Radikal Dub Kolektiv – Vinyl Debts 12″ EP (PDV Records)

Recently, I wrote an article about Hellness Centar, a third full-length album by Radikal Dub Kolektiv. For those who somehow missed my recent post, Radikal Dub Kolektiv is a phenomenal dub group from Zagreb, Croatia. The band operates since 2002 and pretty much keeps it active as much as possible. PDV Records recently announced a series of physical and digital reissues of their first recordings. The first one will be a digital reissue of their debut self-titled full-length album (previously released by Zvuk Močvare, Kingston, and Humanita Nova) and a physical reissue of Tomato Jungle / Rajčice Dub 7″ (previously released by Kingston). However, I would like to talk a bit more about Vinyl Debts 12″ EP until we wait for those reissues to see the light of the day.

Vinyl Debts EP still stands out as their most advanced recording, published by PDV Records back in 2014. This particular material includes three longevous compositions, so the material lasts for about twenty minutes in total. In these nearly twenty minutes, Radikal Dub Kolektiv are demonstrating their capabilities as musicians. Considering their previous involvements in Radikalna Promjena, Nula, and Abrakha-dub-r, you can only expect a top-notch performance by musicians who’re active on the Croatian music scene for nearly three decades. Like in their previous recordings, Radikal Dub Kolektiv nurtures quite a distinct sound that goes between analog and digital articulations. The analog side showcases excellent drumming performance, engaging basslines, and some classic guitar chops, while the digital side includes keyboards, samplers, and dubbing techniques.

Considering the fact that this material also represents their comeback after the disbandment in 2010, Radikal Dub Kolektiv returned on the scene pumped as never before. Therefore, this material bursts with enormous energy, which is quite a rare occurrence among the groups that are operating within the contemporary scene. As I stated in my previous review for Hellness Centar, Radikal Dub Kolektiv is one of those unique dub bands that uplifts the traditional dub sounds on an entirely new level. Their sound completely differs from the rest of the regional scene, which is perhaps smaller comparing to other parts of Europe but still packed with outstanding bands. These compositions are demonstrating the brilliance of Radikal Dub Kolektiv at their peak, and you’ll solely enjoy their perfectly balanced sound that continuously levitates between analog and digital articulations.

Vinyl Debts EP is still available on vinyl, compact disc and streaming services, so pick up your weapon of choice and enjoy these tunes as loud as possible. Head over to PDV Records for more detailed information about ordering.