Anything that comes from Kruder & Dorfmeister´s G-Stone label usually carries a certain seal of quality, and it´s really up to Makossa & Megablast to keep that flame alive on their debut album. This Austrian duo delivers here a 13-track collection of rich, dubby grooves, propelled by fizzing electro keys, African vocals and percussion. The recent single, Kunuaka, is a real highlight; beautifully put together, with dub-inspired, sonically-inducing world grooves and earthy electro-keys - Subrinah´s deadpan rap sits effortlessly atop what is a delightful mix. Tracks such as Porque, with impassive vocals from Cleydys Villalon, have an almost nostalgic, old-skool dub feel - there´s no doubt that Makossa & Megablast are production masters; they way they merge smoky, spiritual grooves with a contemporary electro spike is highly impressive - the sound is so clear, with everything beautifully balanced in the mix. As mentioned earlier, this is what you almost come to expect from a quality label such as G-Stone. Elsewhere, the light, spacey keys of Rip It Up, enhanced by Ras T-Weed´s luxurious reggae-inspired vocals effortlessly combine the best of Jamaican dub with the futurism of modern downtempo dub, whilst the track, Get It On, featuring heady vocals from Kool Keith, is almost trance-inspired hip hop; think Erik B & Rakim wistfully orbiting the earth, rapping through a space walk.
In 2007 the duo along with a host of talented singers and musicians created quite a stir with their debut album ‘Kunuaka’, on G-Stone recordings, receiving high praise from musical luminaries such as Gilles Peterson, Carl Craig and Laurent Garnier. Everybody mentioned that the production sounds were tight, precise and sharply exact. DJ’s couldn’t get enough of ‘Kunuaka’. Even more so, taking it to the stage on too many festivals to mention they cemented a formidable following and fan base. Along on the ride on these live tours came the very vocalists and percussionists that appeared on the album. It is one of the main sensations from the new album ‘Soy Como Soy’ and its predecessor ‘Kunuaka’ is the fact that ‘live’ means ‘live’, the flow, the origin from the primordial drumbeat and vocalists participating with the drum. It is like a heartbeat, quite unique.
That was then, this is now…