VI Genius. . .
Achis | Kingston, JA/Philipsburg, SxM | 06/21/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"In my relatively brief time spent listening to and enjoying the exceptional roots reggae vibes emanating from the Virgin Islands, I have been able to establish a few things that appear to be certain over standing facts: The music is almost unerring in that it takes absolutely no detour from the true roots vibes; you never hear the type of roots/dancehall vibe within the same song and dancehall itself as a whole is quite rare from the area (I've noticed producer/artist Donny Dread mixes a little dancehall vibes in his work, but outside of him, per my experience, its quite rare). Also, all over the world, many of the roots reggae artists are finding audiences thirsting for the pure rootical sounds, thus its not rare at all for an act such as Midnite, the true powerhouse of the area, to perform for stadiums full of people who hand onto their everywhere (and considering Midnite's lead singer, Vaughn Benjamin's odd chanting style, hanging on to his every word is quite a task). I've noticed (and who couldn't) that the music of the VI is on the cusp of something great, artists like Midnite, Bambu Station and now Pressure Busspipe are gaining popularity and a spotlight previously only enjoyed by their Jamaican counterparts. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly to this discussion is that I've noticed the presence of a few musical geniuses. The first two undeniable genius talents are those heading Midnite, Ronnie and Vaughn Benjamin. Ronnie has been a top notch producer and band member for many acts in the area, not only Midnite band and also apparently is very involved with teaching music to the youths of his native St. Croix. Immediately upon listening to nearly any of Midnite's tracks you can tell the almost overbearing level of talent by whomever writes the songs and that responsibility lies on the younger Benjamin brother, Vaughn whose talents absolutely reside alongside those of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Papa San, Sizzla Kalonji as one of the finest lyrical geniuses to ever emerge from the Caribbean. There's also Jalani Horton, leader of the Bambu Station collective whose talents are very much comparable to those of their more well known peers, Midnite. And then there's Batch. St. Croix native Julien Cummerbatch has slowly but surely made a name for himself, first and foremost as one of the strongest producers to come out of the area, but also in recent times (and firstly on the international scene with most fans knowing Batch first as an artist) as an artist. But a trip through any of his works will reveal to you one of the quietest and most underground strengths in all of reggae music.
Batch's label, Sound V.I.Zion has been toiling in near obscurity since its creation in 1999 all the while producing some of the strongest reggae vibes available. I first became aware of Batch in roughly 2001-2002 when the ultra familiar figure of a Bobo Ashanti fronted the cover of an album named Who You Are. The talk surrounding the album on almost any platform was that it was a `must hear' and `can't miss' quality, I didn't pick the album up at the time (if I remember correctly when I finally decided to get the album it was sold out already). Having heard the Who You Are album since then in particular, all of the talk surrounding it was definitely well worth it and since then it has gone on to become one of near cult status as one of the downright mythical albums you might see when digging through the collection of serious reggae head (alongside such pieces as any of Queen Omega's album, Donovan's Bonzani-I and any Dezarie). Since that album Batch has continued in his fine and excelling works producing albums for not only himself (following Who You Are were the outstanding Keep the Faith and the musically beautiful Jah Guidance) but he also had a hand in producing the scorching Midnite album He is Jah as well as younger artists he is putting out for his Sound V.I.Zion label (not to be confused with Walt Fraser's very similar titled Vizion Sounds out of Guyana) such as Ras Attitude (who may himself be, at the very least, on his way to becoming a lyrics genius, the scathingly wicked Mada Nile and the up and coming Ahfyah. I still, and will probably continue to point to the Jah Guidance album as an EXTREME example of not only Batch's style but his brilliance; while the melodies (although blessed with a very fine singing voice, the former drumming master, Batch, isn't one of the more melodically singers you'll hear coming from the VI, check Dezarie or Pressure Busspipe for that) of the vocals weren't exactly top notch, the riddims on the Jah Guidance were so strong and of such a varyingly beautiful nature, that I honestly believed and each and every time to this day I listen to the album still believe that the album may have actually been better as a COMPLETE instrumental! While the Jah Guidance album may have actually set Batch back a step as it was even more so poorly promoted than his own previous two albums on which he and he alone was responsible for pushing (the Jah Guidance album was released on the now defunct Carrion-Brookes label), the musical vibes alone it made it worth listening and should you now be able to find the album today, definitely it is still a recommended pickup. Batch's other album, the now very hard to find Keep the Faith, was not as strong musically as the Jah Guidance album, nor the opening Who You Are album, but still very very good reggae music and actually lyrically, the Keep the Faith album, as a whole, maybe Batch's best effort to date (especially worth checking was the lovely Sane Cry) but all of Batch's album to date have gone to create his overall vibe and all are worth checking out.
Thus, I wasted virtually no time at all in checking out Batch's latest creation and first return to his own label since the Keep the Faith album, To the Root. Since Batch's last release, his artist, Ras Attitude has definitely been one of the young VI talents making a name for himself, releasing two albums, the very mature Holding Firm and the overall excellent Royal Lionage, and with Attitude's successes there are certain to be more and more fans learning of the name Batch (the two are virtually inseparable) and from the looks of To the Root, in anticipation of that newfound attention, Batch has stepped his game up in releasing this, his best overall album to date. The first thing that stands out in To the Root is its overall production. The album, which in actuality is done on such a small label (but Batch has admitted that Sound V.I.Zion is growing and growing) sounds EXACTLY like something one would expect to hear on a VP or a Greensleeves album. All the music is top notch, it rivals anything you'll hear on the Jah Guidance album (even High Chant) and this is the level of music you should expect to hear from any Batch production in the future as a producer given his experience and history working with the level of artists he has should be expected to maintain such a high level as Jah Guidance and now To the Root. His voicing has also apparently been boosted since the Jah Guidance album as with five combinations in the rather lengthy sixteen track album, Batch alone carries the vibes quite well, including the album's strongest offering which is sans any guest help.
Focusing on the collaborations, Batch taps a very familiar setting for three of the five tracks. First check Free De People, the wonderfully done one drop beautiful track which features the unknown to me baritone voiced Nazarite. Free De People is definitely one of the finest done tracks on all of To the Root and it stands out, not only due to Nazarite's contribution but on its own, its easily amongst the very best written tracks I've ever heard from Batch and his guest doesn`t disappoint either as Nazarite`s verse is the final verse on the tune. Then there's Wah Wrong Wid Dem which is actually the first appearing combination on the album. The song is probably one of the more up tempo tunes you'll ever hear as a Batch production, and while I wouldn't exactly call it dancehall (despite the obvious efforts of his guest on the track), I might call it Batch's take on dancehall. The accompanying artist on the track, yet another gem from Batch's seemingly limitless stable of combinations, Ambush, introduces himself to the international listening world with a very very solid verse (although it sounds doubled, or echoed and he doesn't sound very clear) and he sounds very much like a slightly agitated version of JA chanter Fantan Mojah. The album closes (I know I'm not going in order, but I'm saving the best for last) with the absolutely lovely African Queen which is of course an overall loving and praising track to the Black woman (check a tune on his first album, Who You Are named Ah Rulah, for one of the best Black woman songs you'll ever hear!) features an artist touted by Batch as the next big thing as he had been taking him on tours with he and Ras Attitude for awhile. The artist, Ahfyah, certainly does not disappoint as he close as he offers a nice verse in closing one of the nicest tunes overall on the album. I'd probably liken Ahfyah's style to a less refined or developed version of the seriously wicked Lutan Fyah and he compliments Batch's cool singing style very nicely (and who else hears that slight and subtle nyah drum in the back?). The final two combinations feature two VERY familiar artists to fans of Batch. Cry Out is the single most lovely sounding piece on the album, built over just a simple slow and building piano. The tune is a combination with the lovely Queen Ima, who just happens to be Mrs. Batch, as the master producer finally brings his wife and her very fine singing voice to international audiences not a second too soon. Batch's better half actually outshines him on the track and I look forward to her accompanying not only him but other artists on his productions (a Ima/Mada Nile combination would be very powerful). Lastly is what is definitely to become the signature track of To the Root, the very very powerful We Stay combination featuring Ras Attitude. Audiences now hailing Attitude as one of the young artists in reggae to watch definitely have to pay a credit to Batch the producer as it is he whose riddims and vibes on which young Attitude honed his undeniable supreme skill becoming the burgeoning superstar he is today and We Stay is a very strong combination between the two, and a track which definitely NEEDED to be on To the Root.
Batch on his own carry's a vibe which pinnacles on a track greater than anything he does with any of his guests. Check the absolutely wonderful Carry Beyond a track about making connections in the African Diaspora. The first verse of the track, although almost rudimentarily simple, is one of the most clever things I've heard in a while as Batch rattles off the name of each and every relatively sizable Caribbean island there is (of course including Jamaica, although he misses St. Maarten) and drawing the connection back to Africa on what is just a wonderful track. Another track that really stands out is the obligatory love mama song, fittingly titled. . .Luv Mama. On Luv Mama is one of To the Roots' most powerful one drop riddims, I love it and unlike the Jah Guidance album, Batch shows a fantastic voicing pattern over the riddim and makes the song truly a complete project and one of the album's best.
The album's BEST, however, is certainly the MAMMOTH Hail the King. Building and expressing on a message that we all need to follow (particular you, if you've read this far in a review for this album) Hail the King challenges the lovely aforementioned Ah Rulah as the best tune I've ever heard from Batch and after 4 albums full of material, that's saying a lot. The song has a very older sounding one drop and Batch's wonderfully mellow vocals help push forth the even stronger message which he caps off in the tune's chorus by simply saying, `Jah is the King of Kings'. And other tracks definitely worth hearing include Liberation which sounds like something which crawled out of a Marley studio circa 1976 and is a very powerful vibes; the old r&b feel of Generation, love it that it helps change up the vibes just a little and lastly, the obligatory herbalist track, the curiously Centripetal Smoke, definitely worth several spins.
Overall, how can I not recommend Batch's best album to date? I will say that this album is, however, completely made for the reggae head. You have to really appreciate the music and the music in its TRULY rootical form to appreciate To the Root (and pretty much all of Batch's work to date as well). If you do fall into the category of `reggae head' the consider To the Root one of the hidden gems of the year 2007."
