Skanking Dub resident DDJ* Skinny has agreed to an interview and pictures on this very weblog, right here. Look forward to some probing questions, some interesting answers, and most of all my AWESOME, UNIQUE, UNTOUCHABLE PHOTOGRAPHY TALENT.
*Dreadlocky Discy Jockey
Rhythm & Sound – See Mi Yah
Couple of really good tracks on here. What I like about the music on the album is the bare simplicity of it. Each of the MC’s chants on what is essentially the same track, each of which contains a simple bass loop and equally simple percussion, reminiscent of a slow, heavy heartbeat. It’s a very natural sound, very relaxing but at the same time quite energetic and moody.
Some tracks here http://www.boomkat.com/jukebox/jbContent02.cfm?tracks=14229,14230,14231&type=music
Alpha & Omega – Trample The Eagle And The Dragon And The Bear
Weird album. Electronic percussion on top of heavy bass rhythms (my favourite bass on this is on the first & second track), with some melodica and acid synth thrown in… You might like it, you might not. I hated it the first time I listened to it, was going to try and get my money back because I truly thought it was rubbish, but now it’s probably the album I listen to most often… Favourite tracks on this are Magic String, Don’t Lock Me Down, Guide Over Dub and Wounded Children.
Some mp3 samples here – right click them and choose “Save Target As…”
http://www.alphaandomega.co.uk/clipDubFireAandOLeeScratchPerry.mp3
http://www.alphaandomega.co.uk/clipSurvivorsOfTheCityAandOHoracemMartin.mp3
http://www.alphaandomega.co.uk/clipSelassieIAandOReubenMaster.mp3
The mighty Alpha & Omega are to release a new album called City of Dub in September. According to A & O the sound is “mellow but tough like classic A&O releases”. Expect vocal cuts with Gregory Fabulous, Coz Tafari, Jonah Dan, Nishka, Valnei Aine & Jero Banton, Zebi & Uprising, and more.
By the way you can remix Alpha & Omega’s Trample The Eagle And The Dragon And The Bear featuring vocals by Reuben Master, at http://www.alphaandomega.co.uk/remix.html.
The last time A&O did this kind of remix project was with the track Show Me A Purpose and the best remixes were released as the album Show Me A Purpose – Versions
So you never know, you might end up getting your remix released… If you fancy having a go then check the website. You can send your finished remix via Yousendit.
My mum must have picked this flyer up from Beat Junkies in Walsall; I found it on the coffee table when I got back from the disappointing (but fun) Ska-BQ at the Custard Factory. More about that later.
I doubt I’ll be going to this anyway, because
1. I’m skint
2. I don’t fancy going all the way to Brixton on my own
3. The main reason I would go is to take photos for this blog. The flyer says “no filming, cameras or audio”. I wonder if they’ve got a good reason for not allowing any coverage, and whether they’d allow LostInBabylon to cover the event or not. I’ve e-mailed University of Dub to find out. I can’t think of many good reasons for turning down free publicity myself…
Skanking Dub Beats always put on good events at the Bear. P.A.I.N. for example. And they’re always free!
Gonna take photos at this one – Urban Dub on the 23rd of September – so expect to see some photos on this very blog, in about, 28 Days
Flyer from skankingdubbeats.co.uk
Its a long time to wait but I’m such an ace photographer that it’s worth it
In fact the only reason I’m not a pro photographer right now is because I’m TOO FIRKIN GOOD.
Check http://www.urbandub.com/ and http://www.skankingdubbeats.com/ for more info/details
Just found another dub event in Birmingham.
with Hytal Bosrah Sound & guest sound. @ the Birmingham Sports Centre, 201, Balsall Heath Rd, Highgate, Birmingham B12. 9pm till late. £5
Not sure if I’ll be going to it but it’s always good to see events popping up all over the place
Fairly old, but probably my favourite at the moment
Some really good vibrations on this one
DubFest flyer (reproduced)
Who would have thought that after being banned from the Irish Centre in Birmingham, Dub Fest would end up at Afro (the Walsall Afro Carribean Centre).
It’s in two months’ time, Saturday the 28th of October. The owners of Afro had better prepare for a night of earth shaking, ground breaking, rootical dubwise vibrations. Starting with structural reinforcement to the building…
King Earthquake (photo taken from King Earthquake’s My Space profile)
King Earthquake will be in attendance, no doubt mashing the place down with some strictly heavyweight champion riddims. £3 before 10pm, £8/£5 NUS after.
You may have noticed that the greedy, money-grabbing, profiteering, good-for-nothing, sons-of-bitches at Travel West Midlands have removed bus timetables from many of the bus stops in Birmingham city centre. They have been replaced with a poster which advertises their bus timetable enquiry line, which charges at least 10p a minute. Some of the bus stops don’t even have these posters in. So, unless you’re lucky enough to have found a bus stop with a poster in it, and you have with you a charged mobile phone that’s topped up with credit, you have no way of knowing what time your bus might come. Stuck in the city centre early in the morning, need to know what time the first bus comes? Going out in the evening and need to know the bus times, to ensure that you don’t miss the last bus home? Tough luck.
It’s not exactly encouraging people to use public transport more, is it. In fact, in the time that I was waiting for the bus, eight people left the bus stop to wave for taxis, because no-one knew whether the first bus would be coming in 30 minutes or 130 minutes. The government keeps banging on about pollution and congestion, and promoting sustainable transport, so you’d think TWM would try and do a bit better to get people on the buses. Why on earth this company thinks it’s a good idea to get rid of timetables, effectively forcing people to pay just to find out when their buses are coming, is not quite a mystery to me, but it’s still a dirty move.
