Manasseh meets the Equalizer

Having visited the Young Disciples the other month it reminded me of this album from way back when. Now the Acid Jazz label is not the first name that springs to mind when talking of reggae labels and in truth why should they as they are not, but in 1994 the label took the plunge and released Manasseh meets the The Equaliser 'Dub the Millennium'.

Manasseh is, DJ, producer, Nick Raphael who started out by blagging his way, with his home made and 'Jah Tubbys' amp sound system into the 1985 Notting Hill Carnival, where they played all day and night. Their mainly roots inspired system went down a storm and it wasn't long before they were playing all kinds of blues parties around London
As the Manasseh Sound System name grew so further opportunities arose. A chance to provide reggae music at some of the big warehouse parties that went on the mid to late 80s proved to be a big turning point as it led to meeting Femi (Young Disciples) and the brothers Joey and Norman Jay. In fact it was the Jay brothers, in early 1987, who got them a late night show, from 3am to 7am or whenever somebody else turned up!, on the legendary London pirate station Kiss FM.
1988 was the year of the first major release from Manasseh, who had hooked up with Scruff Guilder the year before. Their joint project was known as Sound Iration in Dub and the first single "Seventh Seal" was cut on the 8/8/88 and became big on the roots scene, especially at Jah Shaka's with whom they had clashed with earlier in the year. The tune was also widely credited with being the first new wave UK dub track. This was then followed by the release in March 1989 of an album on W.A.U. Mr. Modo records, a label that was the brainchild of Alex Patterson (The Orb) and Youth (Killing Joke). The album sold well and the label went on to release some other notable roots/dub albums produced by Manasseh and Scruff such as Tena Stelin's first LP "Wicked Invention" (a vocal set to S.I. in Dub); Lidj Incorporated: Black Liberation and the Dub album to it, as well as various singles.
The early 90s saw the setting up of the Riz Label along with Gil Cang who shared music and production duties, Eddie Rocksteady and Mak Gilchrist, who ran the label. The first releases were Orville Smith's ‘Leaving Rome’, Bob Skeng's ‘Education’ and Earl 16's ‘Natural Roots’. Earl 16's track was very well received and helped the label quickly establish itself as one of the leading UK roots labels. Other big things on Riz were Admiral Tibet "Permission", Marcella French "Be Still" (on a funky vibe) and Manasseh meets the Equalizer "Soul Jah" which also went on to be part of the ‘Dub The Millennium’ album.
Riz originally released ‘Manasseh meets the Equalizer’ LP (the Equalizer being Jeremy Armstrong) on vinyl where it created a lot of interest. The album was then licensed to Acid Jazz records who had been toying with putting out some roots music and were maybe more tuned in than some to the slightly jazzy flavour of the record. For this album is not “pure reggae” but an album created with roots /dub reggae at its heart and then fusing, soul, funk, jazz, hip-hop and ambient acid house, even rock on and around it, in fact it’s a blend of just about everything that had been happening on the London club scene over the last 10 years. It is fair to say that big bassed, hypnotic sway of ‘Absentee’ with its delicate melodica moments and featuring a vocal chant, courtesy of Danny Red is as strong as this gets with this album. This however doesn’t mean we should all switch off and go home after this opening track, but its worth hanging around as there are more than just one or two moments that deserve to be heard. ‘Shakout’ has a strong, bright skank vibe to it provided by a quicker tempo and triumphant sounding brass explosions. Elements of electronica start to creep in from ‘Spirit Dance’ as the effects take a hold, but it does get a bit repetitive towards the end. 'Market Place' is a simple, lolling drum and bass riddim with light percussion interspersed over the top. 'Circle of Stone' paints its soundscape on to a beating rootical throbbing bass heavy riddim with echoing keyboard and string arrangements.In fact all this tunes are never over fussy; the other instrumentation is always used as an emphasis on the basic riddim which tends to flow at the same even keel throughout each song. Sometimes like in 'Souljah' with it's laid back funky wah guitar licks it sounds as if the music here is created more as if by chance in a jam and so adding to the ambience of the whole thing, nothing is forced it just a natural and easy flow that is easy to drift along to.

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Dub the Millennium
Track Listing

1. Absentee

2. Shakout

3. Spirit Dance
4. Market Place
5. Circle of Stone

6. East

7. Wikkaman

8. Aquarius

9. One Small Step

10. Millennium
11. Souljah

12. Surface Tension