JJ Formosa Reviews 'Global Warning' 28th August 2005 on Tune In Magazine
A Virtuous Awakening
JJ Formosa
Less than a year after their self-titled debut EP, Dripht have recoiled to the local alternative music scene with another EP, entitled ‘Global Warning’ – displaying five cuts of bouncy rhythms, exposed through their socio-political conscientious minds.
Recorded at Temple Studios and released under Reciprocal Records, the quartet have again proved themselves to be musically fiery and idealistic, charged with righteous lyrics which front the monarchy and aristocracy of today.
Current single, ‘Rocking to Resist’ kick-starts the EP with rattling drums, deep and plucky bass lines, jagged and springy rhythms and a welcoming, catchy chorus – which instantly embraces the likes of The Clash, but tugs at your heart strings, making you want to bounce all over that dance floor!
Both ‘Guy on TV’ and ‘Dance Music for Depression’ bestow stroking tunes over choppy guitars, galloping drums and jabbing choruses through Ska and Two-Tone rhythms, seeping again to the late Joe Strummer and other 70s, 80s UK bands, such as The Selecter, The Specials and (early) Madness.
Originally entitled ‘Dance Music for the 80s Depression’, it is notable to say that the band decided to cover this renowned song off The Rifffs and have succeeded in manifesting it as a snappy song, fuelled by Ska rhythms.
‘Old Times gone Astray’ and ‘Ecoloclast’ portray a more rocky edge. The former exhibits plucking Brit. rock guitar riffs, hustling bass lines, drum breaks and instrumentation punches whilst the latter ends the album in a robust manner, with outbreaks of loud choruses, entangled within the prickly guitars and solid drum thudding.
“We are pleased with the production of ‘Global Warning’.
The sound is big and loud, and reflects the band’s energetic live
approach. At the same time, the recording is more sophisticated than Dripht
on stage due to additional guitar licks, layers of backing vocals and
rhythmic groove in sync with the click track! Hats off to David Vella
for reaching a synthesis between the studio and live feel.
We think this EP defines Dripht as we are now – all of us contributed considerably and more or less equally to the song writing. Since our first EP, the line up has changed and our new guitarist has brought over his own influence to the band. It’s still very Ska, and it’s still very Rock n’ Roll... ‘Ska n’ Roll’ - if we may, but at the end... the essence of the band is still all in place.
‘Rocking to Resist’ is the first single, and we have plans to release more from this EP, we’ll just have to wait and see how it all turns out.
Recording another EP was the obvious way forward for us. We wanted to record more tracks and release them. At the same time we wanted the whole project to be sustainable. From my (Mike) past experience with Norm Rejection and Filletti & Friends, I don’t think that releasing albums as an unsigned band is the most viable road to follow. As regards future recordings, there are various options, depending on the context in which the band will be operating.
As a band, Dripht has its aspirations. The band aims to tour, get signed and release full length-albums with a record label. From our point of view, what counts, is that we keep rocking and having a good time, while expressing ourselves to the full and with no inhibitions.
We are hopeful for a record deal, and I’m sure that if we keep our heads together and hit the right chords we’ll get there,” Mike Brigulio and Daniel El Flambo Cassar commented.
‘Global Warning’ is clearly a striking attainment for the
band, and surely a notable addition to our local music arena. The sound
on the new EP is brimful - more abundant, in your face and far-reaching
through the various styles of music they manage to incorporate –
not to forget a number of recent engaging and powerful live performances
in which they burned down the house with their rock n’ roll attitude.
The way I see it? - They’re here to stay!