In-depth
The Black SeedsKiwi Dub
If names like Fat Freddy’s Drop, The Black Seeds, Kora or Little Bushmen mean something to you then you’re part of a special minority in Britain.
On my travels through New Zealand I was irresistibly taken in by the funky grooves that were all around. I was struck by the duality of the music; mellow enough for a day spent lounging in the sun, yet rhythmic enough to get up and dance to. It’s the feel-good factor that got to me. There’s something about the tranquility and easy-going vibe of New Zealand that instills in these artists an ability to create music quite different from that of any other country, and pass the feeling on.
Dub music began back in the 1960s. An offshoot of reggae; dub tends to focus on heavily manipulated and rhythm-centric remixes of pre-existing tracks, with deep, throbbing basslines and echoey production. It is seldom found in our neck of the woods, and you could be forgiven for thinking it had almost fizzled out entirely, certainly if the British musical mainstream was your only field of reference. But New Zealand has done something magical with this genre; it has taken dub to a new level and blown the roof off.
Salmonella Dub formed in 1992; instrumentally weighted electro-acoustic dub fit for the dance floor put them at the forefront of this New Zealand musical generation and, along with fellow dubsters Supergroove, they pioneered the way. They have since released numerous albums and EPs, the latest of which, Heal Me, rightly received rave reviews. Trinity Roots and Pitch Black followed in the late 90s; Trinity’s Home, Land and Sea is a particularly striking blend of jazz, soul, dub and roots with beautiful brass and saxophone arrangements. Add to the mix The Black Seeds, (pictured below), a supremely chilled-out and melodic 7-piece formed in 1998, and Kora or Little Bushmen, and you’ve got a body of work that’s well worth exploring.
The typically earthy tunes with more than a touch of funk often refer to poignant, existential and political themes. Take, for example, Kora’s ‘Politician’ which, true to their roots style, expresses resistance to oppression. But by the same token, this organic feel gives life and character to the less profound songs; one of my favourites, ‘Fire’ by The Black Seeds, is guaranteed to lift the spirits. Fat Freddy’s Drop, the icing on the cake, have broken into the international market on a much larger scale than any other Kiwi band and last year played on the Glastonbury Jazz World Stage.
You might have to dig deep to find this Kiwi Dub, but it’s well worth the effort.
