Abassi All Stars

The Abassi All Stars are a recent project of Zion Train’s Neil Perch, and are not to be confused with New York-based "Eastern dub” purveyor Rez Abbasi, aka Badawi. This is the dub companion to the Abassi All Stars’ vocal disc from last year, and Perch tears down the entire affair in fine style. Shreds of vocals from the original remain but the big attraction is the full horn sections gracing a variety of digital- and band-generated steppers grooves. The combination is irresistible. From the triumphant intro to "Favi Rock” through to the next half-dozen songs, the energy is incredibly high. The only damper on the party is the seriousness of David Icke’s sampled sermons on the power of the media and the decaying environment. It’s a bit hard to reconcile his bitter truths with glorious horns, which sound like they’re bringing down the walls of Jericho. The songs are fairly compact for the first two thirds of the disc before stretching out into some more dramatic settings by the end of the journey. This is dub for a hot summer’s night.