Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Raggalution
Label: Self-released
Release: 2014
Duration: 48:14
Rating: 3/5
As the name already hints, the Kranj-based septet Raggalution is a new entity devoted to nurturing the legacy of roots reggae. Bands like this are getting rarer in the new millennium, to the point where they practically carry the label »endangered species«, so it’s all the nicer to see that even in our little country the conditions come together for the birth of a band with a genuinely tangible reggae character. The Raggalution crew, which took shape in 2011, got to a studio debut pretty quickly, which means the guys are on the same page when it comes to following the band’s musical vision. That’s a very good and important starting point, a solid cornerstone on which the band can confidently build up its name and develop and nurture new original music in the future.
»Mask Of Liberty« is, as a studio debut, an honest piece of work that cleverly and effectively breathes new life into the output of the best-known popularizers of reggae, led by Bob Marley. Since this is a septet, it’s clear that Raggalution work like a mini orchestra, with the expected emphasis on the wind section (trumpet) and a reinforced rhythmic engine, as the percussion keeps actively shaking up the classic reggae template of »one-dimensional rhythmic kinetics« throughout. The »bass leg« is clearly up front, warm, with a supple, voluminous tone, and it effectively works melodically lively lines into the structure of the songs, which is especially welcome in the transitional passages. Production-wise, it’s a very nicely balanced-sounding product, where the dynamics of contrasting pastel-colored building blocks of sound work actively in a well-proportioned placement of this kind of symbiosis.
Regardless of the irreparable state of spiritual deprivation of moral values in today’s society, a result of the fact that, out of boundless greed, humankind long ago lost genuine contact with Mother Nature, Raggalution remain big idealists. In their lyrics they advocate exactly what the pioneers of reggae’s popularization advocated in »days long gone«. Revolution, the brotherhood of Zion, they also use distinctly »green« (ecological) language (the song Natural), and a few verses are certainly devoted to praising fragrant spliffs of »singing« grass . In short, the album is an imprint of the artists’ pain at perceiving the reality of our time and place, reflected in the verses as a revolt against the classic injustice of a handful prospering on the backs of the swindled majority. History, one way or another, teaches us nothing. Down to the last atom of oxygen. Once that’s breathed out, the planet and the galaxy will be rid of the virus called humankind, and nature will renew its mission and find a more caring steward in the future than humans proved to be.
Raggalution are very good and skilled musicians. They keep shaking up the predictable forms that reggae is built on with longer intro, middle and outro passages, where the horn arrangements take center stage, while the guitar often surprises with ornaments that aren’t necessarily typical of reggae and could easily handle integration into the rock sphere. The use of sound effects in the guitar playing is clear, such as the seasoning of wah-wah, then reverb-soaked chorus, and delay. These spices gratefully thicken the soundscape and add dynamism to the songs and the album. The instrumental playing is excellent and the main pillar of this album’s musical value. The vocals are, as expected, preacherly and exemplarily delivered in the manner of Jamaican English. In the song Overpowa they’re darkly apocalyptic and visionary, and elsewhere too they often gaze obscurely, in harmony with the message of the verses themselves. The song Overpowa is an ideal example of how Raggalution achieve great compositional credibility, even in the moments of the album that are harder to arrange. The song, a small mini epic suite, which is more the exception than the rule in reggae, maintains a carefully crafted link between verse and chorus throughout, even though the extended instrumental passages clearly show how particularly concisely and diligently the band members worked on creating a rich interweaving of instrumental building blocks in the soundscape.
“Mask Of Libderty” is a lovely, high-quality debut from Raggalution. The guys aren’t reinventing the musical wheel here. They move around in the tried-and-true form of roots reggae, but with their dedication, and let’s say their driven approach to creating, they still give a clear sense that this is a work of heartfelt, honest expression, and that’s the main trump card that wins listeners over and brings them to their side. Given the lively, multilayered instrumental seasoning in the song arrangements, it’s also clear that Raggalution are typically best listened to at their live shows.
Going forward, it wouldn’t hurt to consider bringing in other genre spheres of music, because the danger of sticking to the roots reggae template can lead to an ungrateful feeling of self-replication, or of replicating already much-chewed-over and therefore predictable musical forms, as well as slipping into a sense of genericness. Even a mild but »adventitiously exploratory« integration of other musical spheres »in traces« would definitely lift the band’s songwriting and expressive side to an even higher level of quality in the future.
Line-up
Luka Bedene – vocals
Nejc Košnik – drums
Leon Slabe – trumpet, backing vocals
Jure Grahek – keyboards
Žiga Fazarinc – guitar
Mak Sever – bass guitar
Jernej Jenko – percussion
Production
Darjan Kruševac
Track list
1. Dredda Lion
2. Sacred Knowledge
3. Voice Of Jah
4. Overpowa
5. Puppet Master
6. Migrate To Zion
7. Bud Burn
8. System’s Eye
9. Wicked City
10. Natural
