Get this, Will ‘Quantic’ Holland brings dub and reggae flavours to his Afro-Latin American Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno project; who much better can it get?
OK it’s Quantic so it’s brilliant, but really when the follow up to Quantic And His Combo Barabro – Tradition In Transition is as good as Palenque Palenque: Champeta, Criolla & Afro Roots in Columbia 1975-91 and Gilles Peterson presents Havana Cultura – New Cuba Sound combined, this is his best album yet!
That said, a quick check on the tracklisting and there’s a couple of versions; ‘Version’ as in reggae 7″ b-sides in a dub stylee? Yeah, Quantic is the incarnation of Lee Perry’s Black Ark Studio in Cali.
Incredibly, some of the tracks would not sound too out of place on the recent Balkan Fever London (Mind the Brass) compilation as a reggae sound system Quantic stylee squeezes in a range of grooves but like Palenque Palenque: Champeta, Criolla & Afro Roots in Columbia 1975-91 you can’t help but move to this.
Whether it’s the funky-reggae of the opener ‘Dog With A Rope’, the ska based ‘Cumbia Sobre’, the Cuban style of ‘Dub Y Guaguanco’ (you get the idea), this is a proper “tropical soundclash”.
His choice of accomplaces certainly helps the variety. With Peruvin pianist Alfredito Linares (who has appeared on his last three albums), Nidia G??ngora from Tradition In Trqansition and The Helicentric’s Malcolm Catto is replaced on drums by another UK based drummer, Conrad Kelly who has played with Brummie reggae legends UB40 and Steel Pulse. (And don’t forget The Heliocentrics have thier own incredible album out this week with Loyd Miller – see review HERE).
The Quantic and his Combo B?°rbaro tour has already happened (including a trip to Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Festival in Sete France) so lets hope there’s som more summer festival dates to come. The only gripe I’ve got about this CD is, wouldn’t have been so much cooler to have the album, and instead of a remix follow-up, a proper old fashioned Version Edition? I know, I’m just being gready but it’s a thought as the version tracks are so good, particualrly ‘Te Pico El Yaibi’.
Even though this is Holland’s 14th full album release in less than ten years, we’ve said before, the move to Colombia in 2007 is inspiring Quantic and his new musical acquaintances to go to new heights; After Dog With A Rope how much higher can he go?
Reviewed: Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno – Dog With A Rope (Tru Thoughts) Cat. No: TRUCD214 Release date: 19 July 2010
Tracklisting:
1 Dog With A Rope (3:14)
2 Dub Y Guaguanco (4:30)
3 Swing Easy (2:52)
4 Echate Pa’lla (Version) (3:45)
5 Portada Del Mar (3:21)
6 Cumbia Sobre El Mar (6:17)
7 Te Pico El Yaibi (Version) (4:57)
8 No Soy Del Valle (4:10)
9 Echate Pa’lla (3:54)
10 Te Pico El Yaibi (6:23)
Links:
www.myspace.com/quanticmusic
The Flowering Inferno ‘Dog With A Rope’ (Tru Thoughts)
The Flowering Inferno ‘Dub Y Guanguanco’ (Tru Thoughts)
Played on The Jelly Jazz Radio Show 12th May
Listen again here: www.jellyjazz.com/main_pages/radio.html
