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ISSUE #59
Feb
'04
Zim Zim
by Billy Boyo was recorded in
1983, but not released until 2002. Yet, this CD/LP ROCKS! SMOKES! JAMS!
And simply, as put
by Billy Boyo himself, this is:
“the Baddest DJ LP.” No shit.
In 1983 Silver
Camel Music was running the show as far as
Reggae, Dub, Dance Hall and Showcase, Sinjay, and Ridim trax, styles
that were
encompassing the Jamaican music scene emanating out of England in that
era. These styles
reached far and had an immediate effect on other music of the time,
most notably (through
this reviewer’s ears) The Clash (witness: Justice
Tonight/Kick It Over, Bank
Robber/Robber Dub, Rockers Galore/UK Tour, and many others) and (of
course) Big Audio
Dynamite (the 1st two LPs). But, except for the
commercial appeal of Bob and
Ziggy Marley, throw in Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff and a few others, the
Jamaican scene never
caught fire in the mainstream. Maybe if Silver Camel
hadn’t stopped
operations shortly after Zim Zim was
recorded it might have been
different, maybe not. But while artists such as Yellowman, Mickey
Dread, and others have
succeeded in their reggae music careers, the recognition deserved has
remained hidden from
wide spread public view, especially in America.
In 2002, Silver
Camel Music, formerly of London, England
reestablished itself in Stamford, CT USA as Silver Kamel
Audio (SKA).
Since then it has set about the task of returning the classic,
timeless, Jamaican music
scene back to the listening public who knows and appreciates the long
lasting effects of
this unjustly covert (and coveted) style. (I could go on a whole tirade
here about the
effects of Dub, Ridim, Dancehall, Showcase, and Sinjay on the
contemporary Rap and Hip Hop
scene, but with my limited knowledge of both I might come up against an
argument from
those more proficiently versed than I. Needless to say, this Rocker can
find much
redeeming value of the Jamaican scene within what is sold to the
general public as Rap and
Hip Hop nowadays).
One of the first
releases from
the new Silver Kamel Audio
label was that long lost recording of Zim Zim
by Billy Boyo.
Sadly posthumous, this collection of Sinjay (DJ sing-rapping over
dubbed ridim tracks)
stylee music shows the promise of a bright future for a teenager just
starting out in the
music biz. Adding to the interest is the layout of the tracks. Each of
the 6 vocal tracks
are followed by their respective dub track – Think of it as
the A side followed by
the B side (After all, the 12” single/EP was the way back in
the day) – And it
is here that we see the genius of Billy Boyo
at work both behind the mic
and at the boards.
These dub tracks that
immediately follow each “song”/vocal track
are maybe one of the most enjoyable parts of this CD. For, it is here
we get the extra
“B” side(s) that in the past only the true hardcore
fans would flip the vinyl to
listen to. Those that are aware of the now common practice of the
“remix” should
delight in gaining the “Bonus” material without
having to shell out a few more
bucks for it. Still in it’s infancy (and before the
commercial acceptance of it), the
dub track was a staple of the Jamaican sound. Practiced by all the
artists, it generally
consisted of the studio manipulation of the ridim track originally used
for the
“A” side song that was recorded. This method also
encompassed the Dancehall and
Showcase styles that populated the vinyl and clubs that thrived upon
the scene.
Opening with “Jamaica Nice,”
Billy Boyo immediately
thrusts
us into the rhythmic jammin’ of the
unmistakable Jamaican reggae sound, but this sound has a bit of a
different edge. This
isn’t tourist sitting on the white sands sipping rum drinks
out of coconuts while
enjoying the island sounds and ganja. This is club culture, this is
edgier, this is Bling
before Bling Bling, this is slap the vinyl on the turn table without
scratching, ride the
ridim, and lay down some of the most cool, fun, and infectious vocal
raps this side of the
past two decades.
The title track
“Zim
Zim” will send you
cruising in a laid back beat that floats the
rhymes out onto a dance floor with a slow cooked perfection and
“we are
superduper.” Utilizing a wide array of percussion
that simmers, boils, and pops
just under the surface we drift on the rhythm with a soothing bob.
“Dreadlocks
Party” follows the same lead, while
pumping the vocals and the vocal
f/x even more up front of the unassuming, yet intense bass lines.
But it’s
“Every
Mockell Tell”
that exposes Billy Boyo right down to his
heart and soul. Again, this
song is set to an intense and infectious bass line that slices under
the skin while Billy
extols his sinjay style and how he could walk away from the mic without
any hesitation
(which he ultimately did without explanation). And when he breaks it
down into a nonsense
rap that just slams it home, you know that the world lost an amazing
artist not once (when
he stopped recording), but twice (when he succumbed to a brain tumor in
2000 at the early
age of 31).
Silver
Camel
Music recorded Zim Zim by Billy
Boyo in 1983 at the height of England’s reggae
movement, but it was never
released.
Now Silver
Kamel Audio gives us Zim Zim
some 20 years later and guess what?
THIS IS:
“the Baddest DJ LP.”
Just go to the record
shop and
get a copy…
Zim Zim
by Billy
Boyo
a Silver Kamel Audio release
is available now for: $12.98 + s/h*
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