Review – The Giants Reel I-II – Adapted Chapter
By Teacher and Mr. T for reggae-vibes.com

(http://www.reggae-vibes.com/rev_sin/reel1-2.htm)
In reggae music, it is very common for artists and producers to take a classic riddim, record a new voicing over it, and release it as if it were a completely new song. However it’s very unusual — we actually don’t know if this has been done before — to play, record and then dub up timeless reggae riddims as a Swiss trio called The Giants has done. This band, consisting of Yves Duke (bass, organ, keys, trombone, triggers, loops, effects), David D.Duke (drum, organ, keys, trumpet, percussion, loops, effects) and Pascal “Skual” Reuse (rhythm & lead guitar, effects), has released a strictly dub album with 18 dub versions of their favourite classic riddims. Titled “Reel I-II ~ Adapted Chapter”, this album is deeply linked with their last project “Live Rub A Dub” and has been recorded during live studio sessions entirely on a 8-tracks tape recorder from the late 1980s.

The Giants play the riddims in a style and fashion reminiscent of Jamaican bands such as the Roots Radics and Earl “Chinna” Smith’s High Times Band aka High Times Players. Both bands dominated the sound in the first half of the 1980s with slower and rawer riddims than those created in the previous decade. And although the dub craze of the second half of the 1970s had run its course and thus only few dub albums were being issued anymore, their style of playing the riddims was perfect for a minimalist mixing style. It’s astonishing to hear The Giants capture the unique feel and vibe of the 1980s dub sound so perfectly well. “Reel I-II ~ Adapted Chapter” offers the listener 18 tracks of pure dub niceness and includes some amazing versions of deadly riddims. Not every riddim is instantly recognizable, so there’s some work to do for the avid riddim spotter. The more commonly known riddims featured here are Dawn Penn’s “No, No, No”, Jackie Mittoo & Sound Dimension’s “Drum Song”, Johnny Osbourne’s “Ringcraft” and “Nightfall”, Dennis Walks’ “The Drifter” and Tristan Palmer’s “Joker Smoker”.

A real nice dub set that will appeal to vintage dub heads… and it’s a free download!!

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