ILLBILLY HITEC – REGGAE NOT DEAD

iLLBiLLY HiTEC’s electronic tinkerings and styles have carved a swathe straight through the middle ground of the “sophisticated” modern reggae prevalent on the German scene, replete with hipster beards and Fred Perry caps. The band’s strange-sounding name sparks a vision of a “what the fuck” attitude, and it manifests itself in the mind with its formidable, sweet-sounding mellifluous sounds. The mix is an intoxicating loop with sound sketches borrowed from reggae into which pseudo-spheric elements from breakbeat, hip hop and pop have been absorbed to weave masterful club dub.

“Reggae Not Dead” is iLLBiLLY HiTEC’s return after their debut album “Reggaeetronics” in 2013 and after lengthy tours with hundreds of shows in Europe and Latin America. While “Reggaetronics” celebrated a fusion of reggae with electronic elements, this time the Berlin band focuses on old-style reggae but interpreted for the modern age. They grab reggae by the root to conjure up a varied mix of roots, digital, hip hop and dub. Singers Longfingah and Tribuman, who also joined the band of tour, feature on the album, as well an international cast consisting of Paco Mendoza, Lengualerta, Daman, Kinetical and Ceshire Cat, who round off the album with their English, Spanish, French and Patois lyrics. As a bonus there are four remixes by J*Star, Zion Train, Krak In Dub and Fleck, as well as a riddim selection with versions by Don Caramelo (Raggabund), Lengualerta, Benjie and The Hempolics from London. The album comes with 19 tracks that prove that reggae from Germany is anything but dead – in fact, it is more popular than ever!

LISTEN