Music / Previews
Preview: Roger Robinson, The Black Swan
Largely overlooked in the end-of-year ‘best of’ lists, Roger Robinson’s Dis Side Ah Town was undoubtedly one of 2015’s finest albums. Reflecting on life in Brixton at the time of the 2011 London riots, it’s the work of a poet and vocalist best known to music fans as the frontman of King Midas Sound. While his lyrics for that group focus on the personal – love, fear, alienation – Dis Side Ah Town sees him take a more journalistic approach.
Whether reflecting on Brixton’s people – “their angels in Adidas tracksuits…their hipster, their thuggish…their street corner preachers shouting on mics” – or the ancient river flowing beneath the South London streets, Robinson documents the sights, sounds and character of a place he knows intimately. The result is one of those rare albums – like PJ Harvey’s Mercury-winning Let England Shake perhaps – whose lyrics are cohesive enough to stand alone. “Nobody was selling, no-one buying, they just a-walk up an’ down like zombies”, Robinson’s narrator observes on the eve of the riots. “All the cars were driving real, real slow – like everyone was waiting on a signal.”
is needed now More than ever
It’s not just about the words though. Robinson’s vocals – which switch between an ominous spoken word baritone and plaintive falsetto – are always arresting, and his reggae-rooted songs are given depth and colour by the vivid dub treatments of disrupt, the album’s German producer. This Black Swan show sees them perform together for the first time since the album’s release. With the Jahtari soundsystem in full effect, expect total immersion in language and sound.
Roger Robinson plays Love of Dub at The Black Swan, Friday, February 12. For more information visit rogerrobinsononline.com
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