LONE ARK – Countryside – CD

Label: BRIXTON RECORDS
Code: BR-012-CD
Format: CD álbum
Release: 04/03/2004

Over the last decade, this young musician has been the driving force behind the reggae scene in Cantabria. His unique musical journey began with forming bands such as Lone Watti, Better Collie and Loud & Lone. But it was five years ago, following a period of visits to London, that he took a significant step forward by joining and playing a crucial role in the Basque-London band BDF (Basque Dub Foundation) and the up-and-coming Cantabrian band SuperApe. All these bands are at the forefront of the Spanish reggae scene. Aside from this versatility at the forefront of the scene, Roberto has set up his own recording studio over the past decade: A-Lone Ark Muzik Studio. It is the only studio in the country specialising in reggae, where he is responsible for recording and producing not only major works for the national reggae scene but also for international artists.

“Countryside” is a classic roots reggae album in the purest 1970s style. All the tracks on this album are original compositions by Roberto Sanchez (accompanied by their corresponding dub versions), who sings the lead vocals and harmonies, evoking the distinctive vocal style of Jamaican vocal trios and quartets from the 1960s and 1970s, such as The Heptones, The Paragons, The Gladiators, Wailing Souls and Cultural Roots. Roberto has also produced, arranged and mixed the entire album, faithfully recreating the sounds, textures and frequencies of 1970s Roots Reggae and Dub. LONE ARK reflects his personal musical vision and the experience he has gained over the years on the Spanish and British reggae scenes. The distinctive sound of the A-Lone Ark studio (which currently has few equivalents on the international reggae scene) combines the rhythmic dynamism of the Revolutionaries at Channel One with the organic sonic resonances of Black Ark, Studio One and Wackies during the second half of the decade.

Roberto is the album’s lead instrumentalist, but he has also been joined by regular collaborators (musicians from the aforementioned bands): Iñaki Yarritu and Danny Rowe (bass/keyboards and drums from BDF), Dubby Ambassah (the tireless percussionist and selector whose debut album is also due to be released this year), Iñigo Elexpuru (drums from Sound Dealers), Borja Juanco (bass/guitar from Loud and Lone, his inseparable musical companion throughout all these years) and, of course, members of SuperApe and Nortones. We also have a special guest appearance from Afrikan Simba, the renowned Nigerian ‘singjay’ based in London and a veteran of the London sound system scene.

“Countryside” marks the culmination of many years of dedication to Jamaican sounds. From the very first note, a genuine devotion to Jamaican sounds is palpable. Reggae from the very depths, an authentic rhythm free from commercial concessions designed to pander to the crowd, and light years away from the clichés and summery aesthetic stereotypes associated with many of the mainstream reggae acts and their offshoots.

LONE ARK represents another significant leap forward in our national reggae scene. It is the result of the drive of this new generation of musicians, determined to prove that reggae deserves just as much respect as renowned genres such as jazz, the blues or soul. An album of the very highest calibre, it is every bit as good as the work of established reggae figures. Once again, time will tell whether this work will be more widely recognised and appreciated beyond our borders.