FRENCH DUB CONNECTION

01 Seven Dub - Melo

02 Ethnician - U.S.S.

03 Djins - Les Frères

04 Hanuman Care Kit - Somebeleev

05 Rasboras Dub Tribe - Peace & Freedom

06 LXR - Human Being Humans (feat. Omar Ben Hassan)

07 Aleem - Profit Leave

08 Laurent Garnier - Theme From Larry's Dub

09 Kojak - hold Me (Seven Dub mix)

10 Colinn Zukkie - Two Times In A Modern Style

11 Housatonic - Freestyle Dub

12 Primitive - Dead Frog (The Rootsman remix)

13 Zenzile - Dub Trooper

14 Hopen Collective - Freedom Dub

Personnel Supervisor : Nicolai Beverungen / Echo Beach (echo.beach@on-line.de)

Head Of Vibes : Laurent Diouf & Guillaume Metenier

Mastered by Tom Meir. Liner-Notes by Laurent Diouf. Artwork & Design 3D Models by Frdéréic Voisin

Available on Echo Beach, Kl. Schfäerkamp 32, 20357 Hamburg, Germany

At the time of French Touch, dub never got so much response in France. Posses are coming out into the open to throw good vibes at parties where basses are stronger than drums. This stir was perhaps the warm-up to a bigger ground swell... And what if dub made in France had at last become a reality ? After all, there is now a rock scene worthy of the name, and one can be proud of the vigour of French rap. It is this word music that makes Nicolai @ Echo Beach say that the French can play-must surely play-good dub.
This cultural exception might compensate for the weaknesses of a musical tradition which built itself up in the 80's. Both in Paris and the provinces, the earliest sound systems used to perform in secret, in the cellars of derelict buildings, under bridges, in underground car parks, on barges, etc. In those far-off times, there was no sign of a local production. Only vinyls religiously brought back from Jamaica or imported from England. Some pioneers put French lyrics on the B side. Classic move. Then, these toasters managed to find a way to release their own production.
But most of them stayed on the sidelines since they couldn't or didn't know how to deal with Babylon, i.e. to sign up with majors... Set aside internal quarrels, the reggae scene was decayed by a hard-line dissident Rastafarism. At the same time, in England, some groups were defending a more urban approach. Poets employed a political discourse. This religious tension was felt in the production of most French groups. Generally speaking, our compatriots are very much roots, too roots... Nevertheless, some of them managed to keep their head above water, and some versions survived.
With the spread of rap and thus renewed interest in hip-hop and ragga the situation somewhat improved. MCs put on outstanding performances. A few instrumentals were added to their sociological discourse... But this hardening of words and rhythm had its setbacks. The kids from lost cities are not joking and dub fans deserted the sound systems, which were becoming danger zones... Next stop, the punk-rock scene. This alternative trend had a more original approach to dub. Even so, no punky-reggae parties, a sweet and sour flavour not being particularly appreciated in French cooking...
The 90's killed this movement. Time in the wilderness began. In France, as well as elsewhere, dub was going downhill. Reggae fossilized. A new generation was emerging. Technokids took control. Abroad, ambient brought dub back to life. Then, the merger with techno took place, followed by jungle. Everything became possible. The main trends in electronic music successfully converged on dub. Rid of their complexes, the Froggies at last went onto the offensive.
In its initial configuration, sound system laid the foundations of culture club and DJing. An art that Laurent Garnier perfectly masters. Dub has become a stylistic composition for the techno generation and company (Aleem, Kojak, Seven Dub). The home studio compensates for the absence of sound engineers. Initiatives are emerging on all fronts, throughout the provinces, from the South-West (Colinn Zukkie) to the North-East (Housatonic). A mixture of styles (Ethnician, Djins, Hopen Collective) or high-tech (Hanuman Care Kit, Zenzile), these trips point to a momentum that has reached its peak in Dub Action parties, which have recently channelled this bustle of activity and above all led to the creation of the first French dub label, Hammer Bass, represented by Rasboras Dub Tribe and Primitive. Another ambassador is LXR aka Jean-Pierre Sluys, one of the very few Frenchmen to have exported himself to the States, in Brooklyn, where dub of the next millennium is being developed. These contacts show that a French network is well and truly alive. By promoting it on his label, Nicolai is giving this French Dub Connection an international dimension. Respect !

[liner notes by Laurent Diouf aka WTM, translation by N. McIntos]

contact / email: Wreck This Mess