Addis Through the Looking GlassReal World ****

In 2006 Nick Page (Dubulah), musician and producer with Transglobal Underground and other genre-bending outfits, journeyed to Addis Ababa and found musical talents flourishing again after the long cruel years of Mengistu Haile Mariam's cultural shutdown. Dub Colossus' first album successfully pitched these singers and players into Dubulah's dub soundscapes, and now the second outing brings the collaboration to a richer fruition. Jazz-dub grooves, brassy funk, raspy one-string violin, classic reggae, and those extraordinary wayward Ethiopique vocals make for acompelling a fusion of styles. Guragignais a hurtling dancefloor express, Wehgenea soulful rocksteady, and Uptown Top Rankingan Ethiopian remake of the Althea Donna belter. Add in impassioned chants and stirring ballads and there's something for everyone. See realworldrecords/dub colossus

Download tracks: Guragigna, Uptown Top Ranking, Yeh Shimbraw Tir Tir