Hundred Strong (aka Ben Dubuisson) has got together a 9-piece live band that has already appeared at the Reading Rooms in Dundee. Hopefully, you be able to go to one of the other five shows planned.

It’s hard to believe that the last album Basement Blues was produced in Bristol but Ben’s blend of soulful hip hop jazzy funk extends beyond the ears of West Country folks. J.Todd and Lunversol9 (aka Def Harmonic), Victor Davies, Joseph Malik, EV ON, Task Force and Worldwide Winner Alison Crockett all featured on the album.

Every track is good but especially ‘All Ain’t The Same’, ‘Mostly Empty Solid Space’, ‘Lead Not Follow’, the space age funky dub of ‘Flavor’, the rockin’ ‘Once More’, the leftfield ‘Brain Busy’ (by the way, Def Harmonic’s Embrace is another gem of a CD) and ‘Life’s Beat Me’.

Best of all is Ms. Crockett on ‘Dream On Delay’. All in all, an excellent album and as you’d expect, it’s in the same ball park as Roger Robinson’s Illclectica.

Good news all round and we expect Altered Vibes to keep vibe altering the way we like it.

Hundred Strong Tour dates:
6th October — Runaway Girl, Sheffield
7th October — Mau Mau, London (with Altered Vibes DJ’s Nick Lawrence and Tom Frain) 265 Portobello Road, W10 7pm-11pm Entry £3.00
11th October — Jelly Jazz, The Quay Club, Plymouth
13th October — Night Chicken Shack, Moles, Bath
14th October — Western Roots, Native, Bristol

Links:
www.alteredvibes.com
www.myspace.com/alteredvibes
The ParanormL ‘Jazz Is The Fundamentals EP’ (AVR023)
Gilles Peterson :: Tracklisting 01/04/04 :: Hundred Strong Ft. Joseph Malik — ‘All Ain’t The Same’ (Altered Vibes)
Gilles Peterson :: Tracklisting 20/08/03 :: Hundred Strong — ‘Sword Lies Broken’ (Altered Vibes/ Battersea Park)

Reviewed: Hundred Strong — Basement Blues (Altered Vibes) Cat. No: AVBPM 003 Released: 2005
Tracklisting:
1. ‘Intro’
2. ‘All Ain’t The Same’ Featuring Joseph Malik
3. ‘Mostly Empty Solid Space’ Featuring Def Harmonic
4. ‘Odeon’
5. ‘Hardcore Poetry’ Featuring Jason Todd
6. ‘Flavor’ Featuring Lunaversol9
7. ‘Lead Not Follow’ Featuring Victor Davis
8. ‘Eastern Interlude’
9. ‘Once More’ Featuring Joseph Malik
10. ‘Brain Busy’ Featuring Def Harmonic
11. ‘Soul Interlude’
12. ‘What Shall We Rap’ Featuring EV.ON
13. ‘Dream On Delay’ Featuring Alison Crockett
14. ‘Life’s Beat Me’ Featuring Task Force