Prince Blanco

Prince Blanco (aka Mark Matthews) is a singer and drummer based in Toronto, ON by way of London, UK who displays his sweet, cool command of classic reggae styles on Rebel Discotheque, his second album in less than a year. Coming of age during the early ’80s, dubbed-out punk is a clear influence on Blanco but he also incorporates strains of contemporary London dance culture into his sound. The first track features a soundsystem-style vocal over the Studio One chestnut "Baby Face” by Sound Dimension, which goes down easy. "Play Rebel Music” gets a little two-step beat going with some melodica accents. Aram Scaram’s production is more straightforward than his work with Version Xcursion but there is still a lovely nu-dub sheen to the proceedings that never overwhelms Blanco’s voice. The only misfire on this seven-song disc is a cover of "Electric Avenue” but it’s an enjoyable, if brief, album.