Christos DC – Mountain King – Press Release

February 15, 2024

Press Release: Christos DC channels Grieg and China with the first release off a groundbreaking new album.

Seasoned Roots artist Christos DC is once again redefining musical barriers – this time, with the release of a groundbreaking new album. However, ahead of that comes a new track which is equally innovative.

Mountain King, released via Christos’s own label Honest Music, is the first track from the artist’s upcoming full album Kung Fu Action Theatre. It will see Christos and a host of other musicians do something which may never have been fully done in Reggae before: merge the musical arrangements of the genre with instruments of Chinese heritage:

However, Mountain King takes this eclecticism even further – as the track is based around Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg’s In the Hall of the Mountain King (Peer Gynt, Suite No. 1, Opus 46). This creates an additional, fascinating layer to proceedings – as the listener is treated to a Reggae arrangement of orchestral romanticism which employs Chinese instruments:

“Mountain King is a tremendous achievement. Christos DC’s decision to channel the well-known Grieg incidental composition is a smart one – as many will be familiar with it, but certainly not in a Reggae context. That, coupled with the fascinating use of the guzheng and dulcimer, create an otherworldly and ominous feeling that Grieg and Ibsen (and Dovregubbens himself) would surely approve of” – Mr Topple, Pauzeradio

Mountain King is a fascinating piece of work. It is overtly filled with Reggae sensibilities – like the keys on a choppy bubble rhythm, and the bass on an intermittent drop-beat rhythm that winds around a complex melody. The horn section is beautifully arranged, as is the flute – while Grieg’s main melodic line is played faintly in the background – but at times coming to the fore via the horns and keys.

However, on top of all this comes the main thrust of the Kung Fu Action Theatre project.

Christos’s use of additional instrumentation is quite brilliant. The guzheng – a Chinese plucked stringed instrument much like a zither – is wonderfully arranged to flutter in the background. Then, the Chinese dulcimer – technically a yangqin, another plucked stringed instrument but one which is really a hammered dulcimer – plays a secondary role, at times coming into the fore with some rapid-fire runs and glissandos.

The track also serves as a perfect introduction to Kung Fu Action Theatre; Honest Music’s first full instrumental release. Christos said of the decision to produce this kind of album that:

“I chose to do an instrumental album as I was always a big fan of instrumental Reggae and would collect these releases over the years for inspiration.

The choice to create a fully instrumental release was made to showcase the music as that has always been an integral part of my writing process. I began creating riddims long before making the decision to pursue the path of becoming a vocal artist”.

Kung Fu Action Theatre is set to be released on 28 February. If Mountain King is anything to go by, it is sure to be a scintillating project.

Listen to Mountain King on YouTube here.

Mountain King credits:
Drums: Leslie “Black Seed” James.
Bass: Pierre Stone.
Keys: Georges Kouakou.
Guitar: Henry “Tanash” Tanyi.
Guzheng: Christos DC.
Chinese Dulcimer: Chao Tian.
Erhu: Hiroaki Kobayashi.
Saxophone: Brian Falkowski.
Trombone: Paul Hamilton.
Flute: Mateo Monk.
Percussion: Kenneth Joseph and Kenyatta Hill.