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Chainska Brassika - Harry J Business
Chainska Brassika - Harry J Business
This release is a welcome addition to the world of music.
British band Chainska Brassika has been causing quite a stir on the European concert circuit of late, mainly as a high quality ska and reggae dance band. This quality enabled them to win the prestigious Ostrada World Reggae Contest in 2015, taking them – all expenses paid! - to Jamaica, to record their second album. Their debut release ‘Skinna’ received positive reviews in music magazines and blogs worldwide and some good airings on the influential BBC radio. Having awaited the end product of their Jamaican odyssey in eager anticipation, the good news is that the wait was well worthwhile. It confirms that this band is equally adept at high quality studio recording and entrancing their audiences performing live.
Recorded at the legendary Harry J’s studio – which has seen luminaries like Bob Marley, Burning Spear and Augustus Pablo pass through its doors – the Chainska were accorded the daunting distinction of being the last band to record there. Hence, the album is appropriately titled Harry J Business.
Under the trained eyes of double Grammy award winning producer Stephen Stewart and pioneering UK steppas producer Nick Manasseh who mixed this 16 track release, it is apparent that ska music will be alive and well and living in London town for the foreseeable future. On this release Chainska become an invigorating 10 piece collective, with de-luxe brass backing, dulcet vocal tones and romping riveting rhythms that serve up a sizzling selection of quality music.
A real highlight in the compilation is the ‘Don’t You Try’ track featuring the fantastic and recently rehabilitated Frederick Hibbert (aka ‘Toots’ of Toots and the Maytals). The album’s tone is set by the opening fast-paced ‘It’s Not Fair’ track and accelerates thereafter via ‘Mind Soul Body’ with its lovely lyrics that appropriately advise that ‘you don’t worry yourself’. The band’s ability to ease up and vary the pace is apparent from tracks like ‘Sunshine’ and ‘Trainline’, whilst their mastery of music is evident from the delightful dub tracks ‘Dubline’, ‘Dubshine’, ‘It’s Not Dub’ and ‘Don’t You Dub’ where one strongly suspects that Toots’ fantastic voice is to be heard adding to the most mesmerising of melodies.
Lauded by no less an authority than the BBC’s Sir David ‘Ram Jam’ Rodigan as ‘real musicians, real band, real brass section… fabulous and so refreshing’, one can only agree. This release is a welcome addition to the world of music, so Chainska, long may you live to help us to skip, swerve and slide to ska, served inna sizzling stylee.
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