Press & Reviews 2007
http://www.thewire.co.uk/
Now on their 10 album since 1990 and claiming a right to the ON-U sound lineage, Dubblestandart cover Dub Syndicate’s “Wadada(Means Love)” and Little Axe’s “Grinning In Your Face”, itself an appropriation from Delta Blues Legend Son House, on Immigration Dub, and the Jim Morrison Sample from Dub Syndicate’s “ Stoned Immaculate” is even quoted on “We All Have To Get High”.
Centered in Vienna, a city with a claim on being the European home of bass, Dubblestandart have the easy confidence to mess with Tapper Zukie’ s “MPLA” and Horace Andy’s “Money”. But they really prove themselves when freed from these connections to launch out on the slower grooves such as the title track, in two versions, and the instrumental dub “Dub 51”.The album hits its peak with the live brass section, a comparative luxury in the studio these days, and when UK mash-up king J-Star deploys his skills on final track “Island Girl”, where Ari Up reasserts her rights as postmodern dancehall queen.
Reviewed by Steve Barker
http://www.properlychilled.com/
Dubblestandart have been holding down their dub sound from Vienna since the early 90's and with "Immigration Dub" it really comes together nicely. Getting past the expected array of echo effects and deep, sluggish bass lines you'll find a mixture of reverent riddims, including several nice covers of classic work originally by Dub Syndicate, Tappa Zukie, Horace Andy and Ken Boothe, and the kind of electronic work Dubblestandart grewThe first track to hit me is called "This One Is About Flying". It's the second cut on the album and what really works is its wide open instrumentation. They didn't rush anything. The bass line groove leads everything, and it's the skittering tabla beats (at least it sounds like tabla to me) that get my head nodding with the rest of the groove. The tabla is eventually accented by what could be a near eastern vocal chant, but it's so reverbed out it's hard to tell. It's like a magic carpet theme in dub.They've taken all of their cover songs and begun them at track 4 with "Wadada", originally by Dub Syndicate, the version here is much more guitar heavy than the original. On the other hand, even though the title words are flipped, Dubblestandart's version of Tappa Zukie's "Mpla Dub" is more like a hi-fi version of the original. With another modified title is a really nice cover of Horace Andy's "Money" featuring a great abstract vocal performance by Gudrun. At the end of the covers parade is "When I Fall In Love" by and featuring vocals from Ken Boothe. It's an interesting mash of almost drum n bass percussion, dub bass, whistles, and Boothe's smooth vocal melody (taken only from the chorus verse)."Grinning In YOur Face" is a nice bumping female vocal cut that's more electronic than dub, but still warm and bassy so it fits the rest of the album nicely. The vocals are rolled out with a minimal flow and later on are joined by the kind of dub vocal styling you were expecting to hear from the get go. Really nicely done song."Immigration Dub" is an amazing dub track. So, so deep and bassy and so laid back, but it's still got that dub fire behind it. "Dub 51" follows the style.After a couple remixes the last song comes in and oh my! What a sweet vocal verse by Ari Up. The song is called "Island Girl" and the vocals start off saying just that, "I'm an Island Girl" in a such a sweet, floating style. The instrumentation is dubbed out and just perfect alongside the vocals. It's presented here as remixed by JSTAR.Final verdict: Collision, who also recently released an album by Wet Cookies have an incredible ear for dub. Seek it! up with from Europe's music scene.
http://www.popmatters.com/
by Barry Lenser
Theoretically, the mingling of electronica atmospherics with a reggae foundation—one current form of dub—would seem to posit a marriage rooted in irreconcilable differences. How could the former’s penchant for cool precision and ambiguous tones abide by the latter’s rootsy naturalism and its socially conscious, bleeding heart? Reggae is a consistent and pure sound to the point that heavy crossbreeding could easily subvert its high-minded aims. Well, dub is no novel invention. Though the style has evolved as production techniques have progressed, global artists stretching back to the late ‘60s and early ‘70s have skillfully managed the trick of garnishing a reggae core with variant sonic genres. Dub is a special maneuver, even when the outcomes are less than thrilling. Since the early ‘90s, the Austrian collective Dubblestandart has been a proud and impassioned torch-bearer for this movement, but still seems an unlikely one. Based out of Vienna, frontman Paul Zasky and his bandmates do not mask their zeal for reggae and, accordingly, have supported a variety of its reputable acts (Lee “Scratch” Perry, Dillinger, Topcat) on European tours. Yet the Euro-Jamaican confluence (also exemplified by modern roots’ infection of Germany) is far from, and never will be, self-evident. Let’s leave that enigma to rest. In the short term, the results are infinitely more significant than the rationale. Now on their tenth proper album, Immigration Dub, Dubblestandart serves up a colorful gem and invites its listeners into a wondrous sonic lab of hyper cross-pollination, where reggae is the inspirational signpost but not the sole muse. To make a witch’s brew of such multifarious ingredients (reggae, overcast electronica, riffing grunge, soul punctuations, etc.) is to court the pitfalls of an excessively shambolic flow: messiness, indulgence, and inaccessibility. At 69 minutes, Immigration Dub is overlong, but most of its 13 entries—either instrumentals or helmed by unconventional vocal pieces—tow a remarkably focused line, as the secondary elements bend to the course of more customary sounds. The most overt reggae splicings showcase this concentration on tastefully padding traditional arrangements, as opposed to mad embellishment. “MPLA Dub” is an ocean-sprayed, seaside amble with archetypal reggae dashes: popping percussion, jaunty plucks, and wirey organs. It’s infectiously amiable, but the way that Dubblestandart inserts streaks of production swirls and haze into the pot elevates the piece beyond a simple genre exercise. “Dub 51” unfolds similarly, even as its radio-broadcast samples and grainy atmospherics tinker with the roots foundation less subtly. As with the freewheeling “We All Have to Get High” and its percussive, more compact follower “This One Is About Flying”, Dubblestandart avoids wild-eyed sonic flourishes and, in this relative precision, maintains an honorific focus on their reggae muse. Yet this is only a strand of Immigration Dub’s panoramic, genre-sampling motif. In the polytheistic sonics of Dubblestandart, reggae is the eminent deity, but lesser ones insistently manifest their presence as well. The excellent Dub Syndicate cover “Wadada” fuses a layer of fuzzy ripples with dirty grunge riffs (the kind that Rick Rubin could ingeniously relocate into a hip-hop stampede or straight pop) to forge a spacey guitar grind. It’s a bit of a loaded number, but stays together at the seams. “Tiny Place Called Earth” is a total noir piece. Its taut, moody aura—superbly buttressed by laser-synth beams and glinting organs—invokes a sweaty, Miami Vice-type setting, where lust and lethality dangerously intermingle. Though not as rewarding, the cover of “When I Fall in Love”, vocally helmed Ken Boothe, and its (superfluous) extended dub remix fall into this same genre grouping. The real knockout comes with “Grinning in Your Face”, a dreamy, sexual, and multi-leveled burner that sedates even as its tempo holds brisk. The best moment on all of Immigration Dub comes about four minutes into “Grinning in Your Face”. A patch of smoky acoustic plucks seems to herald the song’s end when, on a dime, it rapidly up-shifts to a higher plain outro of packed beats and chiming synth darts. It’s a perfectly out-of-nowhere deviation that’s as natural as it is joyously unexpected. Comprised of a smattering of originals, remixes, and covers (some of which are instrumentals), Immigration Dub—almost necessarily—lacks a fluid narrative and thematic cohesion that could have lent its song-work some visceral heft. Despite its unabashed fervor for reggae, these dub outings work more on the head than on the heart. The effect is not always a classically pop one (i.e. easy, infectious appeal). Rather, in these impressively focused, genre balancing acts, Dubblestandart succeeds through technical expertise and an ear for when to hold back and when to gamely and tastefully experiment.
www.brainwashed.com
written by Gary Suarez
Like labelmates Noiseshaper, the aptly named Dubblestandart operates in a space metaphorically and geographically outside of dub reggae. Whereas the trailblazing, crossreferencing On-U Sound roster managed to strike a balance between the integrity of its Jamaican forefathers and the promises of forward-thinking pop, this Austrian band has yet to earn the right to do little more than skulk under Adrian Sherwood's mighty shadow.
Last year's Are You Experienced failed in its attempt to replicate that admittedly tricky On-U formula, even going so far as to enlist original New Age Stepper Ari-Up for one of its few highlights, "Island Girl Dub." By contrast, Immigration Dub (which features both a new remix and a video for that collaboration as bonuses) is a more enjoyable though considerably less ambitious record, taking the emphasis off of genre-crossing and returning to the beating heart of dub. The album starts strong with "We All Have To Get High," a tribal, funky, and almost soulful proclamation with a cheeky vibe sure to please those drawn to reggae for its generally pro-marijuance stance. "This One Is About Flying" and "Tiny Place Called Earth" stick to formulas previously utilized by the band as well as more potent forebears such as Mark Stewart or Tackhead. Perhaps a reference to the Angolan social democratic political party, "MPLA Dub" lightens the mood a bit musically while offering no distinct clues as to its meaning. The title track features spaced-out toasting from Nigeria-born 3gga and a solid rhythm section while "Dub 51" instantly recalls (with some concern) the chord changes of Rhythm & Sound's "See Mi Yah" riddim, though somewhat faster.Strategically, the band sprinkles a few quality covers in with the originals, including a take on Dub Syndicate's "Wadada" featuring a sampled Prince Far I. Of particular note is a refix of Ken Boothe's "When I Fall In Love," reprised towards the album's end as an extended dub take. The snappy percussion and swirling vibes, along with the whistled hook, remind me just why I got into into Dubblestandart in the first place. A step in the right direction, Immigration Dub shows more than a few glimpses of the promise unveiled on the absolutely essential Heavy Heavy Monster Dub record, though a stagnancy looms ominously on the proverbial horizon should the group grow complacent.
While singers usually get all the credit, there's often far more pressure on the backing band to come through, and Vienna-based Dubblestandart has backed some of reggae's finest, including Lee Perry and Dillinger. Immigration Dub marks their tenth full-length recording, and their opening sentiment–"We're stoned!" proclaimed over and over in the horn-laden, deep drum mix–is a quick indicator as to who king is (Namely, bass). The low-end is the band's seductive, not-so-shy trademark. And when the likes of Ken Boothe, Prince Far I, and Ari Up find their way inside, it's a party you can't miss. The decibels emanating from this soundsystem are simply unavoidable.
Reviewed by Derek Beres • July 5 2007
Dubblestandart Immigration Dub
By David Dacks
The new disc from Dubblestandart follows last year’s remix-crammed Are You Experienced. Immigration Dub doesn’t come across like an over-egged patchwork of producers and remixes like the previous release did, however. Here, the band produce a more consistent, identifiable sound. Nu-dub is certainly their stock in trade but for the first time Dubblestandart also take on classic pre-rockers rhythms with success. Starting with the Doors-via-Dub Syndicate recitation of “we all have to get high,” the pace never flags. Covers of Rootical Jamaican classics such as “MPLA” and guest vocals by Ken Boothe and Prince Far I (from beyond the grave!) add to the rootsier orientation of the sound. While the samples-over-groove approach is a little tiresome in this day and age, the tight band sound makes up for the lack of originality in approach. There are a few surprises, notably the raga-fied acoustic guitar provided by Canadian guitarist Doug Cox on “Grinning In Your Face,” and the not entirely successful metalloid dub of “Wadada.” This is dance floor dub: it won’t shear your head off with wanton effects. Sometimes the songwriting ideas seem a little thin but this is dub from the ground up rather than a deconstruction of song structure itself. This is a strong record for any dub DJ’s bag. (Collision — Cause of Chapter 3)
http://www.westzeit.de/
written by Dietrich Limper
Collision"We all have to get high", sind nicht umsonst die ersten Worte auf dem neuesten Werk von Dubblestandart, die man ohne Probleme als Könige des Dub bezeichnen darf. Ihre Musik zeichnet sich stets durch das treibende Element aus, ihr Dub ist High-Speed-Dub, unwiderstehlich und pulsierend. Und auch diesmal haben sie wieder tief in Effekt-Kiste gegriffen und gönnen von der ersten Minute an keine Pause. Mit dabei auf diesem wahnwitzigen Ritt: Prince Far I, Ari Up, Ken Boothe und viele andere. Auf Dubblestandart kann man sich blind verlassen, Qualität ist garantiert - 69 Minuten lang. Dankeschön.*****
http://www.dub-o-rama.de/
(14.05.2007)With the tune 'when I fall in love' (KEN BOOTHE) this album keeps the most wonderful love song in dub for this summer. But what want the four strong posing men on the cover say to us? But no, we have not lost DUBBLESTANDART to the brotherhood of EBM as the cover might could suggest.Wonderful covers of well-known tunes as 'when I fall in love' (KEN BOOTHE) and 'money money' (HORACE ANDY) form the center of the album. 'Wadada' (DUB SYNDICATE) includes the voices of PRINCE FAR I and TRUMAN CHEWSTICK and comes along very heavy tuned with fuzz guitars - sounds like a TACKHEAD-version of the track. On the other side 'MPLA' (TAPPA ZUKIE) and 'money money' (HORACE ANDY) are kept really rootsy as rare to hear from this act. The already mentioned 'when I fall in love' in it´s detached cheeriness hums in your head a long time after the track is over. 'Grinning in your face' features DOUG COX AND TODD BUTLER and is actually known by a version of LITTLE AXE - this version keeps a dubby and groovy contrast to it´s blue notes. And a wonderful title track and...Well driven own tracks reach the ball to the next cover.'Immigration dub' as their fourth longplayer is the really mature and 'dubwise' album of the Vienna based dub specialists. An awesome album "at the top with European bass guerilla cuts driven by political awareness and spirituality" (promo). The album finishes with 'island girl' feat. ARI UP (ex-SLITS) as cd-track and video with all sunny elements you can imagine...BG
Now on their 10 album since 1990 and claiming a right to the ON-U sound lineage, Dubblestandart cover Dub Syndicate’s “Wadada(Means Love)” and Little Axe’s “Grinning In Your Face”, itself an appropriation from Delta Blues Legend Son House, on Immigration Dub, and the Jim Morrison Sample from Dub Syndicate’s “ Stoned Immaculate” is even quoted on “We All Have To Get High”.
Centered in Vienna, a city with a claim on being the European home of bass, Dubblestandart have the easy confidence to mess with Tapper Zukie’ s “MPLA” and Horace Andy’s “Money”. But they really prove themselves when freed from these connections to launch out on the slower grooves such as the title track, in two versions, and the instrumental dub “Dub 51”.The album hits its peak with the live brass section, a comparative luxury in the studio these days, and when UK mash-up king J-Star deploys his skills on final track “Island Girl”, where Ari Up reasserts her rights as postmodern dancehall queen.
Reviewed by Steve Barker
http://www.properlychilled.com/
Dubblestandart have been holding down their dub sound from Vienna since the early 90's and with "Immigration Dub" it really comes together nicely. Getting past the expected array of echo effects and deep, sluggish bass lines you'll find a mixture of reverent riddims, including several nice covers of classic work originally by Dub Syndicate, Tappa Zukie, Horace Andy and Ken Boothe, and the kind of electronic work Dubblestandart grewThe first track to hit me is called "This One Is About Flying". It's the second cut on the album and what really works is its wide open instrumentation. They didn't rush anything. The bass line groove leads everything, and it's the skittering tabla beats (at least it sounds like tabla to me) that get my head nodding with the rest of the groove. The tabla is eventually accented by what could be a near eastern vocal chant, but it's so reverbed out it's hard to tell. It's like a magic carpet theme in dub.They've taken all of their cover songs and begun them at track 4 with "Wadada", originally by Dub Syndicate, the version here is much more guitar heavy than the original. On the other hand, even though the title words are flipped, Dubblestandart's version of Tappa Zukie's "Mpla Dub" is more like a hi-fi version of the original. With another modified title is a really nice cover of Horace Andy's "Money" featuring a great abstract vocal performance by Gudrun. At the end of the covers parade is "When I Fall In Love" by and featuring vocals from Ken Boothe. It's an interesting mash of almost drum n bass percussion, dub bass, whistles, and Boothe's smooth vocal melody (taken only from the chorus verse)."Grinning In YOur Face" is a nice bumping female vocal cut that's more electronic than dub, but still warm and bassy so it fits the rest of the album nicely. The vocals are rolled out with a minimal flow and later on are joined by the kind of dub vocal styling you were expecting to hear from the get go. Really nicely done song."Immigration Dub" is an amazing dub track. So, so deep and bassy and so laid back, but it's still got that dub fire behind it. "Dub 51" follows the style.After a couple remixes the last song comes in and oh my! What a sweet vocal verse by Ari Up. The song is called "Island Girl" and the vocals start off saying just that, "I'm an Island Girl" in a such a sweet, floating style. The instrumentation is dubbed out and just perfect alongside the vocals. It's presented here as remixed by JSTAR.Final verdict: Collision, who also recently released an album by Wet Cookies have an incredible ear for dub. Seek it! up with from Europe's music scene.
http://www.popmatters.com/
by Barry Lenser
Theoretically, the mingling of electronica atmospherics with a reggae foundation—one current form of dub—would seem to posit a marriage rooted in irreconcilable differences. How could the former’s penchant for cool precision and ambiguous tones abide by the latter’s rootsy naturalism and its socially conscious, bleeding heart? Reggae is a consistent and pure sound to the point that heavy crossbreeding could easily subvert its high-minded aims. Well, dub is no novel invention. Though the style has evolved as production techniques have progressed, global artists stretching back to the late ‘60s and early ‘70s have skillfully managed the trick of garnishing a reggae core with variant sonic genres. Dub is a special maneuver, even when the outcomes are less than thrilling. Since the early ‘90s, the Austrian collective Dubblestandart has been a proud and impassioned torch-bearer for this movement, but still seems an unlikely one. Based out of Vienna, frontman Paul Zasky and his bandmates do not mask their zeal for reggae and, accordingly, have supported a variety of its reputable acts (Lee “Scratch” Perry, Dillinger, Topcat) on European tours. Yet the Euro-Jamaican confluence (also exemplified by modern roots’ infection of Germany) is far from, and never will be, self-evident. Let’s leave that enigma to rest. In the short term, the results are infinitely more significant than the rationale. Now on their tenth proper album, Immigration Dub, Dubblestandart serves up a colorful gem and invites its listeners into a wondrous sonic lab of hyper cross-pollination, where reggae is the inspirational signpost but not the sole muse. To make a witch’s brew of such multifarious ingredients (reggae, overcast electronica, riffing grunge, soul punctuations, etc.) is to court the pitfalls of an excessively shambolic flow: messiness, indulgence, and inaccessibility. At 69 minutes, Immigration Dub is overlong, but most of its 13 entries—either instrumentals or helmed by unconventional vocal pieces—tow a remarkably focused line, as the secondary elements bend to the course of more customary sounds. The most overt reggae splicings showcase this concentration on tastefully padding traditional arrangements, as opposed to mad embellishment. “MPLA Dub” is an ocean-sprayed, seaside amble with archetypal reggae dashes: popping percussion, jaunty plucks, and wirey organs. It’s infectiously amiable, but the way that Dubblestandart inserts streaks of production swirls and haze into the pot elevates the piece beyond a simple genre exercise. “Dub 51” unfolds similarly, even as its radio-broadcast samples and grainy atmospherics tinker with the roots foundation less subtly. As with the freewheeling “We All Have to Get High” and its percussive, more compact follower “This One Is About Flying”, Dubblestandart avoids wild-eyed sonic flourishes and, in this relative precision, maintains an honorific focus on their reggae muse. Yet this is only a strand of Immigration Dub’s panoramic, genre-sampling motif. In the polytheistic sonics of Dubblestandart, reggae is the eminent deity, but lesser ones insistently manifest their presence as well. The excellent Dub Syndicate cover “Wadada” fuses a layer of fuzzy ripples with dirty grunge riffs (the kind that Rick Rubin could ingeniously relocate into a hip-hop stampede or straight pop) to forge a spacey guitar grind. It’s a bit of a loaded number, but stays together at the seams. “Tiny Place Called Earth” is a total noir piece. Its taut, moody aura—superbly buttressed by laser-synth beams and glinting organs—invokes a sweaty, Miami Vice-type setting, where lust and lethality dangerously intermingle. Though not as rewarding, the cover of “When I Fall in Love”, vocally helmed Ken Boothe, and its (superfluous) extended dub remix fall into this same genre grouping. The real knockout comes with “Grinning in Your Face”, a dreamy, sexual, and multi-leveled burner that sedates even as its tempo holds brisk. The best moment on all of Immigration Dub comes about four minutes into “Grinning in Your Face”. A patch of smoky acoustic plucks seems to herald the song’s end when, on a dime, it rapidly up-shifts to a higher plain outro of packed beats and chiming synth darts. It’s a perfectly out-of-nowhere deviation that’s as natural as it is joyously unexpected. Comprised of a smattering of originals, remixes, and covers (some of which are instrumentals), Immigration Dub—almost necessarily—lacks a fluid narrative and thematic cohesion that could have lent its song-work some visceral heft. Despite its unabashed fervor for reggae, these dub outings work more on the head than on the heart. The effect is not always a classically pop one (i.e. easy, infectious appeal). Rather, in these impressively focused, genre balancing acts, Dubblestandart succeeds through technical expertise and an ear for when to hold back and when to gamely and tastefully experiment.
www.brainwashed.com
written by Gary Suarez
Like labelmates Noiseshaper, the aptly named Dubblestandart operates in a space metaphorically and geographically outside of dub reggae. Whereas the trailblazing, crossreferencing On-U Sound roster managed to strike a balance between the integrity of its Jamaican forefathers and the promises of forward-thinking pop, this Austrian band has yet to earn the right to do little more than skulk under Adrian Sherwood's mighty shadow.
Last year's Are You Experienced failed in its attempt to replicate that admittedly tricky On-U formula, even going so far as to enlist original New Age Stepper Ari-Up for one of its few highlights, "Island Girl Dub." By contrast, Immigration Dub (which features both a new remix and a video for that collaboration as bonuses) is a more enjoyable though considerably less ambitious record, taking the emphasis off of genre-crossing and returning to the beating heart of dub. The album starts strong with "We All Have To Get High," a tribal, funky, and almost soulful proclamation with a cheeky vibe sure to please those drawn to reggae for its generally pro-marijuance stance. "This One Is About Flying" and "Tiny Place Called Earth" stick to formulas previously utilized by the band as well as more potent forebears such as Mark Stewart or Tackhead. Perhaps a reference to the Angolan social democratic political party, "MPLA Dub" lightens the mood a bit musically while offering no distinct clues as to its meaning. The title track features spaced-out toasting from Nigeria-born 3gga and a solid rhythm section while "Dub 51" instantly recalls (with some concern) the chord changes of Rhythm & Sound's "See Mi Yah" riddim, though somewhat faster.Strategically, the band sprinkles a few quality covers in with the originals, including a take on Dub Syndicate's "Wadada" featuring a sampled Prince Far I. Of particular note is a refix of Ken Boothe's "When I Fall In Love," reprised towards the album's end as an extended dub take. The snappy percussion and swirling vibes, along with the whistled hook, remind me just why I got into into Dubblestandart in the first place. A step in the right direction, Immigration Dub shows more than a few glimpses of the promise unveiled on the absolutely essential Heavy Heavy Monster Dub record, though a stagnancy looms ominously on the proverbial horizon should the group grow complacent.
While singers usually get all the credit, there's often far more pressure on the backing band to come through, and Vienna-based Dubblestandart has backed some of reggae's finest, including Lee Perry and Dillinger. Immigration Dub marks their tenth full-length recording, and their opening sentiment–"We're stoned!" proclaimed over and over in the horn-laden, deep drum mix–is a quick indicator as to who king is (Namely, bass). The low-end is the band's seductive, not-so-shy trademark. And when the likes of Ken Boothe, Prince Far I, and Ari Up find their way inside, it's a party you can't miss. The decibels emanating from this soundsystem are simply unavoidable.
Reviewed by Derek Beres • July 5 2007
Dubblestandart Immigration Dub
By David Dacks
The new disc from Dubblestandart follows last year’s remix-crammed Are You Experienced. Immigration Dub doesn’t come across like an over-egged patchwork of producers and remixes like the previous release did, however. Here, the band produce a more consistent, identifiable sound. Nu-dub is certainly their stock in trade but for the first time Dubblestandart also take on classic pre-rockers rhythms with success. Starting with the Doors-via-Dub Syndicate recitation of “we all have to get high,” the pace never flags. Covers of Rootical Jamaican classics such as “MPLA” and guest vocals by Ken Boothe and Prince Far I (from beyond the grave!) add to the rootsier orientation of the sound. While the samples-over-groove approach is a little tiresome in this day and age, the tight band sound makes up for the lack of originality in approach. There are a few surprises, notably the raga-fied acoustic guitar provided by Canadian guitarist Doug Cox on “Grinning In Your Face,” and the not entirely successful metalloid dub of “Wadada.” This is dance floor dub: it won’t shear your head off with wanton effects. Sometimes the songwriting ideas seem a little thin but this is dub from the ground up rather than a deconstruction of song structure itself. This is a strong record for any dub DJ’s bag. (Collision — Cause of Chapter 3)
http://www.westzeit.de/
written by Dietrich Limper
Collision"We all have to get high", sind nicht umsonst die ersten Worte auf dem neuesten Werk von Dubblestandart, die man ohne Probleme als Könige des Dub bezeichnen darf. Ihre Musik zeichnet sich stets durch das treibende Element aus, ihr Dub ist High-Speed-Dub, unwiderstehlich und pulsierend. Und auch diesmal haben sie wieder tief in Effekt-Kiste gegriffen und gönnen von der ersten Minute an keine Pause. Mit dabei auf diesem wahnwitzigen Ritt: Prince Far I, Ari Up, Ken Boothe und viele andere. Auf Dubblestandart kann man sich blind verlassen, Qualität ist garantiert - 69 Minuten lang. Dankeschön.*****
http://www.dub-o-rama.de/
(14.05.2007)With the tune 'when I fall in love' (KEN BOOTHE) this album keeps the most wonderful love song in dub for this summer. But what want the four strong posing men on the cover say to us? But no, we have not lost DUBBLESTANDART to the brotherhood of EBM as the cover might could suggest.Wonderful covers of well-known tunes as 'when I fall in love' (KEN BOOTHE) and 'money money' (HORACE ANDY) form the center of the album. 'Wadada' (DUB SYNDICATE) includes the voices of PRINCE FAR I and TRUMAN CHEWSTICK and comes along very heavy tuned with fuzz guitars - sounds like a TACKHEAD-version of the track. On the other side 'MPLA' (TAPPA ZUKIE) and 'money money' (HORACE ANDY) are kept really rootsy as rare to hear from this act. The already mentioned 'when I fall in love' in it´s detached cheeriness hums in your head a long time after the track is over. 'Grinning in your face' features DOUG COX AND TODD BUTLER and is actually known by a version of LITTLE AXE - this version keeps a dubby and groovy contrast to it´s blue notes. And a wonderful title track and...Well driven own tracks reach the ball to the next cover.'Immigration dub' as their fourth longplayer is the really mature and 'dubwise' album of the Vienna based dub specialists. An awesome album "at the top with European bass guerilla cuts driven by political awareness and spirituality" (promo). The album finishes with 'island girl' feat. ARI UP (ex-SLITS) as cd-track and video with all sunny elements you can imagine...BG
