Dub Reviews
Artist: Togetha Brotha Soundsystem Cover scan:
Title: Way of the Sinner
Label: Afterbeat
Catalogue Number: ?
Format: MP3
My rating:
Your rating:
Average:
Rate it:   
[   votes]  © hscripts.com
Result: The makla of the makla.
Review date: 2008-07-15
Detailed review:
Togetha Brotha Soundsystem aka The Highpriests of Voices & Thundering is a live dub act from Utrecht in the Netherlands, known for their live dub mixing on stage. The free MP3 download album "Ways of the Sinner" gives you a good overview of their current works. 8 studio tracks + 2 excerpts from their live sets are offered as well as an album cover in PNG and PSD format. The latter seems a bit problematic as you need Photoshop to open it and get the tracklist (the tracks are not sorted in the folder). But who has the money to pay for Photoshop? I don't. :/

Anyway, I figured out the correct tracklist and so I found out that the album kicks off with a massive version of "Jahovia Dub". Who doesn't know this famous sample. Also, if this isn't some Kunte Kinte in here. ;)

Afterwards, TBS present some more rootical flavour which surprised me because their previous releases have all been full of very deep intense dubs. "Wa Fi Do Dub" is the complete opposite of their usual style, more lightweight, actually sounding like music which flies up through the sky, jumping from cloud to cloud.

"Country Dub" (in two versions) progresses slowly towards the known TBS style: still more on the major side of chords but with a deeper touch. Again, some nice use of vocals in here. To be honest, I don't really hear a very big difference between the Backawall and the Rural version.

"Ganja Luv Dub" follows and it kicks some heavy one drop style with extensive skanking. Unfortunately it is just 1:28 long though, so more a sketch than a full song, right? What's the catch here? "Sorry I Dub" is a very deep and crucial dub tune with a one drop riddim and some good traditional piano skanks. Nice dub effects and echoes guaranteed as well.

"Sleep Easy Dub" has to be put to the light side of the dub concerning the riddim (clavinet style possibly) and comes with a quite low volume, has a certain groove though which cannot be denied. "Bless the Chalice Dub" is a very fast stepper on a popular classic reggae riddim (once again, I cannot name it, shame on me).

So much for the new tunes. As a bonus, you get two excerpts from their live sets which show what I consider to be the "real" TBS style. This dark and a bit dirty dub sound which I hope will one day see and hear live on their set. Especially like the second bonus track.

In total, I rate this album with three stars. It seems more like a sketch than a real album but hey, it's free and we all know that one doesn't look a gift horse in the mouth! :) Check their Myspace profile and find the download link in their blog there. Or simply click here.