LB 04. DOJO CUTS ‘Ain’t got no reason’/‘Uptight’ (Last Bastion Records).
The ‘Last Bastion Records’ journey continues with our fourth limited (to 300) vinyl 45 release. It’s different again from the previous three, this time capturing a unique take on ‘soul’ from Australia’s finest purveyors, DOJO CUTS, fronted by the reclusive and enigmatic, Roxie Ray.
Following on from DOJO CUTS two critically acclaimed & sold out LPs now comes as first time on 45, ‘Ain’t got no reason’ and ‘Uptight’.
(Ain’t got no reason’ is previously unreleased. ‘Uptight’ had a solitary release on DOJO CUTS 2009 self titled LP which commands in excess of £400 on the re sale market).
‘AIN’T GOT NO REASON’ It’s haunting, it’s atmospheric with the band digging deep into the core of soul and funk to assemble the perfect delivery vehicle for Roxie’s vocals with the tiny but mighty gaps between the perfectly placed notes echoing the essence that Otis Redding, Nina Simone and Al Green were tapping into decades ago. Roxie’s voice resonates profoundly - its intoxicating and hypnotic right from the first listen. Her tones are filled with the sounds of heartache, the feeling of butterflies in the stomach when meeting your first love, they touch at the bare bones of the human experience.
‘UPTIGHT’ By contrast, on the flip side there’s the pounding and captivating garage soul rawness - shades of the Velvet Underground perhaps and provokingly closer to a 1976 VU ‘Cafe Bizarre’ residency performance (which included soul covers) than Stevie Wonders’- yet loses none of its ‘soul’ and uptempo Northern Soul dance floor attraction.
On both sides you’ve got the very same infectious ‘imperfections’ and contextual vibe which are further enhanced through DOJO CUTS use of Grampian dynamic microphones and Goldentone amps being the very same that would have been used by soul artistes in recording studios in the 1960s.
Put this all together and refreshingly this 45 refuses to be pigeonholed as there’s none of the silly stuff that says it’s “retro” or “revivalist”. It’s succinct. It’s vibrant. It’s accessible. It’s timeless. It’s garage soul soul soul!
Legendary NYC producer Gabriel Roth (The Dap-Kings / Amy Winehouse / Daptone Records) and Neal Sugarman (The Dap-Kings / Sugarman 3 / Daptone Records) have declared themselves fans of the band with Roth writing the liner notes of the debut album, so you sort of know this 45 is destined to make an impact with all who listen (and dance) to.
