Dub Colossus - Addis To Omega (Independent Records Limited)
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| Dub Colossus - Addis To Omega |
I've been saving this CD for a
little while until I had a good long road trip to enjoy it and a recent jaunt
from West to East provided the perfect opportunity. With the Autumn sun
streaming in through the car window I popped this in to the stereo and
immediately the journey got better. As Stonehenge rolled past on the horizon
opening track 'Boom Ka Boom (And The Dub Disciples)' kicked in and the rhythms,
ragga and darkly rich melodies give the air an entirely different flavour.
'Family Man' and 'The Casino Burning Down' are up next and continue the journey
with dancing percussion, relaxed melodies and a sumptuous range of vocal
styles. The punkish drum riff that opens 'We Are The Plaything Of The Rich And
Famous' gives away its political leanings and the mix of The Specials meets Joe
Strummer is there for all to hear. 'Fight Back' has a gorgeous groove (perfect
for driving to) and title track 'Addis
To Omega' is an immense tune that opens with the unlikely line "From
Ethopia to Londinium" and cracks on with huge horns and eminently
danceable vibes.
If you're looking for some old
school dub and reggae, though, look no further than the ultra laid back jam of
'Keep On Rocking' which meanders through the air like thick smoke on a summer
afternoon - drifting over houses and taking its own path. 'Soft Power' is a
piano lead piece of jazz infused reggae while 'Madmen' has a Latino swing to
those horny horns and a Maxi Jazz approach to the vocals. As the cock crows to
open up the Mexican inspired 'My Dad' you are firmly ensconced in the world of
Dub Colossus and it's a mighty fine place to be. The instrumental delight of
'Tale of 2 Cities' soon bleeds in to 'Shape Of Things To Come', an atmospheric
and late night jam that is infused with East African melodies and a gloriously
diverse range of instrumentation. I don't know if these guys have appeared on
'Later...' yet but they the exact combination of musicianship, eclecticism and
fun to make them prime candidates. The head bobbing joy of 'My Happy Face' and
the dark, twisting drone of 'A Voice Has Power' should be enough to make Jools
pay attention on their own. This 15 track mega album closes with an 8 minute
opus by the name of 'Orpheus Underground' which features some gorgeous guitar
melodies, flute and percussion to die for as the collective go all jazz on our
asses. This is the kind of album you can just put on at any time and it is
guaranteed to improve the situation. Driving? Better. Cooking? Better. Party?
Better. Romancing? Better. God only knows how good they must be live....
More information: https://www.facebook.com/dubfx?fref=ts
Live Dates:
6th November - SESC Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo
7th November - Groove Pub - Uberlandia, Uberlandia
8th November - SESC Piracicaba, Sao Paulo
9th November - VISSS, Sao Paulo
20th November - La Machine du Moulin Rouge, Paris
21st November - Vooruit, Ghent
22nd November - Melkweg The Max, Amsterdam