Various - Jah Warrior and Friends

"This universe knows no boundary, this universe is infinity."( Tena Stelin: "Flying Chariots.")

This a very satisfying compilation, taking in as it does a cross section of Jah Warrior's diverse sound experiments and showcasing an impressive array of some of the best roots artists from Jamaica.

It's a powerful sound that the Warrior has created, no question about it. The Warrior deals in bass frequencies: subsonic tones that veer randomly under the mix, cut and splice, roar like an elemental storm, twist and distort into surreal vibration. Bass that pulls like an eddying undertow, bass that moves the listener.

Sometimes the bass has a Channel one vibe, sometimes a Shaka vibe, other times there are overtones of garage and Junglist.

"Rasta Dub" features the beautiful tones of Rod Taylor, who has apparently lost none of his vocal mastery over the years. He has a pure, atmospheric tone that matches perfectly the eerie austerity of Jah Warrior's bass landscape. The track is overlaid by all manner of bizarre crashing echo, shredding loops, and a lonely melodica. Distortion and overtone are used to full effect. Bass meditations.

Tena Stelin presents two excellent tracks. Firstly, "Flying Chariots", which is presumably about the sighting of "flying chariots" recorded by Semitic sages in the Old Testament. Later commentators have interpreted this as feasibly being an early reference to visitations by other worldly beings. This is hardly the place to debate the veracity of such an assumption; suffice it to say it's presents fine imagery for a storming dub!

The next track from Tena Stelin is a high point of this album: "Cashless Society" is truly an experiment in bass overload, and one can imagine Steve Mosco taking the greatest pleasure in manipulating the subsonic tones, taking them as low as they can go: and low they do go. Trust me. Dub from the ocean floor! It's a swirling, impressionistic sound, twisting and turning over, peaking and falling as shrieking tones and echoed cries punctuate the deepness of the mix.

Joseph Cotton tells us "Ras nah deal wid na computer, Ras a strictly vegetarian, we got to fight against dem system" in "Nah Dub from Morning" as the Warrior takes us into his sub frequency underworld. Other high points are the contributions from Horace Andy, Prince Allah, Peter Broggs and relative newcomer, Singer Blue.

This is an album the listener needs to hear very loud, relying as it does on intensity of bass frequency, aggressive snares, and surreal high tones. This is Jah Warrior's bass impressionism, offset by the inclusion of ethereal flutes and wind instrumentation. A very satisfying album, with a selection of fine vocalists, all true artists of great merit and individualism.


Reviewed by Greg Whitfield