After finding themselves ‘Lost In Space’ in early 2019, Gentleman’s Dub Club are continuing their voyage through some of the freshest sunshine sounds, and now is the time to unveil a new chapter. November 2020’s release of single ‘Castle In The Sky’ started paving the way for things to come, and as of the 29th January, they brought us back ‘Down To Earth’ with a brand new album announcement and new single ‘Honey,’ which features the incredible Hollie Cook. The third and final single ‘Night Shift’ will land on the 19th Feb and features Bristol’s Gardna on the mic.
Exploring the diverse and expressive world of reggae over the last few years with their ‘Pound For Pound’ collaboration with The Nextmen, plus their cover of Bill Withers’ ‘Use Me’ featuring Kiko Bun and their mission through time, space and bass in album #7, the Gents are now combining organic reggae roots with their own fresh approach to song-writing and new heights of production. Continuing their strong partnership with the mighty Easy Star Records and having a helping hand from Gardna and Hollie Cook is only ever going to have one outcome, and they would like to invite every single one of you to join them.
Rodigan championed ‘Castle In The Sky’ and debuted it on his BBC 1xtra show, and now it’s time for the next instalment. With a smooth-as-you-like bass groove, effortlessly flowing breakbeat rhythms, synth stabs and the inimitable partnering of Johnny Scratchley’s and Hollie Cook’s vocal harmonies, ‘Honey’ hits the sweet spot from the get-go and it’s no surprise that Steve Lamacq has already given it a spin. Impossible not to bob your head to and oozing with the unmistakeable GDC feel, this is the way to kickstart 2021.
Joining forces with Bristol’s MC extraordinaire Gardna, the next single ‘Night Shift’ is a pedal-to-the-metal, no nonsense track that has a dirty rolling bass groove and oozes energy throughout. It’s set for release on the 19th Feb and is the final release before the main event.
On their new album, the Gents added:
“The writing of ‘Down To Earth’ coincided with a time not only of international existential crisis, but also of our own personal realisation that the future for live music – the main platform and ultimately life force of GDC – was up in the air. We decided that ‘Down To Earth’ should be a snapshot of that point in time, where everyone was able (for better or worse) to reflect on their role in the world around them and consider the past, present and future inside the vacuum of lockdown. While it’s a deeply personal album, the themes and sentiments on the album are universal, and point towards a future that values love and understanding over conflict and hate.”
The 29th January saw the announcement of the full album release, 10 tracks of inexplicably smooth dub, reggae, ska, jazz and electronica. ‘Down To Earth’ is a seriously impressive journey through different eras of the genres that they hold dear. No stone is left unturned as the origins of dub are revisited, reinvented and reinstated in this production masterclass.
‘Down To Earth’ tracklist:
Castle In The Sky
Down To Earth
Honey (feat. Hollie Cook)
Sunshine Revolution
Moonlight Dreams
Night Shift (feat. Gardna)
More Than Memories
Sugar Rush
Smile
Last Chance
GDC’s Down To Earth tour is also on sale now, visiting 12 cities and towns across the UK in 2022 with special guest Kiko Bun.
Armed with 7 studio albums and multiple single releases, Gentleman’s Dub Club haven’t taken their foot off the gas since starting out in 2006. Their relentless touring and onslaught of music has resulted in them playing to tens of thousands of people at a time. Without a doubt festival favourites, their explosive live shows are a gnarly experience of controlled chaos that have taken them from headlining tours to supporting reggae giants UB40 across UK arenas. They’re supported by some of the biggest names in the business including David Rodigan, Don Letts and Steve Lamacq too, and often receive mainstream radio support. There’s a reason why every show receives a sell-out performance, and why they’ve played such a huge part in the modern reggae revolution, it’s because they love what they do to the moon and back ‘Down To Earth’ – who wants to get involved?
