KMFDM - IN DUB (2020) [Hi-Res]

KMFDM, commonly regarded as one of the driving forces in what we generally term industrial/rock since their formation in 1984, the band has been so much more, incorporating elements of so many musical styles to result in what they themselves refer to as the Ultra Heavy Beat. The 2019 release of PARADISE was a bold statement on the precarious state of the world, with the heaviest infusion of funk and dub sounds the band has exhibited since such landmark albums as 1988’s UAIOE and 1990’s NAÏVE.

Now in 2020, KMFDM takes this to the next level with IN DUB, reinterpreting a selection of the group’s best known songs of their over three-and-a-half decades spanning career into a blistering display of chilled out grooves and spaced out atmospheres. With a long history of addressing political issues and encouraging social revolution, it is fitting that Sascha “Käpt’n K” Konietzko should reach back to some of KMFDM’s earliest roots in dub music and present a fresh take on what it truly means to “Rip the System!”

“Everything old is new again,” sings Lucia Cifarelli on “Real Dub Thing,” and so perfectly defines the power of IN DUB. Mosh pit anthems are reimagined into a bevy of meditative grooves laden with strident horns, shrill organs, and slithering bass lines as on “A Dub Against War,” “Hau Dub,” and the opening “Dub Light.” Andrew “Ocelot” Lindsley’s incendiary rapping on “K•M•F Dub” and Cifarelli’s vicious and vivacious vocals shine brightly on tracks like “Superhero Dub,” “Amnesia Dub,” and especially on the in-your-face electrified sonic assault of “Rebelz Dub.” Throughout the album, Andee Blacksugar’s accompanying guitar textures and angular solos add that extra dash of audio intrigue, making for one of KMFDM’s most unique outings.

As the world is held by the tightening grips of pandemic and sociopolitical upheaval, IN DUB proves that KMFDM remains as powerful a voice for revolution as ever. Angry yet hopeful, tranquil yet energetic, IN DUB is by no means a mere remix album – this is KMFDM looking back to its original inspirations to make a pure and honest statement that the world no longer need be a paradise for assholes.

“Dub and reggae music has been one of the greatest and most constant musical influence to me, I have been nurturing the idea of making this album for so many years… and here we go !” - Käpt’n K
Written by Ilker Yücel / ReGenMag