Customer Reviews

Ascend

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa became so bored with day-to-day reality he created over 200 identities for himself, assuming a new style for each. Brooklyn-based bassist/producer/DJ Dub Gabriel is equally prolific, though not by tedium. His many alter-egos include the Qaballah Steppers, Baraka Orchestra and Brooklyn Massive Sound System, As well as running Baboon Records and two weekly parties at the Lower East Side's Kush, one dedicated to Reggae, the other Middle Eastern grooves. Ascend borrows heavily from the latter, slightly from the former, and all together from a unique collage of deeply rhythmic percussion and tripped-outer-spaced-in horns, drones and synths. "Urban Mystic" blows through a warm, fuzzy, breakbeaten air, while "Celebrate" is a hypnotic jam worthy of Gnawa trance. "Element Breaths" finds darkly technological landscapes spiced with birdcalls and cricket anthems, while the title track (which you'd almost expect airy, melodic) gets down and dirty with global-tinged nu-jazz rhythms. Predominantly instrumental (save Young Sand's vocals on "New Sand"), chaotically meditative and bass-driven, Dub's ascension plummets into an archaic subterfuge to emerge anew, the ghosts in his cauldron brewing brilliance.
Derek Beres
Rhythm Magazine

That's exactly whats happended to me.I bought it a month ago and haven't put it away yet.I love ambient music.My first impression was it's a little "drummy',but as I listended,it ascended into a couldroun of beautiful,flowing,melting pot of Crooklyn-world stew!I'm very choosy of what I collect,and Dub Gabriel at Baboon records is a welcome member to my collection of music that helps me by taking me away to another,not so distant,semi-surreal,etheareal place.Thank God he's keeping hope alive!I'm getting Samsarian Sound system soon,I'll keep you posted!!!

Besides being a top producer in the electronica scene, Dub Gabriel also finds time to mix on his own time. For his debut album, he combines the urban feel of his hometown, New York City, with music from the areas of India, Africa and the Middle East. He lays down ten tracks in which to lose oneself as the beats are more akin to drum and bass but the background atmosphere is very ambient. With that being the case, the listener can either sit back and use this as eclectic background music, or focus on the upfront bottom end that Dub Gabriel produces. Either way, it's a pretty nice ride for fans of electronica.  Kurt Morris

this ill never undertand how this album prescides over samsara sound system, baraka and beyond stuff. this album isnt horrible but i dont think it deserves all the hype. shehab came out with samsara sound system months before this on the same label baboon and im still the only person that has reviewed that album, and that is like the absolute best album that has come out asid from laswell in years. I found the qaballah steppers (aka) passage at noon which has quite a bit more new york feel to it and lots more vocals better and more progressive, dub in fusion is also kinda stale in some areas but still cool & the collaborative imaginatrix album is awesome. this album is also manelly excerts from all of those albums and is also featured on his new cd bass jihad which is his best to date absolutelly amazing. i still own these records and dont hate them but i never listen to this album except the first song is good but is almost entirelly made of bill laswell cut up liscence free programmin. So check them all out and make your case but dont leave samsara sound system behind because he is also on that album too