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Ticklah vs. Axelrod

Rate It! Avg: 4.5 (45 ratings)
Ticklah vs. Axelrod album cover
01
Two Face
4:24 $0.99
02
Want Not
4:10
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03
Scratch To Win
3:45 $0.99
04
Mi Sonsito
3:27
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05
Rescue Me
3:34
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06
Pork Eater
3:36 $0.99
07
Nature Loving Dub
4:51
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08
Descent
3:56 $0.99
09
Si Hecho Palante
4:46
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10
Answer Me
2:59
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11
Queen Dub
3:31
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12
Deception
4:07
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13
Nine Years
3:31 $0.99
Album Information

Total Tracks: 13   Total Length: 50:37

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eMusic Review 0

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Nate Patrin

eMusic Contributor

Nate Patrin’s writing has appeared in several far-flung corners of music critic circles, ranging from Pitchfork to SPIN to the Seattle Weekly and the Minneapoli...more »

03.20.13
Melting-pot eclecticism done right
2007 | Label: Easy Star Records / The Orchard

Victor Axelrod can do it all, or at least everything he feels like doing. As a contributing member of Antibalas, the Dap-Kings, Menahan Street Band and Easy-Star All Stars, he has covered Afrobeat, Latin soul, Southern funk, dub reggae, and any genre he feels like adapting into that already-broad scope. But it’s under the roots-reggae identity Ticklah that he originally made his name, and Ticklah vs. Axelrod is a fine amalgamation of all the styles Axelrod’s got stashed under his hat. There’s some deep dub, naturally — the melodica-soaked “Answer Me” and its sparse, ghostly choir are straight from the Augustus Pablo playbook, and the soaring trombone and canyon-echo cymbals of “Descent” have all the resonance of Vin Gordon traversing through King Tubby’s vast sonic landscapes. But there are also some fitting integrations of dub-compatible sounds, from the sunny ’60s ska-meets-boogaloo vibe of “Mi Sonsito” to the soul-jazz-tinged “Deception.” And it benefits well from a slate of guests that includes sound bwoy-burying roots singer Mikey General and Native Tongues go-to hip-hop vocalist Vinia Mojica. Less a soundclash than a soundmeld, this is melting-pot eclecticism done right.

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chronique de bokson.net

bokson

Si ce nouvel album de Ticklah contient sans conteste de véritables perles, on regrette qu’il demeure dans l’ensemble trop consensuel, et, au final, assez peu audacieux au regard de ce que l’on aurait pu attendre du personnage et de son potentiel énorme. Le producteur de Brooklyn aurait en effet tout intérêt à pousser un peu plus loin le vice de la schizophrénie musicale à l’avenir... Car, en toute honnêteté, il ne manque pas grand-chose pour que Ticklah parvienne une bonne fois pour toutes à clouer le bec aux auditeurs exigeants qui ne demandent qu’à voir éclore un renouveau du roots sous toutes ses formes... www.bokson.net

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Studio 1 meets Fania All-Stars

scientifik

Great vintage sounding production, playing and vibes throughout. Ticklah is on point with his dubs! Plus the blend of latin flavor with reggae takes it someplace different than your typical roots dub record.

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They Say All Music Guide

The title sounds straightforward enough, but it’s not. Ticklah and Victor Axelrod are, in fact, the same person. So whether this is fun, ego, or plain schizophrenia remains to be seen, but on the basis of the music here, fun seems the likely motive. The New York-based producer and member of Antibalas has created his own kind of dub record here. The dub style is recognizable, but there are plenty of twists like “Mi Sonsito,” which is more ska than anything, and his morphing of the Eddie Palmieri classic “Si Hecho Palante” from Latin to reggae. He employs some first-rate vocalists, such as Mayra Vega and Rob Symeonn, while bassist Victor Rice leaves his inimitable prints all over the disc with his solid but imaginative playing. Ticklah himself is subtle in the ways he uses his personality on this disc. His dub is never overwhelming in the older Jamaican style, but more in the touches and ideas, taking the tracks of his real self and loosening the edges. There’s plenty of interesting work going on here. – Chris Nickson

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