Dub Reviews
| Artist: | Dubmatix feat. Ranking Joe | Cover scan:
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| Title: | War Inna Corner | |
| Label: | Irie Ites Music | |
| Catalogue Number: | IIM001 | |
| Format: | 7" | |
| My rating: |
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| Your rating: | - | |
| Result: | Canada's finest export. | |
| Review date: | 2008-07-08 | |
| Detailed review: | ||
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Irie Ites (not to mix up with the French label with the same name) is a long established German reggae webzine / radio show and if it's true that they already started in 1995, then they even exist 1 year longer than Dub Flash which started in 1996 (back then still under the name "Dieb in Dub"). So, what a long way they came until they finally decided to release their first record: Dubmatix feat. Ranking Joe "War Inna Corner", a crispy 7". I personally was quite surprised that they've chosen Dubmatix for their first release even though I could not tell why I was surprised. Dubmatix is a pretty well known (oh so many friends in Facebook for example) dub producer from Toronto in Canada who is not afraid to get his tunes into the charts. ;) His style varies from heavy steppers to overly sweet roots dub. Lots of his tunes can be found online. It's unlikely that you haven't come across him yet if you've done some online dub googling. Nonetheless, it seems that this is my first Dubmatix review. Again, I could not tell why. About Ranking Joe, I suppose, I don't need to write anything anymore. He's there since the 70s, toasting the nights away. I wonder if his throat hurts after all these years? Plenty of modern reggae releases feature him and I would say that all the European producers have at least one track with him pon de mic. On "War Inna Corner" his vocal is mixed with a lot of effects and even in the vocal cut, the vocals are not too much (maybe good to know for people who are not that much into toasting - people like me). The riddim is a combination of the two aformentioned styles: steppers and "sweet" roots. Vintage style, using organs, old schoolish brass sections... the word rocksteady is floating through my mind right now. For some reason, I have pictures in front of my inner eye (is there such a thing as an inner eye?), there is a street with some old and broken houses, the asphalt on the streets is full of weeds, people with bell-bottom jeans are skanking around a small soundsystem which is operated by a guy with a washed out purple jogging trouser. He is sweating because the sun is burning down on him. And there, see, he just flipped the record and announces a dub, the people cheer, out of the shadows comes a guy with a microphone, he starts to toast, people cheer even more. Someone spills a glass with water on the street, his wife yells at him that he should be more careful. A car drives around, it's brandnew and has a sticker on it saying "class of 1971". Nah, ok, the last sentence was a bit too much, wasn't it? Anway, where was I? Right, "War Inna Corner" is a vintage style, very, very old-schoolish stepper. It's easy-going, laid-back,summer-feeling music. It's like the perfect soundtrack for the many reggae summer festivals around the globe. It makes people move their booties. (The last sentences may be quoted, if you want, hehe.) On the B-Side we find a "Raw Version" but after hearing it a couple of times, I would say "Plain Version" fits better because there is not really any dubbing going on and it's also not raw in a way that it's stripped to the riddim section or something. It's the A-Side, just without vocals. ;) In a way, even though I was wondering why Irie Ites chose this tune as their first release, it does make perfect sense because it shows the variety of styles which Irie Ites stands for. And in that they are much better than for example Dub Flash because I only need (and want) a heavy bassline, a fast stepping riddim, some outer space skanks and an overdose of dub effects. That makes me quite a dogmatist. Shame on me? Well... no, I don't want to be different! :p Now, you may want to hear how it sounds which I tried to express in words. Best way is to click here, check out the samples and then buy the record. It can be obtained via this link or possibly also in your trusted (online) shop. |
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(c) Dub Flash Records (1998 - 2011). Jinxed by Dubby Dog Productions. Overseen by the B-Side Avengers. Read by you. Cheerio, Ms. Sophie! |
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