#tgtreview

[thegroovethief]

Updating two late roots cuts - Horace Andy's 1980 anthem "Money [Money]" and Errol Dunkley's gem from 1978 "A Little Way Different" - is certainly a tough task, yet Cultural Warriors readily rise to the challenge. The result is a dynamic Evidence Music six-track (12" and digital), sensitive to the origins and the times, that endows selectors with lush bass-forward productions; each comes with dub and instrumental as well.

"Money" opens with an Eastern-tinge alongside Horace Andy's vocal, before the synths build up to rolling steppers. Layered, there's ample intrigue beyond the bass bins. "A Little Way Different" takes that framework and arguably pushes it even further, with subtle touches ranging from sonic twinkles to background vocals. Dunkley's optimistic vocal contrasts well with Andy's blunt economics while riding the evolving riddim nicely to an echo-laden conclusion.

Money by Horace Andy, Cultural Warriors

The dub of "Money" opens up beyond the opening vocal, a classically-influenced approach done well by pressing the bass and crucial lines of Andy's to maximum effect; the melodica and the melodic synths take turns filling the resulting space. Dubwise Dunkley is kept sparse initially, pairing down the beat, before eventually caving to the pulsing low-end. This results in a near-techno feel at times, although the drum fills and vocals keep an appropriate balance. The instrumentals stand strong on their own as well, ready to keep the vibe alive for those singers and deejays bold enough to trod where legends lie.

[thegroovethief]

#TGTreview: Foreign Dubbers - Boa Statenti With Boa Statenti - the 150th release for American label Boom One Records [BOR] - Italian project Foreign Dubbers has clearly come into its own. The duo takes the dub paradigm and infuses it with an urgent future-past political fervor - manifested by pulsing bass, tight drums, and dissonant melodies, plus a range of effective atmospheric embellishments.

Boa Statenti (BOR150) by Foreign Dubbers

Arriving with a single tone, "Timanfaya" stirs up the reverberation prior to dropping a weighty bass line. Careening forward into each build-and-repeat sequence - with an intensity not often found in dub - there are clear hints of 1960s California here via the surf-esque guitar lines and the swirling psychedelia. The echo chamber is well-warmed, while the percussion drives the riff; or is it the other way around? Crashing in, "Digital Immigrant Song" begins as a soundscape rife with modern and cinematic tension. Then arrives the riddim: driving bass and slightly subtle supporting drums create the platform for a unique blend of digitalia - connecting modems, grooving low-bit synths, and even a tasteful nod to rave. Providing a nice contrast, "Last Night in Osaka" assembles slowly. However, there's still the band's signature inevitable sense of frenzy, a certainty arising amidst the haze. On the edge of electro-doom by the break, urban gloom is rarely so active. By the track's final stages, the melody is swimming around the stomping drums to dynamic effect. Closer "1973" - whose title may be a reference to a violent time in Italy's political past - arguably gets deeper than its predecessors. Mechanical yet haunting, the dread here is palpable: many bands would've chosen 1984. A captivating synth loop eventually does come, as does the engaging drum and bass. Another satisfying dub set from BOR - check previous reviews of The Riverside Rockers and Jim The Boss - with excellent musicianship and unexpected stylistic combinations throughout. This album is proof positive that the dub genre has hardly exhausted itself. *The Selector’s Choice* inna TGT’s crate => Digital Immigrant Song, 1973

[thegroovethief]

#TGTreview: Prince Alla - Run Come

Prince Alla has been singing his triumphant form of Rastafarian roots since the mid-70s, although with strong group work recorded for Joe Gibbs nearly a decade prior, this arguably underappreciated voice, with an honest declarative vocal style, has been gracing the mic for nearly fifty years. Run Come then marks a return to form in a showcase dub style, as this twelve track features six heavy (mostly) steppers cuts paired with equally weighty Dubvisionist dubs.

Time seems to stagger under the M7 Allstars' sparsely apocalyptic opening riddim, as Prince Alla's exhortations for action cut clearly through the haze: 'run a come come, children gather round gather round.' The female harmonies help carry the chorus and are then featured far more prominently in the dub, which is even more foreboding with the presence of crucial melodica, guitar, and dub siren. Prince Alla's vocals step in just often enough, keeping the emotional range completely intact.

Prince Alla & Lone Ranger - Ethiopia + Ethiopia Dub (Prod. by Dubvisionist) 7inch Vinyl by Prince Alla & Lone Ranger

The only combination comes next, with Lone Ranger on "Ethiopian Vibes," confident veterans well paired. An upbeat stepper also out on 7", eased in by horns and a traditional deejay opening, Prince Alla longs for Ethiopia mournfully: 'the place of my ancestors, I hear their voices calling out for me;' Lone Ranger chats away coolly in agreement: 'Africa the land of our forbearance people.' The dub leaves just a few chanted lines plus choice snippets, instead letting horns thunder and keys tease amidst the delays. Like all the dubs, the rhythm is never disrupted by board work, rather intriguing elements are brought to and away from the forefront with plenty of dubwise sections.

Led by the smooth walking bassline, "Always Crying" finds the melodica subtly supporting Prince Alla's powerful delivery, especially in the central chorus: various incarnations of 'running and them running' build the tension before the verse finishes with 'can't run away from the truth; always trying, but they can't get away; always crying, wipe your tears today.' Framed well throughout,

"Rasta Love" follows, all pulsing bass and clattering snares topped by Prince Alla's religious recitations. The earnest delivery and sheer musicality do carry the tune, but "Dub Love" arguably shines stronger by letting the talented (yet uncredited) supporting singers do more atop the blistering low-end line. That said, Prince Alla is still in fine form here, with a bit of a funk influence in places.

Featuring stellar drum work, "Pillar of Salt" perhaps skanks more than steps, with tough keys and bassline carrying this Biblical tale, of Lot's wife looking back upon Sodom and Gomorrah (quite a delightful tale, that Genesis 19... yeah, read it). The dub, while still consistent in style, is arguably the most playful of all, with slightly fewer vocals and a sense of pursuit especially in the latter half.

'Don't be ungrateful' is how "Be Thankful" begins, a simple yet soulful exercise in optimism. However, singing of the need for positivity and kindness is, quite frankly, never out of style. Prince Alla's passionate voice is positioned wisely on the dub, which features a nice switch in regards to the riddim, leading to a solid conclusion to both track and album as the 'give thanks' theme comes full circle. A highly enjoyable home listen!

*The Selector’s Choice*

inna TGT’s crate => Run Come & Dub