(Red Robin Records)
Arriving on a bouncy minor-tinged riddim, the latest from New Zealand’s own Red Robin Records is another scorcher. “Dem Wanna Be My Friend” pairs digital rub-a-dub enthusiast Naram with Ugandan singer SK Simeon.
While the instrumental rolls forward with near-reckless abandon, SK Simeon speaks frankly about the realities of faux-friendship in our modern era. The vocals adeptly switch delivery style, from croon to chat to chant. Facebook and Instagram are called out specifically, before the tune heads into blunter territory: ‘if you have a problem, we tell you upfront, upfront; if you don’t like our music, we don’t give a fuck, don’t give a fuck.’ Radio hosts – make an edit!
The flip is not the rollicking version, but rather a slightly more minimalist dub take. That’s crucial for performance, since there’s more room for improvisation while none of the original energy has been sacrificed. 7” and digital both available directly from Red Robin Records’ Bandcamp.
More info:
Dem Wanna Be My Friend on BandCamp
The Groove Thief
.the future of dub is the present.
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