Karl Blau has become the most active member of the Dub Narcotic Studio Patrol, recording his own smooth jams, and those by LAKE, Arrington de Dionyso, The Hive Dwellers, Angelo Spencer and The Curious Mystery. As such it was a natural step for the prolic Blau (sweet croon, soft tremble) to record a Dub Narcotic Disco Plate.
In virtuoso fashion, Blau played all the instruments. "Golden Chariot" [DBN120] makes a big pot of soup, open up and say "aaaah." You can use your words. A dierent version of this song is also included on Karl Blau's 12-inch EP MAX [KLP227]. This disco plate version of "Golden Chariot" oers what MAX does not: a remix by Selector Dub Narcotic (the vinyl nom de plume of Calvin Johnson) who was given not only the supervisory role of this recording, but also provided emergency late-night peanut butter sandwiches.
The sparseness of "Golden Chariot" countersinks the fat, driving beats-- Blau's caterwauling turns the hard back beat into a spike driving trance. An organ holds hands with a piano and skips by taunting our hero as he lifts his heavy head.
One thing's for sure, Kark Blau's been a steady ow of rhythm meets melody on recordings since the mid '90s (with D+), and throughout the year 2010 was seen carting water back from the artesian well to the Dub Narcotic Studio for a session. But it was Calvin Johnson who steered the ship crossing the ocean of magnetic tape and time. Johnson brings you his signature craft of dub on Side B, and lulls you into crisis of hypnotic hostage. Though it is said "Music's not for everyone" and that is denitely going to be true for this Dub Narcotic style, when the seas part, there will be plenty of salt water and fish for everyone on both sides -- but only if you lift your voices and say you want it!