Twenty years after his first appearance on the label, moody, dub-tech vibes abound on ‘Wicked People’, the new Worship Recordings release by Grant Dell.
First joining the Worship Recordings roster in 2003 with his ‘Touch Dub’ EP, London producer Grant Dell has had over 50 releases under various monikers, including Uhuru Beats, Croydon Punks Ltd, Masonic Noodles and the Chicago Transit Authority. His first release as Tribalation on Loaded Records was licensed on to Strictly Rhythm, and the rest is dance music history. As well as the obvious Chicago House and Detroit Techno influences, Grant’s eclectic tastes range from Basic Channel to Barrington Levy, and it’s the latter lineage that runs most potently through ‘Wicked People’.
With flawless sonics and a powerful vocal performance by Jamaican DJ Tennant, ‘Wicked People’ fits perfectly alongside the moody dub-house sounds that Worship Recordings has pioneered and developed over the past two decades.
Grant Dell: «the story began when I sent a rough take of the rhythm track to Delton Screechie in Jamaica, to voice a song on. DJ Tennant was in the studio that day and started vibing while the track was playing and the result was the ‘Wicked People’ chant. It’s more of a spoken word vibe than a full on toast but it worked well with the groove, which was leaning more towards a House rhythm. Delton sent me the parts back and I created the rest of the track, adding the wobbly acid line and built up more drum parts and effects. Rob from Worship reached out a few months back wanting to do a 20 year follow up to my ‘Touch Dub’ release, and I thought this would fit nicely, as it builds that bridge between House, Dub & Reggae that I love so much and Worship are known for… Enjoy & JAH BLESS»
Rob Paine: «I think Grant sent a demo to the label back in 2002 – we loved it and put it out in May of 2003. We remained pen pals. Sometimes a few years would go in between communication, but we always managed to link up once again. Usually through the love of reggae music. I always wanted another release from him for Worship. The universe brought us together at the right time, and I think this one is going to rank high in the underground.»
