Dry & Heavy deliver a masterclass in the architecture of space. Their sound is built on the foundational bedrock of the 'Dry' drums and 'Heavy' bass, creating a massive, physical presence that feels both ancient and futuristic. It is music that breathes through its echoes, where the silence between notes is just as important as the notes themselves.
What sets them apart is their fanatical devotion to the analog techniques of the 1970s Jamaican pioneers like King Tubby and Lee 'Scratch' Perry. They don't just mimic the style; they inhabit the methodology, using the mixing desk as a primary instrument to smear vocals into ghostly trails and launch snare hits into infinite canyons of spring reverb. The result is a lush, murky texture that feels like being submerged in warm, vibrating water.
Start with 'Full Contact' to hear the band at their peak of international recognition. It perfectly balances the soulful, ethereal vocals of Likkle Mai with the crushing weight of the rhythm section. It is the ideal gateway for anyone who wants to hear how the spirit of 70s Kingston was perfectly preserved and evolved in 90s Tokyo.
Dry & Heavy is a Japanese reggae and dub band, formed in 1991 by drummer Shigemoto Nanao (Dry) and bass player Takeshi Akimoto (Heavy). Their names come from the Burning Spear album of the same name. The line-up which recorded the album Dry & Heavy came together in 1995, with Naoki Uchida on dub controls, Mitsuhiro Toike on keyboards, Kei Horiguchi on guitar, and the vocal duo of Likkle Mai and Ao Inoue. They were influenced by the 1970s Jamaican dub sound of King Tubby, Lee Perry and others. In 2001, during Fuji Rock (Japan's largest music festival) founding member Takeshi Akimoto (Heavy) announced he was leaving the group, Audio Active's current bassist Pata, stepped in to fill the void. Takeshi Akimoto was the former bassist for Audio Active, and Shigemoto Nanao the former drummer of the same band. As well as appearances at every major Japanese rock and reggae music festival, the band have enjoyed success with their own headline dates in the United Kingdom, France and Switzerland. Concert dates include the Reading and the Hanover based Womad Festivals, and guest appearances in Germany with Asian Dub Foundation and Buju Banton. They also played in Hong Kong with Primal Scream and Adrian Sherwood, and created their own Japanese dubfest, Echomaniacs. This has featured Adrian Sherwood, Andrew Weatherall, Dennis Bovell and 3 Head, and Dry & Heavy have played in concert with Lee Perry, Horace Andy, Jah Shaka and Mad Professor. In 2015 they released a new studio album In Time and the band continues to tour.
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