This week, the Village Voice is running a great feature on the life and times of independent reggae producer and basement-dweller Victor Axelrod, written by conference participant and my pal Matt Scheiner, who certainly knows a lot about this sort of thing. Here’s a snippet from the article, which you can find in this week’s music section:
At one point, Symeonn’s sweet vocals throw the drummer into a trance, and Axelrod has to remind everyone not to “zone out” during the performance, bringing a dose of structure to the historically mind-bending abstractions of dub music. Although Axelrod says he doesn’t subscribe to the romantic notion that legendary reggae studios like Studio One and Channel One relied on spontaneous jam sessions sparked by random people who just happened to be hanging out there, he may not realize he’s creating that very same vibe at Don’t Trip. But it all starts with him. In addition to his Antibalas tenure, he was an original member of retro-soul titans Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, and did production work on Easy Star Records’ Dub Side of the Moon, the NYC label’s highly successful reggae tribute to Pink Floyd.
So read it online, or if you’re a New Yorker (which is like 85% of the conference partcipants) pick it up on your street corner. Either way, make sure to leave some love for Matt in the comments.
Matt! NICE–a feature in the Voice? Holy sheet!
You know, I think it’s hard to WRITE an engaging piece on music–keep the reader into the beat, rhythm, words, scenario–you get my drift? Yet you do so, masterfully, with precision and POWER. I’d be tempted to hum a few bars, attach a download. With your article, we don’t need a sound sample.
I loathe reggae music. Gives me flashbacks to a time when I strayed from my prepped-out roots. Any mention of Pink Floyd makes the fillings fall out of my teeth. I get a visible tic. Bong smoke. Bob Marlaaayyy. Dreads. Patchouli. EW!
But I followed you down those concrete steps of Don’t Trip (great name) all the way to the end. Twice.
So, giddy-up, Matt. Congrats on the article.
DZ
WOW! well, i am glad you liked it. go to itunes and give ticklah a chance, you may like it… don’t trip.
MS
Dude, I’ll drop/sell acid again before I check out any reggae on iTunes–oh no she–why you trippin?!
Seriously, good work on the article.
Don’t push it, tryin to rope me all up in your cult music like David Corresch or some voo doo shizzy. The Police. Aretha. David Gray. AC/DC. These are folks that move DZ, my brotha.
Say ONE thing and I’ll hurt you.
Happy Halloweenie!!
I’m giving us all an assignment: October Stories! Think: fall, emotional weather, Halloween, World Series, the smell of rot in the air, roadkill all over the streets… Go!
Rock on, Matt. Rolling Stone, here he comes.
DZ