Reggae – 7th Level Music

Review: Nevaris – SoundSession

One of the things I like best about dub music is that it’s the kind of music that always finds me when I need it. Sometimes I just need to chill out, or to take a breath, or to get laid, or remember to stop worrying about things out of my control. Dub music is perfect for all of that, and Nevaris has returned with another solid dub record for all of that – SoundSession.

The album consists of four tracks, all of them recorded in a single session in May 2023. They bring together Nevaris and his excellent hand percussion work with heavyweights like Peter Apfelbaum (saxophone, flute), Will Bernard (guitar), Matt Dickey (guitar), DJ Logic (turntables), Jojo Kuo (percussion), Bill Laswell (production), Lockatron (drums), Jonathon Maron (bass), and Angel Rodriguez (percussion).

“Ninth Sun” immediately hooks you from the first few notes and settles you into what you know is going to be a groovy, trippy time. Apfelbaum’s saxophone is practically incense smoke moving through the room. It’s jazzier on “Remedy,” with neat, stretched guitar sounds from Bernard and Dickey, and sizzling hand percussion and distorted synths that bring spaghetti westerns and back alley Negril bars to mind.

Lockatron is locked-in on “Document,” putting the whole band in his pocket and letting them know they can go bonkers and he’ll be the silver cord anchoring them to the material plane. DJ Logic’s scratches and long, almost droning guitar chords seem to extend the space around you. Apfelbaum’s saxophone solo on the track is high-class.

The album’s final track is its biggest. “Dub Orchestra” clocks in at nearly eighteen minutes with Logic’s scratches sounding like a mystical crow or raven chattering away as it leads you down a winding path. Apfelbaum’s flute is something on the wind you hear as you walk, and the percussion from Nevaris, Kuo, Lockatron, and Rodriguez is a treat. All four improvise with each other with no one overpowering the other. It’s a long, cool trip and worth the drive.

The record is just what you need, whether you know it or not.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Shauna at Shameless Promotion PR.]

Rewind Review: Kalyanji-Andandji – Bombay 2: Electric Vindaloo (2001)

If that cover alone doesn’t make you want to buy this album, I’m not sure what will.

Bombay 2: Electric Vindaloo is the sequel to the wild, weird, and wonderful Bombay the Hard Way: Guns, Cars and Sitars collection. Both feature Bollywood film music by the composer duo of Kalyanji Virji Shah and Anandji Virji Shah and remixed by multiple DJs and producers. The first collection featured 1970s James Bond-riffing film music and Bombay 2: Electric Vindaloo focuses on Bollywood in the 1980s, with all the glitz, glamour, and garishness of that decade. Imagine Miami Vice filmed in New Delhi and you’ll get the idea.

Urusula 1000‘s “Ram Balram” would fit into any techno set even today. DJ Me DJ You‘s “Bionic Kahaan” is layered with weird, warped sounds of calling geese, horror movie film synths, strange vocal samples, and gloopy, oozy bass. “Theme from Twin Sheiks” is a delightful minute and eight seconds of Bollywood bliss.

Kid Koala and Dynomite D‘s “Third World Lover” is a grand mix of sweeping strings, traditional Indian instruments, and hip hop beats. “Rah-Keet” has this cool mix of synthwave and stuff that sounds like opening credits music you’d hear on an obscure VHS tape you found at a Goodwill store. Mixmaster Mike‘s “Hydrolik Carpet Ride” features his trademark turntablism that will leave you dumbfounded. “Bollywood B-Boy Battle” is as intense and fun as you hope it will be.

DJ Me DJ You return for “Mr. Natwarlal,” which has great dub bass and synth effects in it to further confound your brain. Dynomite D then returns for “Basmati Beatdown” – a track that almost sounds like it’s playing backwards and somehow keeps a wicked groove throughout it. “T.J. Hookah” is ready for action (or video games, your choice). DJ Me DJ You takes us on a third trip with the horn and turntable-led “Disco Raj.”

“Sexy Mother Fakir” drifts into Spic-Beatz and Pak-Man‘s “Inspector Jay’s Big Score,” which is practically space age bachelor pad music and practically gives you an entire spy film’s plot in under six minutes. Steinkski‘s scratch-a-licious “Electric Vindaloo” is a stunning display of his skill on the decks.

“Dil Street Blues” is a fun riff on the famous Hill Street Blues theme, and I love how the album ends with an almost traditional-sounding track, “Chakra Khan,” complete with male-female duo vocals but fat disco bass and swanky horns added to the mix.

I don’t know if a third collection of this stuff will ever appear, but I hope so. Everyone needs more stuff like this. Something might be wrong with you if you don’t find at least a bit of enjoyment out of it.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Nevaris – Reverberations

You know you’re onto something when Carlos Santana calls your album “a work of supreme creativity.”

That’s how he referred to Nevaris‘ album Reverberations – a great album of dub, trip-hop, and world beat music put together by percussionist / keyboardist Nevaris and a great lineup of musicians including producer / bassist / legend Bill Laswell, DJ Logic on turntables, Will Bernard and Matt Dickey on guitars, Lockatron on drums, and Peter Apfelbaum on horns and additional keys.

The album had me hooked within the first twenty seconds of its opening track, “Dub Sol.” The sexy horns, panning beats, and incense smoke bass lured me into an exotic desert tent where you are sorely tempted to stay the rest of your life. “Disruption” has some of the best horn arrangements on the record from Apfelbaum, and DJ Logic gets to strut his scratching stuff as well on the track.

Laswell’s excellent dub bass returns on “Ninth Sun,” which also percolates with plenty of weird, trippy effects created by him. “Remedy” could easily fit into a mystery film set in Jamaica, while “Interference” would slide easily into a Bond film soundtrack – particularly a scene in which Bond enters an exotic casino in order to set up a trade of valuable information and ends up in a dangerous situation that’s either going to get him killed or laid.

It’s only appropriate, then, that the following track is called “Safehouse,” and we can imagine Bond making it out of the casino in one-piece and kicking back with a lovely lady in a backroom lounge at a Kingston restaurant. The track instantly puts you in a calming place with synth effects and reverberated beats that slow you down and bring you some much-needed chill.

“Frequencia” thumps and bumps in all the right places, with DJ Logic’s subtle scratching mixing well with the hand percussion and Hammond organ riffs. The closer, “Lockatronic,” gives drummer Lockatron plenty of time to show you how he locks it down and puts the whole band in his back pocket. He absolutely snaps every beat.

I love experimental, almost ambient dub albums like this. It’s solid.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Shauna at Shameless Promotion.]

Review: Studio One Space-Age Dub Special

Studio One Space-Age Dub Special is a fun collection of rare dub cuts from the legendary Studio One studio released between 1972 and 1981. Credited to “The Dub Specialist,” but chopped up and remixed by producer Clement “Sir Coxsone” Dodd and engineer Sylvan Morris, the rare cuts take on new life.

“Red Neck” is heavy on the horns and rouses you from a bit of a hangover from the afterparty you attended earlier that morning. “Marcus Dub” calms things down with its simple high-hat beats as you scrounge around some juice and toast and feed your pets. The thumping, yet subtle bass on “Accra” is the sound of your brain finally waking up and planning out your day, thankfully with a sense of optimism.

“A Lie Gal a Tell” recycles the horns and beats from “Red Neck” and includes vocals from DJ Lone Ranger and plenty of weird keyboard cuts to inspire you to dress sharp for the day (“This is a serious, serious matter,” Lone Ranger says with a grin.). There’s a bounce in your walk with “Squash Dub” in your earbuds. ‘Pick Up the Version” keeps you smiling as you head for the train station and the frantic crowds there. You’re in no hurry. Things will happen when they happen. The groovy, mellow beat of “Saucy Perila” will make the woman behind the counter handing you your pain au chocolat wonder if you’re high, happy, or horny.

“Roaring Reggae” doesn’t roar at all. It’s more like a lion stretching out its limbs to lounge in the sun. The background vocal sounds on “Still Water Version” give it a dreamy quality, and the reverb only increases that sense. “My Man Part 2” and “Disco Dub” are fun, little jaunts across the dance floor. “Tricky” isn’t a salute to the DJ of the same name, but I’m sure he’d love it. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already sampled it in at least a couple tracks by now. The subdued bass in it is perfect for trip-hop, and Tricky could easily sing or rap over all of “Illiteracy Version.”

The title of “Wailing Sounds” is probably a reference to The Wailers, and not the sound of the track – which is peppy ska beats and mellow ska horns mixed with slightly up-tempo dub bass. “Juk’s, Inc.” could be the opening theme to the credits of a 1976 Jamaican crime film. “Barb Wire Version” has female vocals about finding a new man, but the vocals never tell the whole story. They’re chopped, looped, and reverbed into a weird puzzle. Perhaps it’s related to “Queen of the Rub?” I’m not sure. I mean, with that title… The collection ends with “I a See I,” which might be the trippiest song on the record. The vocals are layered with extra reverb, the hand percussion sounds like it was recorded in the back of a cave, and the organ notes almost sound random. It’s delightfully strange.

The entire collection is. Like any good dub record, it’s mysterious, funky, and just plain weird all at once.

Keep your mind open.

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WSND DJ set list – Deep Dive of Robert Palmer

Thanks to all who tuned in for my Deep Dive of the music of Robert Palmer. Here’s what I played on July 03, 2022.

Robert Palmer – Addicted to Love
The Alan Bown – Gypsy Girl
Dada – Big Dipper
Vinegar Joe – Rusty Red Armor (live)
Lee Dorsey – Sneakin’ Sally through the Alley
The Meters – Cissy Strut
Little Feat – Willin’ (live)
Robert Palmer – Get Outside
Toots and the Maytals – Pressure Drop
Robert Palmer – Here with You Tonight
Robert Palmer – Man Smart, Woman Smarter
Robert Palmer – Every Kinda People (live)
Bonnie Raitt – You’re Gonna Get What’s Coming
Robert Palmer – Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)
Robert Palmer – Jealous
Desmond Dekker – Moving On
Talking Heads – Houses in Motion
Robert Palmer – Looking for Clues
Gary Numan – I Dream of Wires
Robert Palmer – Some Guys Have All the Luck
Robert Palmer – You Are in My System
Duran Duran – Is There Something I Should Know?
The Power Station – Communication
Robert Palmer – Riptide (requested)
Robert Palmer – Discipline of Love (live)
Robert Palmer – Simply Irresistible
Robert Palmer and James Brown – I Feel Good / Out of Sight (live)

Next week is a deep dive of Failure. Don’t miss it.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Anika – Change: The Remixes

Anika has openly discussed how much she loves the dance floor as well as the dark corners of a night club, so putting out a remix album of her killer 2021 record, Change, was a no-brainer for her.

The “Planningtorock remix” of “Planningtochange” drops the pitch of her vocals and ups the beats to create a track that’s perfect for dancing in a dark basement full of sexy, sweaty people. Dave Clark‘s remix of “Never Coming Back” is somehow darker than the original. Lauren Flax‘s remix of “Critical” becomes slightly hardcore make-out music. Maral at the Controls‘ dux mix of “Finger Pies” is outstanding, mixing dub with industrial like a sexy glitch-bot.

PDBY‘s remix of “Freedom” strips the song down to a haunted house drone, like something you’d hear in a dimly lit ballroom with peeling wallpaper and warped floorboards. Lauren Flax comes back for a remix of “Change,” and it’s the closest one to a straight-up house music banger on the whole EP.

Don’t miss this is you’re a fan of Anika. It’s an interesting look at her different influences and how she’s influenced (and influencing) others.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Psycho Las Vegas 2021 recap: Day Three

We only had four bands on our itinerary for day three of the Psycho Music Festival in Las Vegas. One was a must-see for us (especially for my wife) and another was someone I, for some reason, had never seen before this festival.

First up were shoegazers Flavor Crystals, who played the early afternoon at the Rock & Rhythm Lounge to a small crowd, but a small crowd full of shoegaze fans. They dropped a heavy sound bomb on the place, flooding the casino with fuzz.

Flavor Crystals melting faces and minds.

They also added to my set list collection from the festival.

We took a break for a few hours and then came back for three consecutive shows at the Michelob Ultra Arena, which is connected to Mandalay Bay. Meanwhile, Summer Slam was happening at the stadium across the street, which made for a weird mix of T-shirts seen in the casino. You saw everything from shirts for wrestlers like John Cena and Rey Mysterio, Jr. to bands like Dying Fetus and Cephalic Carnage.

The first band at the Michelob Ultra Arena certainly weren’t the death metal category, but were rather Thievery Corporation, who put on a fun show combining bhangra, reggae, dub, rap, and funk. It was my second time seeing them, and the first time I saw them was also in Las Vegas (at the Cosmopolitan Hotel Casino rooftop pool), so it was an interesting return for me. They put on a fun set.

Sitar, drums, congas, bass, synths, and vocals from Thievery Corporation.

Next were The Flaming Lips, who are one of the best live bands going right now and one of my wife’s favorite bands ever. It was, as always, a delightful, uplifting experience. The usual spray of confetti into the crowd was minimal, and there were no giant, confetti-filled balloons launched into the crowd due to COVID concerns, but there was still plenty of fun to be had. It was fun to stand next to a guy who’d never seen them before then, and he gave me a happy thumbs-up during the show.

My wife went back to the hotel room after the show, and I stayed to see Danzig. I’d somehow gone my entire punk teenage years, college years, and post-college years without seeing Danzig, Samhain, or any variation of The Misfits. Danzig started a little late, but Glenn Danzig and his band came out to an appreciative crowd and played the entire Danzig II: Lucifuge album and then some of their favorite hits. It was an impressive set, and the guitarist was especially talented. Glenn Danzig wasn’t too concerned about possible COVID infection, however, as he tossed multiple used water bottles and face towels into the crowd – half of whom left before his three-song encore, which baffled me.

One funny conversation I overhead as I was leaving the Danzig show was between two guys. One was checking the set times on his phone. His friend asked who was currently playing. “Cannibal Corpse,” said the man with the phone. His friend replied, “Yeah! Let’s fucking get brutal!”

I made it back to the room after wandering the casino a bit and being a bit overwhelmed by all the visual and aural stimulation, not to mention all the smoke of various kinds I’ve been around all day. We had an easy morning planned for the last day, and then a night of wild rock, Cambodian funk, soul funk, and metal lined up for Sunday.

Keep your mind open.

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Psycho Las Vegas 2021 recap: Day Two

We started off the second day of the Las Vegas Psycho Music Festival with what would become our morning ritual over the next three days – lounging by the Luxor Casino Hotel’s pool in the dry heat after picking up a breakfast sandwich at one of the somewhat-overpriced restaurants in the hotel. We’d relax for a couple hours, wash off the sweat, and then go see some bands. It was a great way to save money because we had little time to spend at the gambling tables and slot machines.

Our musical entertainment began with Foie Gras and her industrial-goth set at the Mandalay Bay House of Blues venue. She put on a good set to an early crowd, and my wife loved her combination of a T-shirt and flamenco dancer sleeves.

Foie Gras with her rockin’ sleeves and blood-painted knees.

Up next was something completely different – a set by Deathchant, who I can probably best describe as sounding like a fuzzier Thin Lizzy. The played the “Rock & Rhythm Lounge,” which is in near multiple restaurants in the casino, so you can get your eardrums blasted while enjoying your expensive wine and French cuisine – or while shoving money into video slot machines. Deathchant were loud and rough and a wild afternoon wakeup call.

Deathchant playing like every song was their finale.

We took a five-hour break, more than enough time to get a nap and dinner before coming back to the Lounge to see British stoner metal quartet Psychlona. It was their first gig win Las Vegas and only their second show of their U.S. tour. “We are so fucking stoked,” their lead singer said, and they certainly played like it. Afterward, their singer told me their set was better than the one they’d just played in San Diego the previous night.

Shoegaze quartet Highlands were up next and brought a welcome change of sound to the Lounge and the festival in general. I’m a big shoegaze fan, and they didn’t disappoint. There was a nice, reverb-laden wall of sound coming from the stage for their whole set.

We then zipped across the casino and back to the House of Blues to see one of my most anticipated sets of the festival – a Bossa nova set from Claude Fontaine. The set was lightly attended, and I couldn’t help but think many were there from a previous metal set or waiting for the next metal band to play after her. The crowd wasn’t sure what to make of her at first, as they’d been so used to metal that a soft set of Bossa nova tracks with dub influences seemed alien to them. Ms. Fontaine put on the loveliest set of the festival (her first time playing in Las Vegas) and the small crowd did come around to appreciating the hypnotizing, alluring music she gave.

Our night ended at the Mandalay Beach stage, which sits opposite a man-made beach on a wave pool, where we saw Ty Segall and his band shred the place with their loud psychedelia – their first gig in two years. Segall’s wife even sang lead on one track. They sounded great, and the volume of the band was amplified not only by electronics, but also the water bouncing it all over the place.

Ty Segall and his crew partying at the beach.

It was our busiest day of the festival for bands – six in one day – but there were plenty more to come.

Up next, more shoegaze at the Lounge and three arena shows ranging from dub to goth metal.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Khruangin – LateNightTales

When asked to make their own LateNightTales compilation, Khruangbin decided to make it as much a showcase of international talent as possible. The result is a luxurious musical trip around the globe.

Opening track “Illuminations” by Devadip Carlos Santana and Turiya Alice Coltrane is like the opening theme to an exotic romance / adventure film with it’s luscious harp strings, playful violins, and simple piano and guitar chords. “I Know That (When the Spring Time Comes)” by Brilliantes Del Vuelo is robotic dub with thick bass, reverbed hand percussion, and vocals that sound like a Star Wars droid. “Khushi” by Nazia Hassan is Middle Eastern disco with neon synths and a slick hand percussion beat.

Kelly Doyle‘s “DRM” is full of thumping electro-bass and fun, slightly off-kilter beats. The bass gets fatter on Sanullim‘s “Don’t Go” – a track that will go directly onto your disco and / or funk playlists. Maxwell Udoh‘s “I Like It (Don’t Stop)” is more slick disco and David Marez‘s “Enséñame” has big brass horns that Portishead would love to sample and sharp 1970’s Spanish love song vocals.

Gerald Lee‘s “Can You Feel the Love (Reprise)” is pure 1970s bedroom rock with sultry female vocals (“Here we are, sitin’ with one another, so alive and so free…”). Justine and the Victorian Punks have a pillow talk conversation over a sweet groove that would be perfect for strutting your stuff down a runway. George Yanagi and Nadja Band then saunter into the room with a Japanese slow jam that should be on any turntable in the Land of the Rising Sun if you plan on any nocturnal mixers there.

Russian lounge jazz follows that. Khruangbin slide into the mix next with a cover of Kool and the Gang‘s “Summer Madness” that is so smooth that you almost slip on it as it oozes out of your speakers and settles on the floor around you. Paloma San Basilio‘s “Contigo” has playful female vocals backed with R&B bass and wicked high hat work. The horn section on the Roha Band‘s “Yetikimt Abeba” is top-notch, knowing when to move to the front and when to stay out of the way of the vocals and effortless beat. The album ends with a spoken word piece by Tierney Malone and Geoffrey Muller. It’s a love poem that sounds like it’s from space (and, after all, much of the poem is about the speaker chasing after his love who has left the Earth) with simple banjo plucks and space transmission beeps.

It’s a lovely compilation and one that will make you seek out a lot of these artists, as any compilation should do. Hats off to Khruangbin for putting it together for us.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Falle Nioke & Ghost Culture – Youkounkoun EP

I don’t remember where I stumbled onto Falle Nioke and Ghost Culture, but I’m glad I did. Their music makes you dance and feel a sort of spiritual warmth come over you when you hear it, and their Youkounkoun EP, is four tracks of musical magic.

Nioke hails from Guinea Conakry in West Africa and plays percussion while singing in six different languages while most of us can barely manage one. Ghost Culture is a producer / DJ who blends house, electro, and dub. The two of them are a powerful combination.

Opening track “Barké” (“Blessing”) is about doing good for others and receiving blessings from such work. Good grief, don’t we all need encouragement to do that in 2020? I’m not sure which bumps more on it, Nioke’s voice or Ghost Culture’s electro-bass and beats. “Fufafou” is an instant house hit with Nioke moving around and with GC’s beats like Muhammad Ali’s butterfly float and bee sting.

“Loneliness” mixes Nioke’s percussion and GC’s beats so well that you can’t tell where one ends and the other begins. “Mounemouma” shuffles, curls, and bumps along for over three minutes of body-moving bliss.

It’s all upbeat, and somehow great for dancing or chilling at the same time. You could drop this EP into a workout playlist, a lounge DJ set, a world beat mix tape, or a wedding reception and it would work in all of them.

Keep your mind open.

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