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iLLBiLLY HiTEC's electronic tinkerings and styles have carved a swathe straight through the middle ground of the "sophisticated" modern reggae prevalent on the German scene. Their intoxicating sound sketches borrow from reggae and introduce elements of breakbeat, hip hop, and pop for masterful club dub. Reggae Not Dead is iLLBiLLY HiTEC's follow-up to their 2013 debut, Reggaeetronics (EB 092CD), and follows lengthy tours with hundreds of shows in Europe and Latin America. While Reggaetronics celebrated a fusion of reggae with electronic elements, this time the Berlin-based band focuses on old-style reggae interpreted for the modern age, conjuring up a varied mix of roots, digital, hip hop, and dub. Singers Longfingah and Tribuman, who also joined the band on tour, feature on the album, as does an international cast consisting of Paco Mendoza, Lengualerta, Daman, Kinetical, Cheshire Cat, La Yugular, and Sonido Satanás, who round off the album with their English, Spanish, French, and Patois lyrics. As a bonus there are four remixes by JStar, Zion Train, Krak in Dub, and Fleck, as well as a riddim selection with versions by Don Caramelo (Raggabund), Lengualerta, Benjie, and The Hempolics from London. With 19 tracks in all, the album proves that reggae from Germany is anything but dead.
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