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Recorded by a group of adventurous Ethiopians and Nick Page, one half of the British group Temple Of Sound, Dub Colossus is a unique attempt to mix traditional East African music with the most experimental reggae sounds. Recorded first in Addis Ababa, it was completed in a two-week session at the Real World studios in Wiltshire, thanks to the involvement of the B&W Music Club.

The opener on the EP is ‘Azmari Dub’ features the vocals of Sintayehu Zenebe that’s uptempo Afro-dub that’s followed by a mix of ‘Shegye Shegitu’ that get us deep into a delta blues dub-out and features our dub/blues/hip-hop master Skip ‘Little Axe’ McDonald. Totally different types of track but both are excellent.

‘Neh Yelginete’ (My First Love) has some strange echos of Sade’s ‘The Sweetest Taboo’ which is one of my personal least favourite tunes of all time. So I’ll easily overlook that and concentrate on the last track from the EP, an exclusive live piano improvisation by Smauel Yirga Mitku called ‘Ambassel In Box’; its as if Africa and the Royal Albert Hall touched Keith Jarrett at the same time.

After Deadbeat’s Roots & Wire this is more serious cross genre dubness. The full album Dub Colossus In A Town Called Addis is released next week and I’ve got me order in straight away.

Reviewed: Dub Colossus - A Town Called Addis (Real World) Cat. No. B001CC7FBM Released July 2008
Track Listings
1. Azmari Dub (5:07)
2. Shegye Shegitu (One Drop Mix) (4:50)
3. Neh Yelginete (5:44)
4. Ambassel In Box (5:47)

Links
www.realworldrecords.com/dubcolossus
www.little-axe.com
www.myspace.com/littleaxesound
www.realworldrecords.com/littleaxe