Marta Riccardi aka DubMarta, is an Italian bassist and vocalist who divides her time between London and Naples. In the past, she collaborated with artists like Earl Sixteen, Dennis Alcapone, Earl Zero, and Ranking Joe, but with 'Island Wave', she now present a first nine track solo EP.
As the title suggests, the island theme runs throughout the EP, sometimes in the literal geographical sense (like in the opener 'Walking In The Jungle', with lyrics such as "There is an island, in this land of mine. Come to this isle, it's like a paradise..."), but also figuratively, representing an intimate place for creation and reflection.
The EP, recorded between London, Birmingham, and Naples, sees DubMarta collaborating with Paolo Baldini (who mixed the tracks and crafted the dub version of 'This Is My Home'), Dougie Conscious (the dub version of 'Revolution'), Pier Paolo Polcari from Almamegretta (keys and production), and Nick Manasseh (mastering).
Musically, DubMarta shifts between pop, lovers rock ('Something About Us'), UK steppers ('Revolution'), dub, and roots reggae ('Remember The Truth', featuring the delightful flute of Carlton Headly), with the standout horn arrangements by Aurora Arenare and Ivan D'Alessandro (trombone), Ciro Riccardi and Adrian French (trumpet), and Carlton Headley (saxophone) shining throughout the EP.
'This Is My Home', a musical ode to her hometown of Naples, brings a touch of familiarity. Unsurprisingly, as the song doubles as a tribute to Lauryn Hill, borrowing the melody from 'Doo Wop (That Thing)'. The horn intro of 'Revolution', a robust UK stepper and one of our personal favourites, also sounds eerily familiar, though despite our best efforts, we couldn't quite place its origin. Instant classic, perhaps?
'Island Wave' is a dreamy, captivating EP from an artist we'll certainly be keeping an eye on!
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