Dreadsquad – Yekermo Sew – Review
Dreadsquad Yekermo Sew Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com.
Poland-based Dreadsquad has a huge back catalogue – and now, just to add to that mix, Pauzeradio is excited to stock a recent single off the collective’s brand-new album; one that shows how well Roots and Jazz can mix.
Yèkèrmo Sèw featuring Don Fe, Craig Crofton, and Piotr Zabrodzki is a smart yet stripped-back affair from the Polish outfit. It is a reworking of the 1970s track Yèkèrmo Sèw (A Man of Experience and Wisdom) by Ethiopian Jazz artist Mulatu Astatke.
Featured on the album Reggae From The Desert (also available now in the Pauzeradio shop), it’s a slow and meandering affair that is well-crafted and thought through.
Roots staples are there – notably keys on a bubble rhythm, which are complemented by a guitar running a constant skank. Drums perform a kind-of one drop – because while the kick doesn’t miss beat one, the snare does focus on the two and four and hi-hats do tinker in between. The bass, rich and rounded, runs a drop-beat rhythm where it leaves plenty of space for the other instrumentation to shine – including some good use of additional percussion.
However, the are obvious MENA influences throughout the track, originally from Astatke, that Dreadsquad have maintained and built on but incorporated into Roots – which reference the full album. The clever arrangement of the horns and flute is layered to resemble the sound, when combined, of the mizmars of the Middle East: a rasping, nasal tone. The composition reflects the MENA as well with great use of blue notes and rapid-fire, fluttering rhythms.
Then, just under halfway through the sax is given its own bridge – which is exquisitely done: keen attention to detail across what is clearly an improvised melody, including those crucial blue notes again, and great work across vibrato and dynamics to give the feel of a human voice. The keys also break free from their bubble rhythm at this point, providing an almost backing vocal to the sax. Further towards the end, the flute gets to shine with a solo section as well – once again, showing the skill of the members of Dreadsquad. It should be noted as well that, for an instrumental piece, the main melody is very catchy – and you can imagine it performed by a vocalist.
The engineering across Yekermo Sew is also pleasing. Theres great attention to detail in terms of the light and shade of the rhythm section versus the other instruments – and plenty of nods to Dub thrown in, like use of reverb at points.
Side B gives us a Dub version – which given the quality of the original track, is remarkably inventive, too. Here, the reverb is heavy but the engineering has also been messed with – bringing the dB of the drums up to make them more prominent, and also that across the keys and skanking guitar. There are some decent breaks, and the overall mixing of this is perfection.
As things stand, Yèkèrmo Sèw is superb work from Dreadsquad. Highly interesting as a piece of music while being faithful to the original, the nods to the MENA are well-executed as is the paring back of Jazz to Roots, the arrangement overall, and the performances from the individual musicians. Quality all round – and great to hear Roots meeting Jazz. We’re sure Astatke would be proud.
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Dreadsquad Yekermo Sew Review by Mr Topple / Pauzeradio PR Services.
