The Drastics are a roots-oriented
dub reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
group hailing from
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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. 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 reggae, hip hop, jazz (mostly hard-bop), afro-beat, dancehall, as well as folk musics from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America.
Band history
The Drastics formed in December 2003, playing their first show in March 2004 at Chicago's now defunct Fireside Bowl. Answering a Chicago Reader ad placed by guitarist Josh Rosenstock, the original 6 piece lineup formed and began playing originals and a handful of covers. Over the years, the group has changed from the original lineup.
The Drastics first full-length album, ''Premonition'' was released on Chicago's JumpUp! Records. The album featured guest vocalists Craig Akira Fujita (Pressure Cooker, Joint Chiefs, 10 ft Ganja Plant), King Django (Stubborn All-Stars), Dr. Ring Ding (Senior All-Stars) as well as several local underground talents.
Their second release, ''Chicago Massive'', is a 2 disc album with 27 tracks and 24 guest musicians. Disc one is a strictly instrumental set while disc two features 12 different vocalists over 12 tracks. Guest vocalists include King Django, Dr. Ring Ding, Fada Dougou, MC Zulu, Dayna Lynn, Todd Hembrook (
Deal's Gone Bad
Deal's Gone Bad is a band from Chicago, Illinois. Their sound mixes reggae, rocksteady, and ska music with American soul. They have been together since 1994, with numerous lineup changes over the years. The current incarnation has been mostly ...
), and Corey Dixon (formerly of The Zvooks). Guest musicians on the first disc include reeds player Charles Gorzynski (Salamander, Video Gum Culture), beat makers Heavy Rotation, and trumpeter Rich Graiko (Westbound Train). The record went into production almost immediately following the release of ''Premonition'' and was completed over the course of the next 14 months.
Though primarily (and originally strictly) instrumental, The Drastics have begun to perform more frequently with vocalists. Currently, West African vocalist Fada Dougou can be seen regularly bringing his unique style of chant/singing to The Drastic's live shows. Panamanian-born, Chicago-based vocalist
Zulu is also a regular performer with the Drastics.
Lineup
* Tom Riley - Tenor Sax, Flute, Live Dub
* Andrew Zelm - Trombone, Melodica
* Elliot Ross - Guitar
* Brian Citro - Guitar
* Bijan Warner - Keys
* Chris Merrill - Bass
* General Jah Son - Binghi
* Anthony Abbinanti - Drums & Album Engineering/Production
* MC Zulu - Vocals
* Fada Dougou - Vocals
External links
*
Official MySpace profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drastics
Dub musical groups