
This is the debut full-length from Grant Phabao (aka Fabien Preaux) whose aptly hyped 1999 release, the "Tub EP", a mix of funk-house, dub, downtempo, smooth bass and throbbing beats, is credited as a pioneering force in the evolution of funk-house. If you're looking for more of the same you'll have to look elsewhere. But, if you're seeking laid-back, full-style reggae with strong dub influences, listen up!
Track Listing:
Sweet Talking (feat. Lone Ranger)
Braeton Killings (feat. Ray I)
Aya So We Deh (feat. Lone Ranger)
High Grade (feat. Danny Dread)
Music Weh Dem Wan (feat. Lone Ranger)
Rasta Roll Call (feat. Simon Diamond)
Fever (feat. Lone Ranger)
Ethiopia (feat. Lone Ranger)
A Who (feat. Lone Ranger)
Kulchaclash opens with Lone Ranger doing some "Sweet Talking" for his daughter in a bouncy, rub-a-dub style. Ray I follows and does the talking on "Braeton Killings", a deep, dubby, bass heavy rocker with some funky organ work done up in a European crossover flavor that works itself into your head and echoes around for days.
Oh no! What is that synth line that keeps popping up in this one? It's from a TV show or something...
The best thing I can do to describe "Aye So We Deh" is quote the artist himself, who calls it "A chanting thing. An old Studio One roots tune I wanted to do for years. In this one we kinda have a singjay style...". Lone Ranger does the lyrical honors.
Okay, "High Grade" is dubbed a "goog meditation tune", delivering a subliminal message for you to smoke a spliff and meditate on the tunes. If you set a blaze right now, I guess it worked. Even sober this one is gonna mellow out your mind. And by the way, no pun was intended in the first sentence above. ...okay, maybe a little.
"Music Weh Dem Wan" is Grant Phabao laying down a little hip-hop/reggae style, and although some sterile commercial music director might want to call it something like Raggaeton, it really isn't recommended. The vocal delivery is more stoccato, but still a far cry from hip-hop. This track is all island style.
Oh no! What is that synth line that keeps popping up in this one too? It's from a TV show or something... and it's driving me crazy because I can't name that tune.
Although "Rasta Roll Call" is a nice track, it's not too memorable and besides, I just can't keep my finger off the 'next' button because the next track is "Fever" done up a in a reggae style... can you beat this concept? Complete with female backup singers they do the original justice. Definitely a recommended listen!
"Ehiopia" is a nice chanting track done up in a late-ska/rocksteady style, while "A Who" is a solid, headnodding, dubby piece.
Through and through these are dubbed out, reaggae tunes in true form.