After their debut album “No Bam Bam“, JOHNNY REGGAE RUB FUNDATION from Cologne follow up with the limited 7" vinyl single “This is Ska“.
They also provided the soundtrack for the 22nd “This is Ska“ festival at the Wasserburg in Rosslau in Dessau-Rosslau on the Elbe in Saxony-Anhalt. The “This is Ska“ festival is one of the most important and, by now, one of the most venerable Ska festivals in Germany. Now with its own soundtrack.
“This is Ska“ is a groovy, very danceable song that pays homage to the old-school Ska. It’s not fast Ska or even Ska-Punk, but rather a relaxed, fluffy sound, driven by organ, perfectly tuned drums, and two-part vocals. It fits perfectly on a summer day to move your body in a relaxed manner. Indeed, the perfect soundtrack for the “This is Ska“ festival, but not just for that, rather for every summer.
If one didn’t know that the song has just been released, one might think it was a hidden gem from the good old days.
On the B-side, there’s “Oi Oi Oi“. However, it sounds much more relaxed from the trio from the cathedral city than one would expect from the music style Oi.
The melody is catchy, with earworm character, again driven by organ and the already mentioned perfectly played drums. This time, the main vocals are provided by Chrissy Reggae, who gives the whole song a feminine, almost childishly naive touch. However, it sounds quite sympathetic and not like some Ska-pop girly singing, but rather like a grown-up sound that is delivered with more than just a smile on the face (and surely brings a smile to the listener's face as well).
Just two songs, but these two songs underline the exceptional status that the Cologne band has created with their debut album “No Bam Bam“.
