Dub Colossus - Addis To Omega (Echomaster/Independent Records Ltd)

Gone are the Ethiopian influences which provided Dub Colossus with its unique and interesting trademark and what remains is a solid reggae album with lots of influences from dub, firmly focused on Jamaica. Flying Ethiopian musicians over to Europe again and again apparently wasn't financially sustainable and for 'Addis To Omega' Dubulah collaborated with a host of "local" artists instead: Justin Adams, half of duo JuJu, on guitar, Asian Dub Foundation's Dr Das on bass (also already present on 'Dub Me Tender Vol. 1 + 2') and vocals by PJ Higgins and Natacha Atlas (making an appearance on the orientally flavored 'Shape Of Things To Come'), veteran deejay Joseph Cotton and Mykael S. Riley (in a distant past still part of Steel Pulse). Pretty unique is the aptly titled 'A Voice Has Power', for which Dubulah called on throat singer Albert Kuvezin, one of the founding members of Huun-Huur-Tu and these leading his own band Yat-Kha. For 'Madmen', Dubulah even takes to the microphone himself for the first time and fortunately the excellent horn section Horns Of Negus (Ben Somers, Nell Waters and Bob Dowell) also still got a lot of room on 'Addis To Omega' (be sure to check 'Keep On Rocking' or the delicious instrumentals 'Soft Power' and 'Tale Of 2 Cities').