Gio Makyo﻿ and Claire Rintoul﻿ the latest pledge troopers to Malian musicians, thanks guys - 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/invisiblesystem/isim-invisible-system-in-mali


Under the name Invisible System for the album Tiga Tej Tibsunder both Cross cultural Collaboration and Best Group.   Ethiopian, Malian, Cameroon and Jamaican vocalists and players.

The first album I wrote under the name Invisible System : Punt (Made in Ethiopia) made it to the finals as best newcomer a couple of years back.  That had Captain Sensible, The Missions Simon Hinkler, Eat Static, Zion Train, Mahmoud Ahmed etc guesting and it was a nice result for an indie with some major labels and artists in the run who can work full time on it all.

Many thanks to all.
Itunes
Chris Nickson
There's a huge sea change between Invisible System's debut and this sophomore outing. Where the first was definitely based around Ethiopian music, this is a much more amorphous and adventurous beast. If it needs to be defined, it's a rock -- maybe even post-rock -- album. Ethiopia is still there, and some of the music was recorded in Addis Ababa. But many of the sounds were made in England using a truly staggering range of musicians, and there's a powerful Jamaican influence at work here, too. If you need an analogy, think of the work of Adrian Sherwood, or even some PiL (in fact, "Mutant Miners" sounds like it could be have been smuggled off some fantastical PiL album). This is world music in the sense that it was made by people from different parts of the globe coming together, but its roots are in the here and now rather than in any tradition. It's challenging, adventurous, and heavily textured; the tracks were recorded live and later chopped up and mixed, although you'd never notice the joints. It might prove to be one of the finds of 2011, a real sonic adventure that speaks highly of Dan Harper, the man behind it all.


BBC Review


“More wild, frantic and unexpected than its well-received predecessor. ”
Robin Denselow 2011-04-21
It’s impossible not to admire Dan Harper. Until five years ago, he was an aid worker in Ethiopia, where he not only became fascinated by the country’s remarkable music scene but built his own studio in Addis Ababa and managed to persuade leading local artists to record with him. He also invited producer and bassist Nick Page, also known as Count Dubulah, out to Ethiopia and introduced him to his musical friends; as a result, Page formed his highly successful Ethiopian fusion band Dub Colossus.
Once he returned to England, where he now works as an unconventional music teacher in the West Country, Harper continued work on a fusion project of his own. He persuaded an impressive selection of British musicians to add their contributions to his Ethiopian recordings, and the result was the album Punt, credited to a band Harper called Invisible System. It included a remarkable cast, from the legendary Ethiopian singer Mahmoud Ahmed through to punk hero Captain Sensible, guitarist Justin Adams and Count Dubulah; the results veered from African styles to psychedelic rock, trip-hop and dub. Although this was originally something of an obscure DIY release, Harper managed to bring his work to national attention, and won impressive reviews.
Since then, the two Ethiopian fusion experiments have continued. Dub Colossus, now a rousing live band rather than merely a studio project, have a new album of Ethio-jazz and reggae fusions, Addis Through the Looking Glass, while Invisible System have a very different second set, Street Clan.
Once again, the album is based around recordings that Harper made in Africa – this time in Mali as well as Ethiopia – to which he adds his own guitar, bass, synth programming, percussion and production work. Then there are contributions from a new set of Western musicians, including the great American guitarist Skip McDonald, Adrian Utley from Portishead, Stuart Fisher (who has worked with Courtney Love), and members of psychedelic hippie heroes Ozric Tentacles. Then there’s Jamaican singer Dennis Wint, who Harper met in the Somerset town of Frome, where he lives and works.
Street Clan is even more wild, frantic and unexpected than Punt, with sections that work brilliantly and tracks where Ethiopian vocals are surrounded by a blitz of thrash guitar and percussion, results ranging from exhilarating to messy. The best tracks come towards the end, where the emphasis shifts from the clash of African vocals with full-tilt Western guitars, through to more conventional dub reggae. There’s still an African edge to Teenage Lion and Broken Heart, thanks to the vocal work from Zewditu Tadesse; but Wint dominates the songs with an energy and style that makes him sound like an unlikely male answer to early Patti Smith.


 


New York Times Review
Invisible System
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/arts/music/cds-from-alison-krauss-colin-stetson-and-dennis-coffey.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=street%20clan&st=cse
As an aid worker in Ethiopia and Mali, Dan Harper started recording local singers and bands. Then, as a musical project he called Invisible System, he started tinkering — extensively and transformatively — with what he collected, playing guitar, bass and synthesizers and adding collaborators. On Invisible System’s second album, “Street Clan” (Harper Diabate), the African sounds are melded with mean metal riffs, funk bass lines, dance beats, psychedelic guitar jams, dub-style echoes, the righteous declamations of a Jamaican-British reggae singer (Dennis Wint) and more. It’s a latter-day, more chopped up, more aggressive follow-through on the ideas of “My Life in the Bush of Ghosts.” The roiling results have some of the volatility of the Mars Volta and Jimi Hendrix and the implacability of Lee Scratch Perry. The reggae honors the Rastafarian tenet of a return to Ethiopia, although it sometimes tilts toward cliché. But the Ethiopian singers — Zewditu Tadesse, Tawebe and Mimi — are all grabbers: raspy and passionate, their voices leaping out of the tracks.
Los Angeles
Invisible System Takes World Fusion Music to a New Level with New CD Street Clan
Master musician Dan Harper and Invisible System has once again orchestrated a fusion masterpiece with his new CD Street Clan. With a more aggressive tone than last years Punt (Made in Ethiopia), Street Clan combines a European base with a Jamaican groove and an Ethiopian feel.

At first listen, I thought this CD would be great for a London or West Hollywood underground club. The second listen made me think it really needs to be played with hundreds of people in a mosh pit. After playing it everyday for a week, I finally realized this CD is perfect for one person in a mosh pit with hundreds of wild animals! This is mass confusion at its best! You will not be able to decide if you should go to a hip club or go on an African safari. Either way, the music is superb and the human expression is amazing.

Street Clan has grabbed graffiti from an international wall and transferred the meaning behind it into music. With a cast of experienced musicians from around the world, Invisible System’s Street Clan gets another five star review!

Check it out at www.HarperDiabate.com
 
http://lastheplace.com/2011/03/25/invisible-system-takes-world-fusion-music-to-a-new-level-with-new-cd-street-clan/

INVISIBLE SYSTEM
****
Street Clan
(HARPER DIABATE RECORDS) www.harperdiabate.com
 
Following Invisible System’s acclaimed, award nominated, debut Punt (Made In Ethiopia) comes this second eclectic helping of global fusion that once again knocks any preconceptions of ‘world music’ into a cocked hat. As with its predecessor Street Clan brings together Ethiopian musicians with members of bands as diverse as Hole, Portishead, Little Axe, Eat Static and The Ozric Tentacles and, just to make things even more interesting, adds a couple of Jamaican reggae vocalists, (Sydney Salmon from Shashamene, Ethiopia and Dennis Wint who Invisible System main man Dan Harper bumped into in Frome High Street) to the mix. Their involvement adds yet another dimension to an album that leads you along until you think you’ve got handle on proceedings before throwing a curve ball and setting off in a totally different direction. Spontaneous, joyous and full of sonic surprises it’s an unlikely endeavour  where anything can, and often does, happen, with Ethiopian and Jamaican voices merging over music that ranges from beat heavy psychedelic guitar driven Krautrock (‘Live Up To Love’)to disjointed thrash-punk guitar and drums with traditional Ethiopian instruments (‘Mutant Miners’) and with every possible variation between. It really shouldn’t work, but it does and wonderfully so.
Dave Haslam
Rock N Reel / R2 Mag

The Daily Telegraph
By Mark Hudson 4:23PM BST 08 Apr 2011
Comment

Harper Diabate, £11.99

Mixing dark-toned Ethiopian folk sounds with West Country hippy electronica, this enterprising DIY production draws in contributions from British indie players from Portishead to On-U-Sound System. Touches of Krautrock, dubstep and a certain raw, informal drive make this one of the more interesting of many projects inspired by the great Ethiopiques series

Financial Times
4 stars!

Whopping Crossbreed of Genres
By
TJNelson
– April 17, 2011Posted in: CD Reviews


Invisible System - Street Clan
Invisible System

Street Clan (Harper Diabate Records, 2011)
Following up on their Songlines World Music Award Best Newcomer nominated CD Punt (Made in Ethopia), Invisible System, headed up by Dan Harper, is back with their sophomore recording Street Clan. Recorded in Ethiopia, Mali and the United Kingdom on Mr. Harper’s off time from his gig as an aid worker, Street Clan is another fantastical ride with guest appearances by Portishead’s Adrian Utley, Skip McDonald, Eat Static and The Ozirc Tentacles and percussionist Stuart Fisher. Delving into a razor-sharp otherworldliness, Invisible System tumbles headlong into an edgy course filled with plenty of twists and turns.
Packed with 17 tracks, Street Clan is a whopping crossbreed of genres, covering the map from dance to dub to reggae to rock to post-punk and to psychedelia. With such a daunting cornucopia of sounds and divergent directions, I wonder if perhaps it wouldn’t have been wiser to break up the tracks into two different recordings.
Personally, I found some of the post-punk, thrash tracks a little discordant with the overall sound. It’s one of those things where you have an idea of where the artist is going, but you’re not sure you want to follow. Listeners shouldn’t be discouraged because there are some excellent tracks on Street Clan.
Invisible System’s vocalist Zewditu Tadesse hits the mark on opening track “Tizita” against an eerie background of electronic, shadowy guitar and clever percussion. Equally good is the track “Ambassel” with Mimi’s Azmari traditional band and backed by some slick guitar licks. Dipping into the edgy, “Bone Flaps” is all guitar fire, drums, bass and Zewditu’s vocals in a sort of African punk homage.
Standout gems include the trippy reggae tinged “Woman’s Love,” the electronica charged “Live Up to Love” that screams trance joy and the hypnotic “Oumabetty” with its mix of rhythms, mournful sax lines and liquid vocals. “Teenage Lion” gets a jacked up treatment by Invisible System’s vocalists Zewditu Tadesse and the husky voiced Dennis Wint against a sway-backed reggae beat that pulses with sheer goodness.
Street Clan is akin some wild and wonderful underground cave club where the musical colors keep shifting and you just can’t help jumping into the very center.
Buy the album:
    •    In North America: Street Clan. Other recordings available: Punt
    •    In Europe: Street Clan. Other recordings available: Punt


Invisible System
Street Clan

Harper Diabate Records

www.harperdiabate.com
sales@harperdiabate.com
07515 499362 (UK)

Release Date : 11/04             Part Of The April Cargo Collective : Cargo Distribution

Invisible System return with another highly original eclectic fusion album.  Following their internationally acclaimed and Songlines World Music Awards Best Newcomer Nominated CD Punt (Made in Ethiopia), Street Clan is named after some graffiti Dan Harper found in Mali, West Africa.

It is again not a pure world music album.  It covers genres such as rock, dance, drum and bass, dub, reggae, Ethiopian, post-punk, kraut rock, pop, psychedelia and even this time rnb and dubstep.

17 tracks take you through a real journey of shockingly original pulsating sounds that tie to Punt but sound more accomplished and distinctive in style.  The album was again recorded between Ethiopia, Mali and the UK whilst Dan Harper was aid working, with the mixing finished in country.

Many known guests again feature on this album ranging from Portishead’s Adrian Utley and Skip McDonald (On-U-Sound / African Head Charge, The Sugar Hill Gang, Tackhead and Little Axe), to Eat Static and The Ozric Tentacles, an original Ethiopiques singer and Courtney Love’s drummer from Hole.  Other vocalists include new Ethiopian talent as well as those Dan recorded on Punt and set up Realworld’s Dub Colossus with; two Jamaican roots vocalists, one who lives in Shashamene, Ethiopia with 3 generations of his family after leaving New York.  It also features artwork by Bristol based graffiti artist Warp/Los Mutartis, a favourite of Banksy.  The album bridges the connections between Ethiopia, Jamaica and the UK.
Festival bookings are starting to take place with Invisible System having already played the main stages at e.g. Endorset, Thimbleberry and Music Port Festivals as well as support for Dreadzone.

Radio play is inevitable with the previous album played on e.g. BBC 6, BBC 3, BBC World Service, BBC Asian Net, BBC London, BBC Bristol, BBC C&G, Radio New Zealand, Radio Prague, RRR Australia and countless stations around other European countries and the USA/Canada.

Reviews are due in the international press again with the last album having been extremely favourably reviewed in Mojo, Uncut, Rock N Reel/R2, fRoots, The Guardian, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, ITunes, AllMusic.com, World Music Network, Financial Times (5 stars), Los Angeles (5 stars) www.lastheplace.com, etc.

For more details contact Harper Diabate via sales@harperdiabate.com / 07515 400362 

Roots, Sound & Power - since 2004

Formed by the producers Pedro Dubstrong, Gustah and Veiga, Echo Sound System is not just (another) reggae band, nor is only just a hip-hop group, but a collective production that reaches not only several Jamaican branches, but also many other influences.

“Do centro de SP mandando ver pro mundo inteiro / frequencias e efeitos em estéreo brasileiro”, which means something like “Stereo Brazilian frequencies and effects / sent from the heart of São Paulo to the whole world”, says Jimmy Luv  in “Todos Um”.

The trio’s name clearly shows their intentions. Inspired by the sound system’s culture and echoing several Jamaican musical styles, Echo Sound System uses technology to promote the re-gathering between reggae and rap, two musical genres very close to each other (after all the rappers descend directly from the Jamaican toasters). At the same time, the trio manages to show both the music from the smoky island and rap’s spectrum range.

Their debut album, “Tempo Vai Dizer” (ST2 Records), mixed by Ganja Man and Tejo (Instituto), matches all these several styles. From the rocksteady tune “Só d’eu ver(de)” to the hip-hop “Punnani”, the album brings also the reggae “Pas Tester” and the rub-a-dub “I & I”, among others. In addition to Veiga, responsible for the acoustic guitar, bass, flute and harmonica, Gema and Andrés Salazar plays the bass and the saxophone respectively.

Getting to know the Jamaican sound systems is crucial to the understanding of reggae’s importance to today’s world music. Since the Ska era, back in the fifties, till today’s dancehall, every night, in some corners of Kingston, powerful sound systems are assembled to promote the charge-free parties, held in open-air areas. These itinerant parties are the most respected way of musical propagation in Jamaica, serving as a test field for new singers and new songs.

Naturally, there has always been competition between the sound systems, each one trying to show the latest tunes. Not by chance, it was a Jamaican, DJ Kool Herc, who first brought speakers to play music at the streets of Bronx. After that, came Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa and the rest is history…

Despite their respect for the past, “Tempo vai dizer” does not sound vintage at all. The fancy production brings actual references, mixing them with others to produce a very original sound.
“Echo Sound System, raiz com Futuro” which means something like“Echo Sound System, roots and Future” , as it is said in “Pas Tester”.

The smart drum programming, the distinguished timbres and the flying ambiances makes it evident. Another differential is the good use given to effects borrowed directly from Dub (such as delays, echoes and reverbs), which never sound exaggerated nor out of context. Not only in tracks like “Bom Filho” and “Kaya Monkeys (safari dub)”, where the influence of dubmasters like Scientist are obvious, these effects are used in the whole album. 

The hip-hop beats are either sustained by bass lines (“Leão de asas”) or by drum samples that come straight from the seventies’ reggae (“Pas tester”). The reggae tracks, however, follow the opposite way, accepting some rap elements. The MCs Funk Buia (Z’África Brasil). Jimmy Luv and Arcanjo (Familia 7 Velas) along with the Frenchman Pyroman (ex- Assasin), take turns on the vocals, mixing funny, spiritual and social speeches.

“Todos um”, a dancehall like hip-hop, already released on a vinyl compact in 2004, has got Funk Buia at the microphone. “Só d’eu ver(de)”, is the b-side of this very same compact, pressed on a 7-inch format, such as the classic Jamaican releases. While Arcanjo warns “um minuto pra explodir” “one minute until the explosion” in the strong track “Inna Babylon”, Jimmy Luv flood us all with his sincerity in the groovy “Replay”.

It is very common in Jamaica for singers to make different versions of the same song, using new lyrics and melodies created over the same musical background, what, in Jamaica, is known as riddim.  Following this tradition, in “Original style” Pyroman sings over “Stalag”, riddim immortalized by “Bam Bam”, in the Sister Nancy’s version.

In addition to the regular Echo’s collaborators, the Jamaican General Smiley, from the Michigan & Smiley Duo (famous in the 80’s for dancehall hits such as “Diseases” and “Rub a dub style”), also plays a part in “Tempo vai dizer”. Even though this was not the intention, the mix of languages internationalizes the sound, what makes it possible for the Echo Sound System to find it’s place abroad.

General Smiley took part in the project from a distance. His jaw breaking part, along with Funk Buia in “Rookie Rock” (co produced by the Swiss Romanowsky, from the collective Future Primitive Sounds) is one of the album’s highlights.

After 21 tracks, “Tempo vai dizer” is not tiring at all. “Favorite Song” closes the album in such a good mood that ends up making the listener to wish that the interludes were complete tracks, just to have a little bit more of its taste…. Or maybe wish that the CD was a vinyl record, so that after all the songs are played, you can play the other side as well.

Bruno Natal / November 2005

bookings/contact: echosoundsystem@gmail.com


Trinary System is Roger Clark Miller (guitar, vocals etc), Larry Dersch (drums & percussion) and P. Andrew Willis (bass, synth & vocals).

Contact / Bookings - avocaudio@gmail.com


  California based artist Roommate (Justin McCauley) has a musical career that can be described as prolific and ever changing. His tireless efforts in both production and DJ'ing have currently brought him to the forefront of the worldwide bass music community. With over a decade of solid DJ'ing and countless original production releases, you can be sure Roommate has secured his title on an international scale. 

Beginning his musical quest with guitar lessons at the age of 11, Roommate has since developed his craft to an undeniable style and fashion by integrating both organic and electronic sounds. After self releasing his first solo album (Dubfunk vol1) in 2003, he quickly gained musical notoriety in the U.S. counter culture. When dubstep first hit the U.S. streets, Roommate was quick to find a love and understanding for the music and began production. Joining forces with L.A. based artist and long time friend No Thing, the two formed another key part of electronic music history; Babylon System. Roommate / Babylon System contributed many of the early U.S. dubstep releases such as "50 Blocks Away"," Examination of Time", and "Loaded" to name a few. After a slew of quality releases, Roommate was sky rocketed into the international limelight. Years of global touring followed with undying passion and intensity at every show. 

Co founding the rip roaring label Hollow Point Recordings with friend and artist SPL was another huge step for Roommate. Gaining confidence from consistent releases, Roommate used Hollow Point to push the boundaries of sound and express his musical tastes. Following Hollow Point, Roommate branched out to create two new musical imprints. King Dubbist and Avocaudio are Roommate's latest forward thinking musical label incarnations. Focusing on huge vibes and stellar production, these labels span from Dubstep to Trip-hop to Jungle to Reggae. Fusing and encompassing Roommate's broad and compelling love for musical freshness. 

Currently, Roommate is still touring avidly all over the world and spreading his custom art everywhere he goes. He is focusing on releasing two full length albums in the near future. His labels and projects will continue to grow and influence the music and art communities for years to come. Roommate's live show never disappoints and always reflects his energy and skill. Get inspired by a true rising artist and check out his other projects: Babylon System (with No Thing), OSC (with Antiserum), and Krttyr (with E Pill).

www.soundcloud.com/roommatedubs
www.facebook.com/avocaudio
www.soundcloud.com/avocaudio
www.soundcloud.com/king-dubbist
www.avocaudio.com

Started in mid-2010, Rich Kid Sound System (RKSS) is “not quite 100 percent hip-hop, yet not quite 100 percent rock.” Their sound is a harmonious mash-up of Emceeing and Indie Rock with a dash of Top-40 appeal. “Catchy hooks, killer melodies, and a hip-hop tie, along with a different sound, has positioned RKSS as THE group to watch for” says the305.com, who named Rich Kid Sound System as "2011 Breakout Artists of the Year.”

The Rapper / Producer duo of Q & W0LFC0AT (Leo) have made “RKSS a hit-making force to be reckoned with,” according to Confusion of PigeonAndPlanes.com (Voted #2 ‘Best Blog’ by fellow Bloggers).

Having been immersed in the melting pot of South Florida’s culture for many years, Rich Kid Sound System’s members immediately identified with the need to make music that the audience could dance to and interact with. “So many people come in and out of South Florida - everyone is from somewhere else” says Q. “People in Miami enjoy sunny days, warm weather all year long, music, and dancing. We wanted to make music that combined all of those elements.”

RKSS has numerous musical influences ranging from: the Beach Boys, the Beatles, Lykke Li, MGMT, and Justice, just to name a few. 

Although the newly emerging sound may be in its infancy, the talent is not. After working with radio mainstays that include Pitbull, Flo-Rida, Lupe Fiasco, and multi-platinum producers such as Tony “CD” Kelly, and Jim Jonsin, the founding members Q and Leo found themselves at a crossroad. “We were coming up with concepts for songs… musically and lyrically… that did not fit into what A&R’s needed. But they loved the songs, so we figured we would just take those songs and make our own project” says Leo, about the creative restraints from major labels. Fed up with the commercial bureaucracy, the production and song-writing duo decided to collaborate on a project of their own, and Rich Kid Sound System became alive.

For live shows, RKSS adds a full band including: Shawn Hagood - Drums; Freezy - Bassist; W0LFC0AT - Guitar/Keys. The band ensures that RKSS amplifies the energy and dynamics of the recorded music.

Garry Haydn is following