tom riley
tenor sax, flute, dub fx, convergance of cognition andrew zelm / jeff livorsi
trombone, melodica, baffling salmagundis, flan preperation brian citro
guitar, extinct balloon animals elliot ross
keyboard, chain-neck kitchen-sittin chris merrill
bass, autonomous creations anthony abbinanti
drums, trencherman qualities fada dougou
vocals, incorporating simulacrum of thundercats mc zulu
vocals, violent dirigibles
Influences
dub, roots reggae, hiphop, dancehall, afro-beat, jazz, soul ...
down home music like ... the impressions, fela kuti, lord buckley, bowie, donny hathaway, bad brains, bob dylan, a tribe called quest, marvin gaye, hank williams, tenor saw, stevie wonder, run dmc, roots radics, holland-dozier-holland, sly & the family stone, andrew hill, man or astroman?, larry young, spoonie gee, ween, elvis costello, wu-tang, baby huey & the baby sitters, eugene mcdaniels, stones throw, willie mitchell ... et al ...
Sounds Like
dubdubdubdubdubdubdubdub
The Drastics are modern roots music. Their sound fits as easily in a Kingston dancehall as it does in an artist's loft-party in the warehouse district. Though primarily classified as a reggae group, The Drastics embrace many styles of music both live and in the studio. This can be heard in their songs which draw from roots Jamaican music, hip hop, hard-bop jazz, afro-beat, dancehall, as well as folk music from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America. Take this powder keg cocktail of styles, add the pulse of gritty everyday urban living and you get one explosive sound. Not playing into any gimmicks or compromising to trends ("The Drastics deserve much credit for moving deep into unchartered territories" - allMusic Guide) The Drastics have been consistantly rocking crowds for three years from NYC to LA and everywhere in between ("dub masters, The Drastics ... never fail to put on a killer party" - TimeOut Chicago).
DJ MIXs once again, a dubwise DJ mix from anthony (aka the blends) for Echo Beach, Chicago's only strictly dub show ... this one is titled "Cool Down the Pace", enjoy!
3rd installment of our Third Thursday mixes .... the Anthony Mix ... Read More/Download
More record reviews on ze Drastik Blog ... this month, Mighty Sparrow, The Soul Children and Laura Nyro Click it 'til your satisfied
2nd installment of our Third Thursday mixes .... on the Drastics site ... the Chris Mix ... Get It Here
Part of another new series, Third Thursday mixes .... on the Drastics site ... the Bijan Mix ... Get It Here
New record reviews on Le Drastique Blog ... this month, Con Funk Shun, David Axlerod and Rockers International (C)Lick Me
Anthony 'n Tom talked to the Pressure Sound crew for what became a 2 part podcast. Of course all the relevant info was covered: injuries, releases we didn't know about and Moongriffin. Check It Here
Collection of ol' skool Ska flyers from the mid-90s ... Check That Heyre
Why you should never trust a mummy with your 9 month old daughter Cheque Thayt Her
We know it's crazy, because no one just stealsgets free mp3s, but check this out! Sign up and get access to download our "Good Time" digital 7" ... featuring an exlusive unreleased dub of "Good Time Tonight" and a deejay version of "Good Timin'" ... JJ says its "DY-NO-MITE!" Oh, and we won't bug you that often, promise.
Your password to our downloads page be sent via email. After hitting "Sign Me Up" you will be redirected to our downloads page ... and Thanks!
FREE 6 TRACK DOWNLOAD MJ A ROCKER
The Drastics first full-length album, Premonition, was released in 2005 to great expectation on Chicago's JumpUp! Records. The album featured guest vocalists Craig Akira Fujita (Pressure Cooker, Joint Chiefs, 10 ft Ganja Plant), King Django, Dr. Ring Ding as well as several local underground talents. The record's raw dirty sound quickly solidified their authenticity while their innovative approach to the music set them apart as leaders of a new school of reggae-based music.
... musically inventive and steeped in a variety of styles ... know how to use horns and melodica to dub it up real fine - Beat Magazine
With their second release, Chicago Massive, The Drastics undertook their biggest endeavor to date. Chicago Massive is a 2 disc album boasting 27 tracks and 24 friends sharing the mic in a variety of styles. Guest musicians on the first disc include Chicago reeds player Charles Gorczynski (Silences Sumire, Leaves), Mike "Spyder" Hobson (Deals Gone Bad), and trumpeter Rich Graiko (Westbound Train). Guest vocalists include Drastic mainstays Fada Dougou and MC Zulu as well as friends King Django, Dr. Ring Ding, Dayna Lynn, Todd Hembrook (Deals Gone Bad), and Corey Dixon (formerly of The Zvooks). Selected cuts off this record were also treated to remix album appropriately titled "The Drastics Remixes" by electro-acoustic duo Silences Sumire (Rope-a-dope).
So creative are the riddims, so intriguing the dubs ... The Drastics deserve much credit for moving deep into unchartered territories ... - allMusic Guide
With their third release, The Drastics show no sign of slowing down. Refining their cutting-edge sound, Waiting comes hard and to-the-point with 12 new tracks. The album drops a perfect mixture of fresh material expanding from dub to vocal to jazz-centric improvisation carrying with it a maturity of sound appealing to reggae and non-reggae heads a like. Regular vocalists MC Zulu and Fada Dougou lend their voices over the tough "Redlight" and catchy "Good Time Tonight". While local hornsmen Charles Gorczynski (Silences Sumire, Leaves) and Gerald Bailey (Black Bear Combo) lend a hand to the horn section.
Spanning the generations, bridging the worlds between jazz and rock, reggae and prog, and bringing dub to a whole new pinnacle of sound, fans need wait no more, the Drastics have finally delivered their masterpiece. - allMusic Guide
THE DIARY Volume 1.5 (20 Years of the Remix) now available for free download at WWW.MUSICOFSUBSTANCE.COM!
“This CD just shows how much Chris Read knows about historic Hip Hop production techniques - Its just a shame he wasn't creating this stuff during the eras he's covering as we would probably rate the man as being up there with Paul C, Pete Rock, Premier and all! - I can't think of another Hip Hop CD I've played so much in years” (ANDY SMITH - PORTISHEAD)
"Chris continues the rap anthology concept of his super-dope 'The Diary' megamix in the shape of a remix project, re-lacing acapellas from 89-2009 with historically accurate beats. 'The Diary 1.5' serves as a great platform for Chris to showcase his ample beat-making skills whilst referencing those who've inspired him." (DJ WOODY - FORMER WORLD ITF CHAMPION)
“Wicked! The perfect companion to The Diary Mixtape. Shows an impressive knowledge of sounds from all eras.” (MR THING - FORMER WORLD DMC CHAMPION)
"Crazy! This is Rap History in the making. Chris proves his production skills on this one to the fullest. A wonderful and refreshing journey through all eras of hip hop. Double thumbs up!" (MARC HYPE - FORMER ITF CHAMPION)
