often neglected non-vinyl releases, in the past; however, there is an environmental cost to record production, as much a we'd love to see a green alternative to the carbon footprint of pressing plants, we're not there yet... not even to mention the current delays in actually pressing records. So, compromise becomes necessary. I never wanted to be dogmatic, anyway.

I read that Kevin Richard Martin (The Bug) described this as the first, non-dancehall / reggae, one rhythm album. The practice is standard within the genre of Dancehall, evolving from the early days of dub, in which the original "riddim," or backing track, was repurposed, remixed and repressed multiple times, resulting in myriads of songs with the same drum & bass-line. Each tune was customized by the studio wizardry of the producer, as well as with further instrumentation, singing or toasting.

It's reported that the first full album to use this technique was Rupie Edwards' Dr. Satan Yamaha LP (1974 Success), on which artists like Shorty The President, Slim Smith, and instrumentalists like Earl "Chinna" Smith and Bongo Herman, personalized the My Conversation riddim with each contributor's individual stylings. By the 80s, this type of LP was commonplace, from JA's up-and-coming crop of raggamuffin deejays and singers.

The Bug's sound has evolved over the years with several phases, and unique sounds, influenced by the drum and bass of dub and dancehall, as well as by the D.I.Y. ethos of punk, all the while. (Check out the CULTCHA Clash Outer National Artist Profile: Kevin Richard Martin / The Bug). Some of his more recent work has minimized all of the block-rocking beats of past works, like London Zoo (2008 Ninja Tune), and stripped the sound down to a raw, aggressive and heavy ambience, oxymoronic as that may sound. The result is stunning.





This latest venture is sort of like that. The "trudging through the mud" pace may not be too noticeable when juxtaposed with the energy of some of the guest artists on these tunes. 

The late Nazamba, who's life was cut short due to a heart attack earlier this year, sets things off with "Satan."  A righteous vocal performance that blurs the line between dub poetry and dancehall, is starkly contrasted by the next track, "Shamed," on which JK Flesh growls and grunts his verses with the rage and furor of a rabid dog.

A few names that were previously unknown to me come with some pretty impressive work, like HTRK, YL Hooi, Fatboi Sharif and Relly.
"Your Laws Aren't Free" features Jaimie Branch, American composer and musician who passed away last month.

Several prior collaborators with Martin are featured, Roger Robinson's "Please, Please" evokes memories of Robinson's London Zoo contribution, "You & Me." The pair (Martin & Robinson) have amazing chemistry as is made evident by their discography as King Midas Sound.

U.K. rudebwoy Logan kills the riddim with "Judgement Time," lyrically double-timing the down-tempo.

Moor Mother, who worked with Martin and Justin K Broadrick as Zonal, brings the raw, sub-conscious flow on "Fuck With Me."

Dis Fig, whose In Blue LP (2020 Hyperdub), with Martin, displayed their "Tunnel" style of dub-infused, electronic music, makes an appearance on "Too High."

Experimental Hip-Hoppers, Dälek, come with the hard-core on their tune, "Fractured."

My personal favorite version is "King Of The Cage," on which Mark Stewart's vocal stylings intermingle with the spacious groove. 

Other standouts are the punk-poetry of "Dead," by Nicholas Bullen, Ethan Lee McCarthy's "Is Death A Dream?" and "What's That Sound?" with Nosaj.

Wrapped up with the instrumental version, all 17 tracks are well worth a listen.

Back to Martin's point about this being the first album of it's kind*... I'm sure that his well of information is more vast than mine, but, to my knowledge, I would have to agree that this is a first, as well as the most eclectic mix of artists on such an album.

* I was corrected by Bug Man, himself, who remembered that there were two or three one-riddim grime releases that were released prior to Absent - respect due.

Much props to The Bug for always innovating, never imitating, and coming with original concepts with each new release. Check it out!





Infinite Felines is CULTCHA Clash Outer National's Animal Activism Project, we care for over 40 feral and domestic cats at our home, we'll be sharing our activities on our new blog, check it out!


https://infinitefelines.blogspot.com/


https://gofund.me/7d787879


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