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Twilight Circus Dub Sound System


    " Foundation Rockers " Music Reviews

    Twilight Circus-Foundation Rockers (M)

    TOP TEN GLOBAL BEATS RECORDINGS OF 2004 (XLR8R)
    (List compiled by Derek Beres, Tomas Palmero, Vanka Van Ouytse)


    Premier album de Twilight Circus enregistré avec chanteurs et cuivres, et quels chanteurs (Big Youth, Luciano, Ranking Joe, Mikal Rose, et Brother Culture), et quels cuivres (la section cuivres d'Aswad : Michael 'Bami' Rose, Eddie 'Tan Tan' Thornton, Trevor Edwards) , "Foundation Rockers" est, allons-y carrément, le meilleur album de roots dub qu'il m'ait été donné d'entendre depuis beau temps. L'excellence de cet album tient certainement à la qualité des intervenants, mais aussi au talent de compositeur de Ryan Moore, et à sa science, que dis-je, à son art du mix. Car c'est là une des caractéristiques premières de cet album : le son tient du prodige. Ryan Moore reconnaît du reste y avoir apporté une attention toute particulière, notamment en ce qui concerne l'intégration des voix dans le mix. Le résultat est certainement à la hauteur du travail accompli, ce qui n'avait rien d'évident tant les sources sont pléthoriques: batterie, basse, guitare, percussions, cuivres, claviers, sirènes, bruits divers, effets en tous genres et à tous les étages, tout ça et plus ajouté aux voix des chanteurs, et le résultat reste dense et cohérent, tout en laissant sa place à chaque source. Imaginez une mosa•que monumentale dont vous pourriez apprécier le détail en ayant le nez collé dessus, ça vous fera une indication. Penserez quand même à coller l'oreille plutôt que le nez, s'entend.

    Outre l'étonnante qualité du son, "Foundation Rockers" se distingue par la diversité que les divers guests confèrent à ses titres. Big Youth en personne ouvre le bal avec le stupéfiant "Love is what we need", et de quelle façon : appuyé sur un riddim assez lent et des cuivres résolus, le titre affirme immédiatement son excellence, et laisse l'espace à Big Youth, qui l'occupe pour le moins élégamment. Le gars a décidément une voix, jusque dans ces curieux cris dont il émaille toujours ses interventions. Incroyable de détermination, de résolution - quiconque douterait continuerait de le faire, mais s'en trouverait conforté. Luciano prend le relais sur "What we go to do", plus enlevé, et en empruntant autant au rhythm and sound qu'au roots. Vient ensuite Ranking Joe, brillant deejay énervé sur "World in trouble", et plus loin, dans un flow plus posé, en réponse à la voix suave de Mikal Rose (Black Uhuru) sur "No Burial". Brother Culture, surtout connu jusqu'alors pour ses participations avec Mungo's Hi-Fi et Manasseh, officie quant à lui en style deejay limite "spoken word" sur le très dense et sombre titre éponyme (que vous retrouverez du reste sur l'enfin disponible compilation "I Dub You", où le même Brother Culture tient le rôle de MC).

    Les voix ne sont pas seules garantes de la variété de l'album : les cuivres, très présents, y participent aussi largement. "Alpha Skank", crédité aux "Mighty Three Horns" (i.e., la section cuivre d'Aswad), leur est pour ainsi dire consacré, et doit beaucoup au trombonne de Trevor Edwards, qui donne au titre une tonalité rarement retrouvée dans le genre. Citons encore "Blue Motion", l'une des plus fières réussites de l'album, où un genre de vibraphone/métallophone/balafon et un orgue pour le moins vintage préparent un thème développé par Eddie 'Tan Tan' Thornton à la trompette bouchée, pour un résultat saisissant d'inventivité.

    L'album est enfin de quelques dubs dans les règles de l'art, certifiés Tubbesques, dont le monument "Dub selector", qui témoigne à lui seul de la supériorité de Moore dans ce domaine, en érigeant à son paroxysme un mur du son qui éveillerait certainement de l'intérêt chez les amateurs de Muslimgauze. C'est certainement mon cas, et il en va ainsi de l'intégralité de l'album, dont je n'ose rêver que 2004 en entendra de meilleurs.

    Stéphane Rose
    Dub Zone


    Ryan Moore's bedroom dub albums have taken him far beyond any of the acclaim and recognition of his stint as the bassist for the Legendary Pink Dots, garnering almost unanimous critical praise. Twilight Circus Dub Sound System succeeds because of its deceptive simplicity; the music seems to be an alarmingly precise and studied recreation of the original, groundbreaking 1970s dub by progenitors King Tubby and Lee Perry. The warm, organic textures, the unashamedly melodic basslines, the deliberately messy live instrumentation and atmposphere are completely without peer on the current scene, dominated by boundary-pushing German artists such as Pole and Rhythm & Sound, who often surgically excise reggae's soul in their clinical pursuit of post-dub experimentalism. All of Moore's albums up to this point have been exclusively instrumental dub, using a minimal palette to portray his signature sound. After eight or so albums however, this limiting formula would have become repetitive to all but the most hardcore classic dub fans. Foundation Rockers takes a deliberate step into new waters Ñ a collection of vocal dubs by a number of great Jamaican vocalists with full horn sections and top-notch production. I am happy to report that the album is a beautiful accomplishment Ñ a warm, wet, nuanced album that is entirely redolent of classic dub productions, but with a creative edge that keeps it from becoming a retro exercise. The legendary Big Youth contributes the de rigeur antiwar vocals on "Love Is What We Need," a mellow, vibe-y song that gets even better after it's been dipped into the Amsterdam bongwater on "Dub Is What We Need." Luciano's laments for peace and unity float alongside Moore's gloriously rocksteady rhythms and vibratory bassline on "What We Got To Do." "Alpha Skank" in an instrumental track spotlighting the talents of the Might Three Horns brass section that lend their considerable talents to the whole album. Every track is a winner here, but Mykal Rose's particularly haunting crooning on "No Burial," as well as Moore's heartbreaking guitar fills, push the song to the top of the heap. Foundation Rockers is an extraordinarily lovely album of reverential dub reggae that exceeds expectations and delivers on the promises of Moore's back catalog.

    Jonathan Dean
    Brainwashed.com


    Karsten Frehe's Review @ Irie Ites (in German)
    www.irieites.de


    Artist: Twilight Circus
    Title: Foundation Rockers
    Label: M Records
    Issued: Nov 2003
    Format: CD/LP


    After the clutch of strong 12"'s from Luciano and Big Youth, Twilight Circus now return with an excellent album compiling the talents of Mykal Rose, Ranking Joe and Manasseh mic man, Brother Culture.

    It's a powerful album, and is probably the most "orthodox" offering so far from Ryan Twilight. His earlier releases, though being strictly dubwise roots music, had edges of influence from diverse sources such as Eno and Can. This release though, whilst still retaining Ryan's distinctive edge, has far more of an old school JA mood to the entire proceedings.

    The contributions from Bammie Rose and Eddie Tan Tan on this album are impressive, showing what true masters of their craft they are. (Why hasn't a compilation of their finest moments been compiled yet, one has to wonder?) At times they veer into old school Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp and Miles Davis territory and that has to be the highest accolades one could confer on these sensitive and meditative hornsmen. Ryan Twilight's dedication to his dub vocation is clear, and his mixes of these great hornsmen are huge affairs, featuring his characteristic cavernous bass and avalanche drum sounds. "Blue Motion" and "Alpha Skank" are strong tracks, featuring at times, recognisable echoes of early ONU Sound style and technique.

    Brother Culture puts in an entrancing apocalyptic performance over a deep and inspiring rhythm track, all exploding snares and spiralling metallic percussion. Ranking Joe's "World in Trouble" is an equally dark and intense performance.

    Mykal Rose, with his fiercely unique and rich tones, offers up a more sedate vocal than we are used too with a meditation on the eternal. Ryan's rhythm track works its linear magic under the introspective chant. Mykal Rose has a thoughtful and compelling tone which has lost none of its power over the years.

    The next track, "Blue Motion", has a Joe Gibbs crisp Rockers edge to it with a psychedelic guitar vibe, sounding similar to Uhuru's explosive 7" dub of "Sun Is Shining" on the Channel One label released in the early 80's. The drum explosions sound eerily like someone inhaling and exhaling.

    This is a fine album, which shows Ryan Twilight apparently getting better and better with each entry into his studio. It's good to see him working with legendary roots figures too. For those of you that love spiritual vocals and landscape dubs it is doubtful that this cerebral work will disappoint.

    Long may Ryan Twilight practice his dub art. Watch out for Smith and Mighty/ More Rockers collaborations coming early next year.

    Reviewed by Greg Whitfield
    www.reggaenews.co.uk