The Lone Ranger [ Working hard to bring back the golden years of rub-a-dub ]

This is the debut full-length from Grant Phabao (aka Fabien Preaux) whose aptly hyped 1999 release, the "Tub EP", a mix of funk-house, dub, downtempo, smooth bass and throbbing beats, is credited as a pioneering force in the evolution of funk-house. If you're looking for more of the same you'll have to look elsewhere. But, if you're seeking laid-back, full-style reggae with strong dub influences, listen up!

Kulchaklash opens with Lone Ranger doing some "Sweet Talking" for his daughter in a bouncy, rub-a-dub style. Ray I follows and does the talking on "Braeton Killings", a deep, dubby, bass heavy rocker with some funky organ work done up in a European crossover flavor that works itself into your head and echoes around for days.

Oh no! What is that synth line that keeps popping up in this one? It's from a TV show or something...

The best thing I can do to describe "Aye So We Deh" is quote the artist himself, who calls it "A chanting thing. An old Studio One roots tune I wanted to do for years. In this one we kinda have a singjay style...". Lone Ranger does the lyrical honors.

Okay, "High Grade" is dubbed a "goog meditation tune", delivering a subliminal message for you to smoke a spliff and meditate on the tunes. If you set a blaze right now, I guess it worked. Even sober this one is gonna mellow out your mind. And by the way, no pun was intended in the first sentence above. ...okay, maybe a little.

"Music Weh Dem Wan" is Grant Phabao laying down a little hip-hop/reggae style, and although some sterile commercial music director might want to call it something like Raggaeton, it really isn't recommended. The vocal delivery is more stoccato, but still a far cry from hip-hop. This track is all island style.

Oh no! What is that synth line that keeps popping up in this one too? It's from a TV show or something... and it's driving me crazy because I can't name that tune.

Although "Rasta Roll Call" is a nice track, it's not too memorable and besides, I just can't keep my finger off the 'next' button because the next track is "Fever" done up a in a reggae style... can you beat this concept? Complete with female backup singers they do the original justice. Definitely a recommended listen!

"Ehiopia" is a nice chanting track done up in a late-ska/rocksteady style, while "A Who" is a solid, headnodding, dubby piece.

Through and through these are dubbed out, reggae tunes in true form.