Empire Soldiers

Martin Nathan and Steve Vibronics are no strangers to each other, and this new album, "Empire Soldiers", opens up a new breach. More than a meeting, "Empire Soldiers" forms a bridge between their respective universes, around a shared subject: the experience of Anglo-Caribbean and Franco-African soldiers in the First World War, fighting for the freedom of a country that was not their own... A thematic depth rare enough to be underlined. The songs are named after tragically famous battles. Gallipoli, which opens the album, refers to the Turkish town where the Franco-British landing turned into disaster during the Dardanelles campaign (200,000 dead); Neuve Chapelle to the battle of the same name, in the Pas-de-Calais in 1915; Flanders to the terrible battle of Flanders in 1914; Siege of Kut to the siege of Kut-el-Amara, in Iraq in 1916, pitting the British against the Ottoman Empire.

To bring them to life, a number of artists who are regulars of both outfits, and who come precisely from these former colonial empires, were summoned to the album: the unmissable Madu Messenger (Caribbean), Parvez (Pakistan), Sir Jean (Senegal), and the Moroccan poet and writer Mohammed El Amraoui (already heard on "Spoken Dub Manifesto" in 2006) each bring their own touch and perspective. "The things I have seen and done would make you want to hide and run away", sings Madu Messenger on Letter Home, with its languorous horns. "You say you want to save humanity, for freedom and civilisation. All I have seen is inhumanity, pain, suffering and destruction". On Do You Remember, Sir Jean asks the question unambiguously: "Do you remember those African soldiers who fought for your freedom?"

After Neuve Chapelle and its fine horn line, and Mohammed El Amraoui's dub poetry on Muchat, the first part ends with two dubs punctuated by gunshots and explosions, and Flanders. "Empire Soldiers" is a joint project, certainly, but respecting the identity of the two producers rests on a simple idea: each to his own part! After the first disc devoted to the sung versions mixed by Brain Damage, the second offers Vibronics' remixes. The Leicester producer has only seven tracks in which to show off his mixing science. He injects a new, more radical vibration, with a broad, massive and precise sound. In a word, more English. It is easy to imagine the effect these "dubplates" will have in front of a crowd. Good news: Brain Damage and Vibronics are going to defend "Empire Soldiers" on stage together.

Pull Up:
Letter Home
Neuve Chapelle
Sufferation dub