Dub Colossus - Dub Will Keep Us Together (Real World Records) + Invisible System - DUB (Self-published/Harper Diabate Records)
08 Mar 2026 11:18:18
Cristina Moran explains: "We were remembering the good times touring with Dub Colossus and how Nick was an easy and open-minded band leader… as Nick used to say, for the love of music. We all miss him in different ways and intensities, and this is dedicated to his life, our lives shared with him."
Toby Mills adds: "This is an eclectic album with some new members alongside some of the old ones. Mimi from Ethiopia is back, and like her country, it's a compendium of different rhythms and influences, showing the path the band has taken since its beginnings in 2008. 'Dub Will Keep Us Together' talks of the understanding of the collective as the counteraction to international events shaping our societies and minds, a fight for justice. Love will keep us together. Of course, there is playfulness and puns, but there is also reflection on the times we live in: the world seems to be spinning out of control, and those with evil intent are on the rise. But we mustn't give up hope. Humanity is not doomed, but we must stand up and fight for what is right. Corruption is rife, capitalism seems to be failing us, wars are on the rise, climate change, inequality rising exponentially. It can feel overwhelming, that we're on a bad path, but it can be turned around. In a fast-changing world, we need more dub."
It's safe to say that this is a message that, given the events of recent months, weeks and days, could hardly come at a better time.
The Ethiopian element has always been one of the most fascinating aspects of Dub Colossus, and as Toby already hinted, vocalist Mimi Zenebe is once again on board. Be sure to check the Ethio-jazz-meets-dub groove of 'Ebo', an immediate highlight from the track list. Her voice also features prominently on the title track (driven by a bassline clearly nodding to Burning Spear's classic 'Slavery Days'), as well as on 'Consequences' and opening track 'Dub Conquers All'. Elsewhere, however, new voices enter the mix.
On the soulful 'We Stand', a track addressing the exploitation of musicians in the digital age, she shares the vocals with Mykaell and George Riley. In 'Do We Have A Right', a cheerful-sounding yet deadly serious ska tune, Holly Holden rightly questions whether we truly have the right to live carefree lives while the world is burning. And on closing track 'And The Gods Made Dub', it is Dubulette herself who takes the vocal lead alongside Ollie and Amana Mills, Toby's children. At the very end of the track, Dubulette can be heard whispering: "Tu es toujours ici!"
Still not satisfied? Then be sure to check out 'DUB' by Invisible System. For years, Invisible System has been the musical playground of English producer Dan Harper, who initially gained recognition with Ethio-fusion albums such as 'Punt (Made In Ethiopia)' (2009) and 'Street Clan' (2011), before also turning his attention to Mali with releases like 'Bamako Sessions', 'Dance To The Full Moon' and 'Bamako Moon'.
This album is a compilation of dub-tinged tracks and dubwise reworkings drawn from those earlier Invisible System releases. Without Harper, Dub Colossus would probably never have existed in the first place, so it's fitting that Mimi Zenebe also appears here on 'Giba Wedebet Dub', originally released as 'Giba Wedebet/Come Inside' on 'Punt'. More Ethiopian flavors surface on 'Melkam Dub', a dub version of 'If That Is What You Want (Melkam Kehonelish)', also from 'Punt', featuring the Ethiopian legend Mahmoud Ahmed on vocals.
Ethiopian reggae comes in the form of 'Mama Yey Dub', whose original version appeared on 'Dubs N Roots' (2016) with vocals by Jamaican vocalist Sidney Salmon, now based in Ethiopia. The original versions of 'Hode Baba In Dub' and 'Nati Dub' also appeared on 'Punt' and 'Dubs N Roots'. In the second half of the sixteen-track compilation we move to Mali with tracks such as 'Sambou Dub' and 'Penzy Dub', whose originals both appeared on 'Bamako Moon', as well as 'Samé Dub', the dub version of a track from 'Bamako Sessions'.
The album closes with the solid, more than eight-minute-long 'Terror System Dub', a collaboration with Zion Train whose original version appeared on 'Tiga Tej Tibs' (2013), followed by the punk-meets-dub of the previously unreleased 'Sky High Dub', featuring Dick Lucas (frontman of the British punk band Subhumans and the anarcho-ska, punk and reggae outfit Culture Shock) on vocals.
Both Dub Colossus and Invisible System prove that dub, even in a world that seems to be spiraling further out of control by the day, can still act as a powerful antidote.
Toby Mills adds: "This is an eclectic album with some new members alongside some of the old ones. Mimi from Ethiopia is back, and like her country, it's a compendium of different rhythms and influences, showing the path the band has taken since its beginnings in 2008. 'Dub Will Keep Us Together' talks of the understanding of the collective as the counteraction to international events shaping our societies and minds, a fight for justice. Love will keep us together. Of course, there is playfulness and puns, but there is also reflection on the times we live in: the world seems to be spinning out of control, and those with evil intent are on the rise. But we mustn't give up hope. Humanity is not doomed, but we must stand up and fight for what is right. Corruption is rife, capitalism seems to be failing us, wars are on the rise, climate change, inequality rising exponentially. It can feel overwhelming, that we're on a bad path, but it can be turned around. In a fast-changing world, we need more dub."
It's safe to say that this is a message that, given the events of recent months, weeks and days, could hardly come at a better time.
The Ethiopian element has always been one of the most fascinating aspects of Dub Colossus, and as Toby already hinted, vocalist Mimi Zenebe is once again on board. Be sure to check the Ethio-jazz-meets-dub groove of 'Ebo', an immediate highlight from the track list. Her voice also features prominently on the title track (driven by a bassline clearly nodding to Burning Spear's classic 'Slavery Days'), as well as on 'Consequences' and opening track 'Dub Conquers All'. Elsewhere, however, new voices enter the mix.
On the soulful 'We Stand', a track addressing the exploitation of musicians in the digital age, she shares the vocals with Mykaell and George Riley. In 'Do We Have A Right', a cheerful-sounding yet deadly serious ska tune, Holly Holden rightly questions whether we truly have the right to live carefree lives while the world is burning. And on closing track 'And The Gods Made Dub', it is Dubulette herself who takes the vocal lead alongside Ollie and Amana Mills, Toby's children. At the very end of the track, Dubulette can be heard whispering: "Tu es toujours ici!"
This album is a compilation of dub-tinged tracks and dubwise reworkings drawn from those earlier Invisible System releases. Without Harper, Dub Colossus would probably never have existed in the first place, so it's fitting that Mimi Zenebe also appears here on 'Giba Wedebet Dub', originally released as 'Giba Wedebet/Come Inside' on 'Punt'. More Ethiopian flavors surface on 'Melkam Dub', a dub version of 'If That Is What You Want (Melkam Kehonelish)', also from 'Punt', featuring the Ethiopian legend Mahmoud Ahmed on vocals.
Ethiopian reggae comes in the form of 'Mama Yey Dub', whose original version appeared on 'Dubs N Roots' (2016) with vocals by Jamaican vocalist Sidney Salmon, now based in Ethiopia. The original versions of 'Hode Baba In Dub' and 'Nati Dub' also appeared on 'Punt' and 'Dubs N Roots'. In the second half of the sixteen-track compilation we move to Mali with tracks such as 'Sambou Dub' and 'Penzy Dub', whose originals both appeared on 'Bamako Moon', as well as 'Samé Dub', the dub version of a track from 'Bamako Sessions'.
The album closes with the solid, more than eight-minute-long 'Terror System Dub', a collaboration with Zion Train whose original version appeared on 'Tiga Tej Tibs' (2013), followed by the punk-meets-dub of the previously unreleased 'Sky High Dub', featuring Dick Lucas (frontman of the British punk band Subhumans and the anarcho-ska, punk and reggae outfit Culture Shock) on vocals.
Both Dub Colossus and Invisible System prove that dub, even in a world that seems to be spiraling further out of control by the day, can still act as a powerful antidote.