Zion I Kings – Night Surfer
“The extraordinarily thin and tender composition in the genres of Reggae and Dub, which fascinates with its sweet sound. A clearly folded, harmonious sounding and calm rhythm, a pleasant melody and noise of the ocean surf, who caresses your ear. (Automatically Translated with Google Translate)”
“Необычайно тонкая и нежная композиция в жанрах Reggae и Dub, которая очаровывает своим сладким звучанием. Чётко сложенный, гармонично звучащий и спокойный ритм, приятная мелодия и шум океанского прибоя, который ласкает ваш слух.”
-Nagamag.com
For the last decade, Zion I Kings, comprised of Laurent “Tippy I” Alfred of I Grade Records, Andrew “Moon” Bain of Lustre Kings and David “Jah D” Goldfine” of Zion High Productions, have delivered some of the finest and most indelible musical offerings to date in modern reggae. Today, the trio releases their 5th studio album, a dynamically rich ocean themed dub: Future Oceans Echo. Download and save the new album here: ffm.to/futureoceansecho
With the new release Zion I Kings have pledged a percentage of their streaming profits from Future Oceans Echo to support clean oceans and beaches initiatives in St. Croix, VI, with the Good Hope Country Day School’s climate action club. Laurent “Tippy” Alfred’s daughter Tsehai attends the school and is very active with the club. It’s a student-founded and student run organization whose mission aims for a more sustainable environment for the island community.
Future Oceans Echo is 10 tracks of infectious and melodic instrumental dubs that organically, and rapidly flowed into an album over the last part of the year. Reflecting on the new project Moon explains, “I have had the concept for this album in my meditation for quite a while. As I had been writing and working on all this new music, it just started to support that vision. Just kinda flowed that way naturally. The album has a real consistent energy from start to finish. All the same core musicians were involved. All instrumental dubs.” Zion I Kings worked with stellar group musicians to round out the sound and vibe including Roberto Sanchez on drums, Pau Dangla Valls who played additional keys, Okiel McIntyre and Zoe Brown played and arranged horns.
The new album was announced with the single “Whale Song Skank” featuring the talented Ngoni player Losso Keita. It is an ode to sea life and a deep dive into the vast dub expanse. Finessing licks in an ancient timber is the Ngoni player Losso Keita, a powerful singer and multi-instrumentalist from Burkina Faso. “Red Gold & Green Dubmarine” was the second single released. It opens with the bubble-like sensation that carries the dark and driving drum and bass groove into a fervent quest of discovery, opening up to a bright, underwater dub lagoon in the B-section. Another standout includes “Night Surfer,” featuring longtime Zion I Kings collaborator, mentor and virtuoso guitarist, David Prout. Kicking off the record the song sweeps the listener out to sea, on a sailboat with a warm Caribbean breeze blowing you in the right direction under the moonlight.
Looking back at the new record in a recent interview and in response to a question do artists feel a responsibility toward the plight of the Oceans, Andrew Moon Bain replied, “I don’t know if artists have a responsibility but we all have to live here. We are all connected to one source of life, one planet and atmosphere…all of us depend on it. Whether we feel a part of it or not. It is all connected. A lot of people can’t understand what they can’t see. Can’t feel for what they can not touch. Whether it is my responsibility or not, I do feel a duty to uncover some overstanding of the unknown through art, music and the glorification of Jah.”
Zion I Kings is the talented multi-instrumentalists and producers Laurent “Tippy I” Alfred of I Grade Records, Andrew “Moon” Bain of Lustre Kings and David “Jah D” Goldfine” of Zion High Productions. Together they are an ever prolific and expanding crew of producers, musicians and performers whose work has spanned many waves within the genre to create a solid and unique modern roots sound that is infectious, warm, melodic and steady in any sound system. They are singular as much as a collective, as each musician has spent formative years honing their craft. Collectively they have produced for many great artists of our day including Akae Beka (Midnite) , Sizzla, Lutan Fyah, Jah 9, Blakkamoore, Chronixx, Protoje, Loydd Brown, Ziggi Recado, Pressure and many more.
Future Echo Ocean is out now and available everywhere you stream music. Download and save the new album here: ffm.to/futureoceansecho
“Zion I Kings [are] the holy trinity of modern roots reggae production...”- World A Reggae
Reviewed by Nagamag on April 23, 2022