Rebels with a cause

LOCAL BAND Dripht have re-emerged with their second EP Global Warning, less than a year since launching their first. In Global Warning rock still meets rebellion, giving listeners something different that is straightforward and with a vibrant upbeat feel to it.

Since their self-entitled debut recording, the band has undergone a line-up change re-placing previous guitarist Patrick Galea with Daniel Cassar. "Daniel plays differently from Patrick. His sound is heavier and more alternative," Michael Briguglio (drums) explained while speaking to The Sunday Times. "Our style remained the same but be-cause of this new element, our music is louder and fuller in a way," he added.

Picture a concoction of alternative, reggae, funk, hip hop and tempo, intermingled with expressive lyrics promoting social justice, environment friendly conditions and freedom. The creativity in their style and skills should most definitely be appreciated as well as the clear music chemistry that the members have between them. With their latest production, the band has really proved that moving away from the music norm and experimenting with different styles and sounds can be exceptional and invigorat-ing, attracting a large and diverse audience.

The EP opens with the band anthem entitled Rockin' to Resist, which is a repertoire of strong guitar sounds, energetic melodic bass lines and funky vocals, explaining what Dripht is really all about. It opens by giving the audience an exact description of what the band aims to do – create "a massive noise of resistance." "This is a sort of band anthem. We take part in a lot of peace marches and protests and we wanted a song representing what we are and which people could also relate to," Michael said. Influ-enced by bands such as The Hives, The Strokes and Foo Fighters, Dripht also includes elements from metal and classic rock groups when producing their own material. In-fluences from Rage Against the Machine can also been seen at times especially in the drum sequences.

"I think we have a unique style with a mixture of reggae and funk. It is also accessible and not underground and this can be seen by the fact that our songs are played on the radio stations," Nick Morales (guitar and vocals) said. "We all come from similar music backgrounds but our music is a mixture of styles making it more accessible," Michael added. Rockin' to Resist has just been released, getting substantial airplay on the radio stations and already climbing the charts "It's style is a continuation of Mark Barnsley and we decided to release this track since it is radio friendly and represents who we are," Michael said.

The protest element continues in Dance Music for Depression a cover version of Riff's Dance for 80s Depression. The lyrics by Ray Mercieca, talk about the depress-ing state of unemployment and rioting in modern society. This song has more of a reggae feel than the others, opening with profound drums and progressing warm and slick guitar sounds. Hearing this song, which is both powerful and melodic at the same time and fused with Nick's expressive, soulful vocals, encourages you to sing along with it.

This second EP shows that the group has developed and matured in both it music and technique, giving listeners a realistic snap-shot of what they sound like, rather than giving a polished version of their live performances as they had done in their previous EP. "This time we are giving our listeners more songs, with a recording that repre-sents us more as a band and how we sound live," Michael said. As the EP progresses, the music moves on towards the alternative side blending pulsating guitar ryrthms with punk and of course reggae, which is the clear streak and indication of the band's identity. This can be seen in Guy on TV, which has a grand chorus and a shuffled rhythm of blues, opening with a sharp drum sequence. This song which shows off Nick's talent as a singer discusses the virtual element of televi-sion which gives people a portrait of how they should be when in reality there is the need for freedom justice, peace and individuality.

My favourite song in the EP is Old Times Gone Astray which is heavier than the other tracks with a raunchy, energetic and powerful build up as it expresses one's feelings when recalling the past and seeing the differences in oneself and the surroundings. The guitars and drums here are fantastic keeping the strong rock element alive but at that same time still keeping that melodic feature throughout. Ecoloclast which reflects the group's co-operation and dedication in song-writing has an interesting music structure bending more to the classic rock side as it discusses the problems in today's environment such as air pollution and the materialistic ways of mankind. "Plastic fantastic, I'm becoming iconoclastic." This song also has a heavier feel to it especially towards the end as it expresses anger at those who take advantage of nature and what it has to give. "We are happy to express ourselves the way we do," Michael said. "Ecoloclast was something new and experimental and has a good build up and interesting rhythm," he added.

When working on new material, it is important for all members to enjoy playing what they have produced and for the crowd to enjoy themselves during live performances. "It is important to give energy," Frederick Abdilla (bass and backing vocals) insisted. "The bottom line is for people to enjoy themselves and to create an atmosphere," he added. "Communication between the band and the audience is also very important. We believe that the band and the crowd are united so we try to involve the public when playing on stage," Michael said. "When we perform we always see people who are into the punk and alternative scenes. However our songs are also accessible to the mainstream listener and we always get to see new faces during our gigs, which is great."

Although the band has won the hearts of the public the members are committed to-wards striving to improve and achieve more. "Enjoying the music we play is almost enough for us and it is satisfying to see what we have achieved. However we always have try to gain more as the band will decline. When I joined the band I was already a member of two other bands, which were established. However I enjoyed it so much that I left the other two and Dripht became the most important thing," Michael said.

With regards to local talent all members agreed that there is a lot of potential and that during the past few years there has been a great improvement in the different styles of music. "I remember the scene in the 80s and technically speaking there has been a lot of improvement since then. Even young bands really surprise you today. The market, however, is small in Malta and at times the alternative and underground scenes are not supported enough," Michael said. Dripht is currently working on new material and is trying to promote its music in the hope of performing abroad sometime in the future. Having already achieved positive feedback from their latest release there is a strong collective feeling between them which can be seen in their work, which is professional and also most certainly enjoyable for all followers of music. So, whatever your tastes, be sure to listen to this latest contribution towards the local scene as you will not be disappointed!