DENNIS BOVELL, from Barbados, based in London, England, is a legend – a bass player legend (band leader of the legendary Linton Kwesi Johnson Band) – a producer legend (THE SLITS, Fela Kuti, Bananarama, Madness, Joss Stone, a.o.). He produced the soundtrack for the critically highly acclaimed movie Babylon and the hit song “Silly Games" by Janet Kay. In recent years his works regained interest, also due to the recent rerelease of the 80’s movie Babylon and his participation in Steve Mc Queens drama series Small Axe about the real-life experiences of London's West Indian community, set btw 1969-82.
In 2019 Vienna’s Dubblestandart produced a limited selection of reworks of reggae classics of Dennis Bovell’s 1980’s band Matumbi, Steel Pulse, Burning Spear, Twinkle Brothers, Culture a.o. , focusing on works that have been pivotal for the inspiration of Dubblestandart’s bandleader Paul Zasky.
Nicolai Beverungen, dub reggae label headman of ECHO BEACH outta Hamburg/Germany, invited DENNIS BOVELL to “REPULSE” the album at Robbie Ost’s GoEAST Studio. Dennis felt inspired, loved the idea, re-voiced the songs, added a couple of guitar lines and also re-dubbed the album.
“Repulse” Reggae Classics features DENNIS BOVELL on vocals and as a dub producer in co-operation with Robbie Ost from Dubblestandart, mixing on a legendary E – 6000 solid state mixing board (taken over from TEARS FOR FEARS studio in London), using selected vintage outboard Analog equipment, developing a distinctive dub reggae sound for this coming up 2021 release.
What do songs like “I’m No Robot”, “Babylon The Bandit” or Matumbi’s “Hypocrite” have in common? All of them were written during the 1980’s of the last century, but never lost their contemporary accuracy, still perfectly criticizing and analysing the “pulse” todays political leaderships and societies controversial points of view, have, while entering the digital age. Re- Pulse 21!
The first King Size Dub compilation was intended as a conclusion. Back then, in 1994, Nicolai Beverungen worked for EFA as On-U Sound / Crammed Discs label manager and had the fluffy idea to put together a compilation with bands like the Disciples, Zion Train, among other things, that he had cared for at the time for distribution . In the Mid-90s there was a moderate boom in terms of NeoDub and also by the support of the Spex met the sampler the nerve of time and sold well. Thus, from what should be a conclusion, curiously a start, Nicolai says, looking back. The spectrum of artists, one of which is now already published titles, ranging from Seeed, Tackhead feat. Mick Jagger, Grace Jones, Simply Red, Nick Manasseh, Templeroy, The Clash, KLF, Stereo MC's, Apollo 440, about Mad Professor, Lee Perry, Horace Andy, Shabba Ranks, Augustus Pablo, to King Tubby and The Congos.
Unexpected encounters with eg the absolute beginners, Toten Hosen, Mick Jagger, Fanta 4 and Sharam are possible. This suggests the question of where in all the variety, the common denominator is? "The common denominator is reggae. This was always clear to me. The aforementioned people are either pure reggae or they have a taste for reggae, such as Mick Jagger. I find it interesting when people are not pure purists and create with their possibilities a crossover potential. This is the common line for me. And that's why I have to ask, no problem, Mick Jagger next to King Tubby. Since it has fallen, an often verschmähtes word crossover. The trailer hear the pure styles do not like, closed raise the index finger on the lookout for fixed categories and left the field to the more free-thinking minds of time. Good thing, because in the variety of styles, there is a lot to discover and complainers bother because only.
Another term that is often used to characterize his label program by Nicolai again and again is "Future Dub". What's the link in between Mick Jagger, Stereo MC's, Grace Jones, Simply Red, Massive Attack, The Clash, KLF, Die Toten Hosen, Sharam, Seeed and Fanta 4 on the one hand and Shabba Ranks King Tubby, Lee Scratch Perry, Big Youth, Sly & Robbie, Horace Andy, Gregory Isaacs, Augustus Pablo, Glen Brown, I-Roy and The Congos? Exactly. HOWEVER, For Those of you with a quizzical squint in your eyes: All of the above have shown off Their artistic prowess on various releases by label group ECHO BEACH Themselves laying open to the label's motto: "In Dub We Trust."