Costal Connection album review

‘Coastal Connection’ has a totally unique and somewhat eccentric style combining the best of dub/dubstep/reggae and fusing a hint of drum n bass into an album created by producer DJ Kina (Simon Boyd) from The Versionaries and MC Extraordinaire RayJah45 (Raymond Te Oranga-Nolan), known as the Sweet Az Sound System.

This collaboration can be best described as music with one foot firmly on the dance floor, with the conscious soulful vibes of RayJah and production of DJ Kina coming together to form a sound that appeals to a wide audience. The idea was to bring together the true spirit of music and create an album that bridged the gaps between these genres, thus creating ‘Coastal Connection’ as a mature 13 track album.‘Costal Connection’ also features a talented bunch of collaborations including MC Kye from Budspells, Georgie Fisher and Haile Suspicious from The Versionaries, Shamik the Human Drum Machine from Canada, MC Antic, plus Simon Kay and Tom Fisher on horns.

The first track ‘Deliverance’ enters straight into a haunting and yet compelling Maori Karakia.

‘Out there’ is an ode to surfing, hitting up the waves and uniting with a lifestyle filled with love and peacefulness. A very smooth track just like surfer lifestyle that it describes.

The fourth track ‘Blaze’ is the first single release off the album, which has climbed the Dub charts in Sydney. Seems like the whole album is an ode to various loves of the co-creators. No facade here as to what the music and lyrics inspire.

‘Boom box’ is a classic track that incorporates retro beat-boxing on to a full length track with no lyrical back up.

‘Shout out’ crosses genres slowing down the pace of the album for some reflection and maybe creating some confusion.

‘Maranga’ lifts the beat of the album again, a great track with intense Maori rapping that sync over the dub beat.

The last of the 13 tracks on the album ‘Again and Again’ integrates all of the sounds through the album into one that perfectly entwines all the tracks.