We'd apparently lost sight of Breton trio Stand High Patrol, as after the release of their 2015 'A Matter Of Scale' album, the hip-hop flavored 'The Shift' followed in 2017, and 2018 saw the release of 'Summer On Mars', a collaboration with Italian vocalist Marina P, influenced by the Bristol triphop scene.
We reconnect with Pupajim, Rootystep and Mac Gyver with on 'Our Own Way', once again showcasing their typical dubadub (the name they gave their mix of dub, UK steppers, jazz influences, hip-hop and triphop), nicely captured in the lyrics of 'Dub O'clock':
What time is it? It's dub o'clock
Sound system reggae road block
What time is it? It's dub o'clock
Sound system reggae road block
In the street, in my district
We set up the sound at 13
The sky is grey and the grass green
We'll play dubadub til the morning
We experiment, well excellent
We experiment like jazzmen
We experiment, well excellent
We experiment like jazzmen
Since 2001,
Stand high is here to have the job done
The bass and the drums, the keyboard bounce
Trumpet and saxophones
Up to date we play a dubplate
We can feel love we can feel hate
We don't give a damn, we experiment
We experiment like jazzmen
What time is it? It's dub o'clock
Sound system reggae road block
What time is it? It's dub o'clock
Sound system reggae road block
Independent, we are independent
We do what we want at any moment
Independent in the business
The sound is based on friendliness
2016, still trying to break the routine
The sky is grey and the grass green
We'll play dubadub til the morning
Our first time was in London
With Aba and Channel One
Then we got to Brixton to see Tubbys and Iration
What time is it? It's dub o'clock
Sound system reggae road block
What time is it? It's dub o'clock
Sound system reggae road block
The result is yet another highly varied album, one moment catapulting the listener back to the French hip-hop sound of the nineteen nineties ('Belleville Rap', strongly reminiscent of the work of French rappers like Menelik or Mc Solaar), the next makes you dream away with beautiful slow jazz trumpet tones in the instrumental 'Rain On The Window' (with fourth "patroller" Meriadeg 'Merry' Guillanton on trumpet), go electro in 'The Train' (another instrumental), making 'In The Park' sound like a reggae song by a forgotten nineteen eighties pop group, and are even daring enough to add two versions of the same song ('The Factory' and 'Jay's Life', the story of a hardworking factory worker who sees his factory threatened with closure).
Just as was the case with 'A Matter Of Scale', the engraving Stand High Patrol used as cover illustration for 'Our Own Way', is the work of Kazy Usclef and stylistically reminded us of the work of Flemish artist Frans Masereel, whose work is related to Flemish expressionism. Highly recommended listening!