Founded in May 2011 Dub Addiction reinvented the Cambodian music with it’s unique fusion of classic Reggae Dub riddims with Cambodian vocals sung by MC Curly, Dj Khla and additional female Khmer singers. Responsible for the typical Dub remix sounds is Professor Kinski aka Jan Mueller, based in Cambodia for 11 years. The German music producer has been working with MC Curly for 6 years on his own Khmer Hip Hop music.
After having had a successful start playing in Phnom Penhs local music clubs and festivals like the Kampot River Music Festival, Battambang Friendship Festival Dub Addiction became more international by playing at Denmarks Images Festival and Mad Fyah Reggea Festival in Saigon and is now planning tours to China, around SE Asia and Australia.
Their musical style becomes more electronic Ambient Dub and Dubstep without loosing their human energy (Seb on the bass and Toma on drums are magnificent, the additional eerie background vocals sung by French Jazz singer Khae Lhassan is just mind-blowing). With the appearance of ultra-tight Khmer Ragga singer DJ Khla their direction to pumping up-tempo Dancehall Riddims was paved.
Having done their debut album in 2011 DA has released their first official album „Kampuchea Kingdom Rockers“ released on Metal Postcard Records Hong Kong in 2013. The second album is currently in production, due in 2014.
Dub Addictions main Raggamuffin toaster is called DJ KHA (The Tiger) or inofficially dubbed MR. SUPERTIGHT! Having already been famous for his Raggamuffin tunes in Cambodia he joined DA in late 2011. Without having heard Reggae tunes before or even without knowledge of what that music is about the orphan is the countrys tightest self - taught Ragga MC whose singing flow can easily compete with artist like Cutty Ranks, Sizzla or Anthony B. Never forgetting his Khmer roots, DJ Khla is toasting about the countrys pride of their Khmer heritage, modern develpopement and everything which can be positively highlighted in the country after the end of the civil war.... He is using metaphors such as fruits to express things which are politically difficult to speak out.
His songs are already big hits for the Cambodian youth.
In early 2013 the Dub Addiction Crew has collaborated with Raggamuffin artists from Nigeria, France, Switzerland and Germany create the side project Raggamuffin Hip Hop album DUB ADDICTION COLLECTIVE – CAMBODIA.... 10 original tunes with MC Sistaya (CH), Phil Milkyway (Ger), Ras Simmons (FR), Okoro Elias Jefferson (NG) in addition to Prof. Kinski and DJ Khla. This album goes from Roots Reggea over Dub to Hip Hop while never forgetting the typical Dub Addiction vibez. A first single pack is released on Metal Postcard Records, Hong Kong. traclist: 1. Cambodia (full version), 2. From Babylon to Saigon, 3. Cambodia (Dubberman Remix), Cambodia (Radio Edit).
In mid 2013 Jessica Lisha Srin joined the band. Lisha is mashing up the Cambodian Hip Hop scene for many years already with her KlapYaHandz Hip Hop Collective. With her appearance Dub Addictions musical style drifts more into traditional Khmer - , hilltribe -, Ragga – Hip Hop and Khmer Surin Dub sounds. Lisha will be featured on the next upcoming album.
Professor Kinski: I'm producing music for 15 years, my interests have always been Dub, Funky and Jungle beats and Raggamuffin. But most of the time I'm working alone in my studio for weeks, so performing with a team of 7 people live on stage is what music is about. Big Fun!
DA is Cambodias first Ragga Dub Band, so what we're doing is a kind of pioneers work...b new cool fusions and underground movements to the country's youth. The DA musicians are all very skilled and have good vibes. Bass player Seb Adnot was playing Reggae bass with Jamaican artis for many years and is Phnom Penhs godfather of bass, female singer Kae Lhassan aka Sylvie Izzo is one of France's best Jazz singers, and drummer Thoma Willen has stage experience for 17 years.
We collaborate with popular Khmer Raggamuffin singer DJ Khla together whose Khmer Ragga songs Rambo and YoYo YaYa are already in everybody's heads in Cambodia. It's a big pleasure to work together with so many local and French artists who share my style enthusiasm for music.
And the most important thing: It's just cool to modulate guitars, drums, keyboards and vocals with cool delay and flanger effects which give the already groovey sound fo DA an even more remarkable signature.
Cambodia is a country with an exciting musical past (old Khmer Rock, Sinsi Samouth, Rua Sorey Sothea etc, all killed by the Khmer Rouge)
When I arrived in Cambodia in 2002, sais Professor Kinski aka Jan Mueller, there was nothing at all left except cheesy Karaoke. Hearing those beautiful voices and melodies gave me the inspiration to use those old styles and create an new fusion groove out of it with western, Electro, Big Beat and Dub influences. The Cambodian roughness in those days was very exciting and gave me the idea to let my music sound more dirty and raw than the common Khmer Pop.
Music like that, if it is DA Dub Khmer fusion or my Cambodian Space Project Remixes, a 1 hour Electro Tech House, Funk Dance Mix with Khmer Rap, old classics and new original lyrics has never bevor being heard in this country. So, It is sth. absolutely new for Cambodian ears.
Phnom Penhs music scene is growing very fast. After years of just having expat classic rock cover bands, the variaty of styles increases a lot. The scene is still very small, so you are immeadeately part of nice creative family. Not just foreigners develop their styles and skills, also the Khmer music scene is growing with the appearance of Emo Rock Bands like Cartoon Emo or Animation, Deathcore and Punk bands like Stliten6 or Antifate, Hip Hop like Klap Ya Handz / Tiny Toons etc... Everybody has his own style: CSP: psychedelic Rock, Grass Snake union: Bluegrass, Teaner Turners: Indie Rock, Dub Addiction: Dub, Ragga and Professor Kinski rules the electronic Funk area and can collaborate with many artists, remixing their original songs in his own unique electro dub big beat style....
DA loves you!
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