GC (Gate Citizens) feat. Emmillienne – Right Path – Review

January 22, 2024

GC (Gate Citizens) featuring Emmillienne: Right Path Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com.

January 2024 sees the release of another track from an inspired series by a US-based producer and a cannabis brand – pushing the boundaries of modern Roots Reggae.

Right Path, released via Oddiowave Records, sees producers DJ Oddio and Bonzai Cannabis founder Bonzai Caruso drop the second cut from the Bonzai Cannabis Brand Riddim: a selection of tracks aimed at promoting the brand.

The first release, Bless Up by International GT and Demarco, was a slick Revival Reggae affair. Now, Right Path shows that this project will clearly refuse to be boxed in – as we move into something more traditional Roots Reggae, but still with some pleasing 2024 inflections.

Of course, underlying Roots musical devices are at play. The keys run a pleasing bubble rhythm across the track, weaving in and out in the mid-range of their register – with some nice Dub reverb laced across them at time. The bass is on a varied drop-beat rhythm – missing beat one and three of every second bar, while melodically it works around a pleasing riff. Drums do similar, focusing on an Old Skool one drop where the kick hits the two and four, while the snare and hi-hats tinker in between.

This rudimental rhythm section base is well-constructed. However, Right Path is far more than just that – as the rest of the orchestration and engineering shows.

There’s some lovely additional instrumentation – like pipes (or maybe a heavily-engineered synth flute), fluttering at times just out of earshot. The user of vocoder is well-placed, and a nod to more modern engineering styles. Lush, elongated synth strings bring in something Ambient-EDM – while a second guitar line runs South American-style riffs.

Then, to compound all this there’s the production and engineering. What DJ Oddio and Caruso have done so well is to not play into Roots Reggae techniques with this – that is, having the dB focus more on parts of the rhythm section than elsewhere. Instead, the dynamic layering of the instruments is extremely balanced – with no one line being given prominence throughout. Instead, the orchestration rises and falls depending on a) the vocals, and b) the lyrics – ultimately creating a rich and immersive experience that washes over you at varying rates.

As for the vocals, GC (Gate Citizens) has done an excellent job of merging Jamaican singjay with something more soulful. His use of rhythmic stanzas and variations thereof is that of the former – while his melodic arrangement is the latter. Gate Citizens also puts in attractive variations across his embouchure, making for interest. Plus, he has a strong vocal range which builds as the track progresses – and his use of dynamics to accentuate the lyrics is strong.

Emmillienne’s voice is highly pleasing – modern, delicate when needed, but still expressive. She has a crystal-clear tone that easily moves across complex melodic structures – which she executes equally well across her decent register. Emmillienne also flips between her chest and head voice with ease and pleasingly, too. There’s something of the Soul about her as well – as she delivers quick-fire runs that are ‘blink and you’d miss them’ in quality. And overall, the pair are well-matched. It would be interesting to hear them do a ballad together – or equally something more upbeat.

Lyrically, both artists deliver a damning indictment of life under Babylon – the twists and turns of what it considers success and how some of us behave to get to that – juxtaposed with what life should be like if we were on the ‘right path’. It’s unfussy yet strong and persuasive.

Overall, Right Path is a strong piece of work from DJ Oddio and all involved. Musically complex and extremely well-executed, GC (Gate Citizens) and Emmillienne are perfect together and complement the track perfectly – and it ends up being an impressive track. This, coupled with Bless Up, bodes extremely well for the rest of the project.