"Vol. II" - Pirat's Sound Sistema

Pirat's Sound Sistema
  • artist:Pirat's Sound Sistema
  • featured artist:The Kinky Coocoo's, Joan Garriga (Dusminguet), Albert Benavent (Obrint Pas)...
  • region:Catalonia
  • release year:2007
  • style(s):Ragga, Reggae
  • country:Spain
  • formats:CD (Compact Disc)
  • record posted by:Propaganda Pel Fet!
  • label:Propaganda Pel Fet!

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Pirat’s Sound Sistema strikes back with a new bunch of trademark songs. The title of the new record, Vol. II, shows us the way: we’re in front of eleven tracks where the main item is the concept of diversity, the exploration of different genres and branches from the big tree that Jamaican music means. Yes, they’re based upon reggae and dancehall, but in Vol. II we’ll find above all the notion of variety. On one hand, this feeling is reinforced by the own elaboration of all riddims (apart from one, Crystal Woman, German riddim produced by Teka for Rootdown Records). DJ Merey and Fernando ‘Dinki’ Redondo have made a brilliant work in the music elaboration, showing themselves as multifaceted, creative and with very clever ideas. This sounds, boys. On the other hand, variety is really explicit when we listen and review the list of collaborations that have built together a strong team. From Joan Garriga and Toty Arimany (La Troba Kung Fu) contributing with voices and mixes, to Franki Da Silva (Martingala) or Uri P, Sister Castro, Héktor... among others. But apart from the featurings, the most outstanding are the collaborations of Gemma Soles and Leire Etxarri (both of The Kinky Coocoo’s) making a masterpiece work at the chorus in most of the songs, the guitars of Marc Serrats (Xerramequ Tiquis Miquis) or the ones of Javi ‘Jeta’ García (also of The Kinky Coocoo’s, offering jazz points, stacattos and details of Jamaican wisdom), and the horns by Marcos Úbeda and Albert Benavent (Obrint Pas), that blow the melodic lines in five of the eleven tracks. A good team that has passed by La Ramona studios (BCN Pirat’s Home), where Pirat’s Sound Sistema, Merey and Fernando ‘Dinki’ have cooked the work.

Reggae, rocksteady and dancehall are the ingredients. Well, all that and one spark of drum’n’bass and two of dub. All that’s because of the tree, which has many branches. The work is opened by “Rapataplam”, a well built reggae that leads the way to “Digues que faràs”, that shows us a new register, where Soto and Rodrigo are in their element: rocksteady inertia with high bits, danceable but without reaching ska, that along with “Lletres de colors” mark the cadence. And track #3, “Pel teu bé”, introduces the third key element: dancehall. Electronic bases, strong basslines and bad temper rhymed contrasting with the rhythm of the previous styles. And so the record goes on: “Ploren” and “L’Esquerda” call for the constant revolt and criticise the mediocrity of the power by means of a new dancehall, “Poc a Poc” (over a riddim by Crystal Woman), “Això no és la solució” (with Joan Garriga at the voice and Toty Arimany at the mix) and “Tancs”, with Soto and Rodrigo walking brilliantly following a reggae rhythm. And the rest, some of the presents we use to enjoy. On one hand, the most personal contribution by DJ Merey, syncopated drum’n’bass, sabrosón and instructive with the Bolivarian mark from our most beloved Venezuelan (and Robert Giviaqui contributes with a brilliant drum, like the ones in the rest of the record, and Javi ‘Jeta’ doing a guitar master class). And as hidden tracks, two dub remixes, a dub version of “Lletres de Colors” and “Tancs”.