Released: February 8, 2024

Genre: Dub / Psych rock

From: UK

Label: On The Corner Records

Why you should listen: Champagne Dub are a collective of UK-based musicians who make this mystical, psychedelic and dub music that is an immersive and incredibly poignant listening experience. They consist of mr noodles on vox and percussion, Ruth Goller on bass, Ed Briggs on DIY Electronics and Lazer Bagpipes on track 1, Betamax on Drums, percussion, keyboards and Pro Rhythm and Clive Bell on Shakuhachi (track 8) Melodica and Toy Panpipes (Track 7). Rainbow, their new album, is a hypnotic and beautiful body of work, taking inspiration from psychedelic rock, with rumbling basslines and guitar grooves that add to the tribal percussion and heavy dub sound. From the opener “Sink”, to its subtle wind instrumentation, percussion and chanting to the closer, “Rainbow”, with its enchanting combination of infectious percussion, eerie atmospheric synth leads and guitar grooves, the album is a striking immersive listening experience from start to finish. The heavy dub sound on “Wet Drip” is incredible, with its crazy rhythmic percussion throughout, while tracks like “Full Moon Placenta” is very trip-hop inspired, combining atmospheric and ambient synth leads with drumming and percussion that feels more relaxed in tone and energy. The dynamic “Scrubbing” is a fast-paced, riveting track, with its drumming and colourful melodies throughout. “Refreshment Guy” is a playful, groovy cut, with hypnotic psychedelic grooves that are immersive, with dynamic synth melodies and a drum groove that is punchy throughout. “Chancho Vega”, with it’s tribal, percussion-heavy grooves and chanting throughout makes it feel almost spiritual, while “Cumulonimbus” has a quieter, more reserved energy, but with hypnotic percussion and grooves to it that make it an engaging, reflective listen. Overall, Rainbow is a hypnotic and tribal body of work that combines heavy, dub music with a psychedelic sound that is immersive and spiritual throughout. There’s an eeriness and uneasiness to it that I absolutely love, and something I’m sure I’ll listen to quite a lot this year.

The album: