Zambeze – This Is The Night – Review

March 13, 2024

Zambeze: This Is The Night 7” Vinyl Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com.

A recent track from the house of Lone Ark is another pleasing and vibrant affair – and now it’s available in the Pauzeradio vinyl shop.

This Is The Night, released via Mozambique Records, sees Zambeze team up with Lone Ark’s Roberto Sanchez across an interesting and varied track. There’s something rich and rounded about the final mixing and mastering – with a real focus on the lower kHz instrumentation – while those with higher registers come through at important moments.

Musically, the original side A version of This Is The Night is a forward-moving and relentless composition. There are stand-out elements when it comes to the rhythm section that drive the track into Roots territory. The bass is on a winding rhythm – although not the usual drop-beat one – using a mixture of straight and dotted notation to maintain momentum. Its sound is resonant to bring real depth to proceedings. Then, keys are on a persistent bubble rhythm in the mid-range of their register – occasionally breaking out into intricate riffs. However, on top of this, drums run something far-removed from a one drop rhythm – instead, having the snare doing intricate syncopated riffs, hi-hats filling the space in between, and the kick across a dynamic pattern. All this means that This Is The Night has the feel of Roots but the momentum (away from what is a standard BPM) of something nearer Steppers or Ska.

Then, the additional instrumentation is well-placed. What sounds like a clavichord – or possibly a heavily amped, wah-wah’d guitar – runs a rasping riff. Horns come in and out with some interesting sequences that play call and response with the main vocal. There’s good use of additional percussion, including pattering djembe or similar. Meanwhile, strings perform some staccato riffs: melodically unfussy across a one tone pattern, but important, nonetheless. However, towards the end they break out into something more complex – and the whole track is tied up with a pleasing horn solo at the end.

Zambeze’s performance is excellent as well. He has a rounded tone to his voice, working around a lower tenor range a lot of the time. His use of note length – particularly the attention to detail on drawing certain syllables out – is well-placed, as is his elocution; not least the lovely rolling of his ‘R’ sounds. Zambeze uses dynamics well – often varying them across one note, and he does some pleasing vocal runs when needed, but without overusing them. Lyrically, he’s also created a well-structured piece about giving yourself to Jah and the awakening and revelatory experience that comes with that.

The B side features a great dub version – something Sanchez always excels at. Here, the use of reverb and elevation of certain instrumental lines is strong – with the dynamics peaking and troughing to create walls of sound that come and go. There’s great use of high-pass filtering to create rasping, tinny sounds across the drums – and it’s a brilliant reimagining of the original.

Overall, This Is The Night is an excellently constructed track from Sanchez and Zambeze. Musically it’s well-arranged but without being ostentatious; Zambeze has a lovely voice which gives an assured performance, and he’s coupled that with a strong lyrical narrative. A good track that deserves multiple listens.