Dreadzone
Encyclopedia
Dreadzone are a British
band
whose music
is an eclectic
fusion of dub
, reggae
, techno, folk
and rock
. They have so far produced six studio
album
s and two live album
s.
drummer
, Greg Roberts
, teamed up with Tim Bran, who had previously worked as a musician
and sound engineer
for Julian Cope
. The name Dreadzone was suggested to Roberts and Bran by Don Letts
.
Bran and Roberts were soon joined by bassist
Leo Williams and keyboardist
Dan Donovan
, also formerly of Big Audio Dynamite. The band signed to Creation Records
in 1993 and released their first album 360°. The following year the band signed to Virgin Records
and released their second studio album Second Light
. In the meantime, Dreadzone had become a favourite festival
act and in June that year opened the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival
. During these early years their backing vocalist
s included Melanie Blatt
, Denise van Outen
and Alison Goldfrapp
.
In January 1996, the group had their first and so far only Top 40 hit
in the UK Singles Chart
with "Little Britain", which reached #20. The song
sampled
a line from the 1968 cult
British
film
If.... - "Britain today is a powerhouse of ideas, experiments, imagination".
John Peel
championed Dreadzone on BBC Radio 1
, and cited Second Light as one of his favourite albums of all time. Tracks from Second Light also dominated Peel's Festive Fifty
in 1995, and the band recorded six Peel sessions between 1993 and 2001. In 2000, MC Spee joined as a second vocalist. Between 1998 and 2001 the Dreadzone soundsystem
hosted the Dubweiser club night at Notting Hill
Arts Club. On 26 October 2006, it was announced on the Dreadzone forums that Dreadzone guitarist Steve Roberts, the brother of Greg Roberts had died.
In 2007, the band were joined by new members Chris Compton and Chris Oldfield (DJ
and lighting designer
) and returned to touring. In 2007 and 2008 they played gigs and festival across the UK and Europe, and signed to a new management company in 2008. In 2009, the band released their sixth studio album, Eye on the Horizon
.
In 2011- A new Video was released- produced and Filmed by John C. Massaria of GoodPixel Productions- featuring music by Dreadzone, "A Dream within a Dream" (in Moscow). This video can be viewed on youtube and vimeo with same searchable titles.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
whose music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
is an eclectic
Eclecticism in music
Eclecticism is used to describe a composer's conscious use of styles alien to his nature, or from one or more historical styles. The term is also used pejoratively to describe music whose composer, thought to be lacking originality, appears to have freely drawn on other models .-Sources:* Kennedy,...
fusion of dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, techno, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. They have so far produced six studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s and two live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
s.
Career
Dreadzone formed in 1993 when ex-Big Audio DynamiteBig Audio Dynamite
Big Audio Dynamite are a British musical group formed in 1984 by the ex-guitarist and singer of the Clash, Mick Jones. The group are noted for their effective mixture of varied musical styles, incorporating elements of punk rock, dance music, hip hop, reggae, and funk...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
, Greg Roberts
Greg Roberts (musician)
Greg Roberts is a British rock drummer. He was part of Big Audio Dynamite, who had a No. 11 UK hit single with 'E=MC2', from 1984–1989....
, teamed up with Tim Bran, who had previously worked as a musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and sound engineer
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
for Julian Cope
Julian Cope
Julian Cope is a British rock musician, author, antiquary, musicologist, poet and cultural commentator...
. The name Dreadzone was suggested to Roberts and Bran by Don Letts
Don Letts
Don Letts is a British film director and musician. He is credited as the man who through his DJing at clubs like The Roxy brought together punk and reggae music.-Biography:...
.
Bran and Roberts were soon joined by bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Leo Williams and keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
Dan Donovan
Dan Donovan (keyboardist)
For other people with this name, see Dan Donovan.Daniel "Dan" Donovan is a British keyboardist probably best known for being a member of Big Audio Dynamite. Following a brief stint in 1990 with The Sisters of Mercy he became a founding member of Dreadzone...
, also formerly of Big Audio Dynamite. The band signed to Creation Records
Creation Records
Creation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
in 1993 and released their first album 360°. The following year the band signed to Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
and released their second studio album Second Light
Second Light
Second Light is the second album by the British band Dreadzone. It was released on Virgin Records in 1995...
. In the meantime, Dreadzone had become a favourite festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
act and in June that year opened the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
. During these early years their backing vocalist
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
s included Melanie Blatt
Melanie Blatt
Melanie Ruth Blatt is a singer, actress, television personality and was a member of the multi-million selling girl group All Saints. Following their split she launched a solo career.-Early life:...
, Denise van Outen
Denise van Outen
Denise van Outen is an English actress, singer and television presenter. Her most notable roles to date are as a presenter on The Big Breakfast, and as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago on both the West End and on Broadway.- Early life :Born Denise Kathleen Outen in Basildon, Essex, she is the...
and Alison Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp are an English electronic music duo, formed in 1999 in London, England, that consists of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory ....
.
In January 1996, the group had their first and so far only Top 40 hit
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
with "Little Britain", which reached #20. The song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
a line from the 1968 cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
If.... - "Britain today is a powerhouse of ideas, experiments, imagination".
John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
championed Dreadzone on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, and cited Second Light as one of his favourite albums of all time. Tracks from Second Light also dominated Peel's Festive Fifty
Festive Fifty
The Festive Fifty was originally an annual list of the year's fifty best songs compiled at the end of the year and voted for by listeners to John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show...
in 1995, and the band recorded six Peel sessions between 1993 and 2001. In 2000, MC Spee joined as a second vocalist. Between 1998 and 2001 the Dreadzone soundsystem
Soundsystem
Soundsystem is the fifth studio album by 311, released on October 12, 1999. Soundsystem, which was certified Gold by the RIAA, was the last 311 album on Capricorn Records before the band switched to Volcano Records in 2000...
hosted the Dubweiser club night at Notting Hill
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
Arts Club. On 26 October 2006, it was announced on the Dreadzone forums that Dreadzone guitarist Steve Roberts, the brother of Greg Roberts had died.
In 2007, the band were joined by new members Chris Compton and Chris Oldfield (DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
and lighting designer
Lighting designer
The role of the lighting designer within theatre is to work with the director, choreographer, set designer, costume designer, and sound designer to create an overall 'look' for the show in response to the text, while keeping in mind issues of visibility, safety and cost...
) and returned to touring. In 2007 and 2008 they played gigs and festival across the UK and Europe, and signed to a new management company in 2008. In 2009, the band released their sixth studio album, Eye on the Horizon
Eye on the Horizon
Eye on the Horizon is the sixth studio album by the British band Dreadzone. It was released on 26 April 2010 through Dubwiser records.- Track listing :All tracks written by spencer Graham/ Greg Roberts/ Earl Daley#"Tomorrow Never Comes"#"For A Reason"...
.
In 2011- A new Video was released- produced and Filmed by John C. Massaria of GoodPixel Productions- featuring music by Dreadzone, "A Dream within a Dream" (in Moscow). This video can be viewed on youtube and vimeo with same searchable titles.
Albums
- 360° (1993)
- Performance (1994)
- Second LightSecond LightSecond Light is the second album by the British band Dreadzone. It was released on Virgin Records in 1995...
(#37 UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, 1995) - Biological RadioBiological RadioThe term "Biological Radio" is also used by Russian scientists to mean telepathy.Biological Radio is the third album by the British band Dreadzone, released in 1997 by Virgin Records...
(#45 UK, 1997) - Sound (2001)
- The Radio One Sessions (2001)
- Once Upon a TimeOnce Upon a Time (Dreadzone album)Once Upon a Time is the fifth studio album by British band Dreadzone. It was released in 2005 on Functional Records.-Track listing:#"First Steps " - 0:57#"King Dub Rock" - 5:28#"Once Upon a Time " - 5:31#"Iron Shirt" - 5:02...
(2005) - Live at Sunrise (2006)
- Eye on the HorizonEye on the HorizonEye on the Horizon is the sixth studio album by the British band Dreadzone. It was released on 26 April 2010 through Dubwiser records.- Track listing :All tracks written by spencer Graham/ Greg Roberts/ Earl Daley#"Tomorrow Never Comes"#"For A Reason"...
(2010)
Singles
- "The Warning" (EP) (1993)
- "The Good, the Bad and the Dread" (1993)
- "Dream On" / "House of Dread" (1993)
- "Fight the Power" (1994)
- "Zion Youth" (#49 UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, 1995) - "Captain Dread" (#49 UK, 1995)
- "Maximum" (EP) (#56 UK, 1995)
- "Little Britain" (#20 UK, 1996)
- "Life Love and Unity" (#56 UK, 1996)
- "Earth Angel" (#51 UK, 1997)
- "Moving On" (#58 UK, 1997)
- "Crazy Knowledge" (2000)
- "Believing In It" (2001)
- "The Warriors" (2002)
- "Once Upon a Time (in Jamaica)" (2005)
- "King Dub Rock" (2005)
- "Elevate" (2006)
- "Iron Shirt" (2006)
- "Mashup the Dread" (2006)
- "Beyond a Rock" (2009)
- "Gangster" (2010)