Dripht’s bold return

Assertive as ever, Dripht are back with more social messages and musical
diversity.

Dripht are arguably one of the most socially, and politically-charged bands to ever emerge in our local scene. Whether one agrees or disagrees with their viewpoints, this band is quite assertive in what it does and what it doesn't do. Their latest EP entitled Global Warning, is an odd mixture of pointed and less pointed songs. One may perhaps accuse them of compromising their unique style, a mixture of punk, ska and even gritty rock music, which has gone a bit mellower but nonetheless remains cutting-edge. Mike however,
emphasised that Dripht’s sound and songwriting has remained louder and more aggressive, thus reflecting the two complimentary sides of the band. “I
think that producer David Vella deserves a lot of credit for this, as he captured our feel in a perfect way.” The band’s socio-political stand has remained steadfast nonetheless.

Global Warning features five songs, namely the punky reggae ‘Rocking to Resist’, an interpretation of The Rifffs ‘Dance Music for The 80s Depression’, ‘Guy On TV’, ‘Old Times Gone Astray’ and ‘Ecoclast’, all of which are emphatic statements in themselves. ‘Rocking To Resist’ showcases the band's musical and social philosophy, which is full of rebellion and yearning for liberation. " We wanted to create Dripht’ s anthem with this song. We believe that art is a hammer with which we can help shape the world (with apologies to Brecht!)", added drummer Mike Briguglio. The band feels that it has also become their unofficial anthem and perhaps it is the closest that it gets to their first EP. ‘Dance Music for The 80s Depression’ should come down as a pleasant surprise for those who like myself, lived the song, or those who like Dripht may remember it as a pleasant tune that they may have heard when they were little kids. It should send a very good message to those who weren't even born when this song was released back in 1982.

This time, the song has reggae rather than ska inflexions, but then, the original, simple but propulsive rock sound has been retained. It may sound less effective than when it was originally released but it is a good interpretation nonetheless. Dripht hold this song with high esteem. Bassist Fre (real name Frederick Abdilla) states that this song features lyrics that are relevant in this day and age and guitarist Dan il-Flambu (real name Daniel Cassar) even added that "as a cover we are honoured to have been given the go ahead to work with – the original being quite an inspirational song for us as a band "

But then, I wouldn't be surprised if Dripht's very own tongue-in-cheek ‘Guy On TV’ becomes a classic hit in its own right. "The song fuses a strident ska beat with a heavy rock shuffle and essentially draws on the individual members' diverse musical backgrounds", added Mike Briguglio who alongside with other band members simply cannot tolerate any more TV commmercialisation and virtualisation where little space is given to autonomous and alternative voices of liberation. Fre added that "the media has been portraying a very different view from reality, brainwashing the people to buy, buy, and buy. Currently you can hear it on the local radio, I guess."

The other two songs are Dripht's attempts at sounding more subtle and more alternative and leftfield. "Old Times Gone Astray features lyrics that deal more with personal situations, and can be interpreted differently by people with their own personal experiences, just like Acid Fight which was featured on our debut EP.

The song indeed has strayed considerably from the band's ska-rock motifs and
although not exactly their most promising song, does point out at a band that is conscious of change, even in its own musical idiom. Ecoloclast is perhaps the band's wittiest song to date. Here, classic-rock inspired solid rhythms and alternative sounding guitars reminiscent of The Pixies underline Blur-esque melodies and Faith No More-esque choruses.

On Global Warning, Dripht have issued their most far-reaching statement on the state of the environment at a time when Arctic glaciers are receding at alarming rates, as global warming keeps going steadily. "The lyrics are very topical in this day and age of tsunamis and hurricanes. Global Warning is knocking at our door, promising to bring with it catastrophic consequences and yet we are doing to little to stop it. Will this be the end?", added a much-concerned Fre. When some 24 years ago, I asked the late iconic rock DJ
Tommy Vance about his opinion on hard-core punk, he was quite appreciative
of their stand, despite their abrasive, harsh sound. "Their nihilistic approach could be interpreted as being not just mere yearning for anarchy, but also the fact that nuclear proliferation in a (then) tense Cold War between the USA and the USSR could mean that this world can simply cease to exist!" Then, we did not know about global warming and the ozone hole and its attendant negative effects caused by ultraviolet ray penetration. Chances are that Tommy Vance would have taken Dripht’s new EP very favourably given his tastes.

Tonight, Dripht shall be back on stage with a live performance during the Reclaim the World 3 activity, which is organised by Moviment Graffitti, and which shall also feature a three other rock acts, namely Batteries Not Included, Boys Next Door and Access To. Dripht shall also feature a new song
entitled Overthrow!

More information on Dripht can be obtained online at www.dripht.com and
www.reciprocalrecords.com