This has taken me an age to sort out – I did not know how I felt about DC’s latest album, I only knew that it was a different album every time I listened to it and in what context. In the car, all windows down and the sun beating down, this was fabulous and I just wanted to turn the volume up and up but on my PC in the late night it just didn’t have the depth except when the dawn broke it suddenly made sense once again. Real mood music I guess.
The title (and opening) track is a wonderful exploration of a jazz groove with horns that veer in and out of the front line alongside the most insistent bassline, a real sense of wonder and awe. ‘Dub Will Tear Us Apart’ is also in a groove but I find the vocals on the track, courtesy of ‘Mimi’ Zenebe, just don’t quite work but the horns – oh wow!
The dub work all through the album is excellent, sympathetic and subtle – Dubulah at his best I think – and musically this is generally wonderful with some great use of traditional instruments as well as western – ‘Tringo Dub’ I adore and ‘Yezema Meseret’ – and fine jazz improvisations all through. Special mention should be made of their version of ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ which is a complete reimagining of the number.
This is a properly grown up album from Dub Colossus and in some respects much more advanced than previous offerings but it does really need the listener to be in the right place – when you are you will love this but be warned that there are days when this will simply grate.
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