Zion Train
Encyclopedia
Zion Train are a British dub reggae ensemble (not to be confused with Bob Marley's
Zion Train). Initially formed in Oxford as a sound system in 1988 by Neil Perch and Ben Hamilton, Colin Cod and Dave Tench joined in 1990 upon relocation to London. The line-up was added to with vocalist Molara in 1992. Their initial releases were the 7" singles "Power One" and "Power Two", which became hits on the dub scene in the early 1990s. In 1992 they released the groundbreaking 'Follow Like Wolves' single which fused Dub and Acid House styles and spawned their reputation as innovators.
Their second album, Natural Wonders of the World in Dub, hit the UK indie charts in 1994 and was followed by several small-issue EP
s. Additionally, they worked on remixes for The Shamen
, Afro Celt Sound System
, Loop Guru
, Kava Kava and others. They released both vinyl and CD material on their own label, Universal Egg, until 1995, when they signed with China Records
. They returned to their own label in 1999. Much of their back catalog was reissued in 2005.
Lately, their early albums, such as A Passage To Indica, have been cited as primary influences on the minimal techno and minimal dub genres. There was a bitter feud within the band beginning around 2001, which led to Neil Perch continuing the band with an almost new line-up, comprising long-term trumpeter Dave Hake, trombonist Bigga and an assortment of international session players and studio vocalists. This line-up released the album Live As One, with which Zion Train won the 'Jamaican Reggae Grammy 2007' for 'Best Dub Recording'.
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
Zion Train). Initially formed in Oxford as a sound system in 1988 by Neil Perch and Ben Hamilton, Colin Cod and Dave Tench joined in 1990 upon relocation to London. The line-up was added to with vocalist Molara in 1992. Their initial releases were the 7" singles "Power One" and "Power Two", which became hits on the dub scene in the early 1990s. In 1992 they released the groundbreaking 'Follow Like Wolves' single which fused Dub and Acid House styles and spawned their reputation as innovators.
Their second album, Natural Wonders of the World in Dub, hit the UK indie charts in 1994 and was followed by several small-issue EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s. Additionally, they worked on remixes for The Shamen
The Shamen
The Shamen were an experimental electronic music band, from 1985–1999, initially formed in Aberdeen, Scotland, as a psychedelic-influenced indie rock act. The founding members are Colin Angus , Derek McKenzie and Keith McKenzie...
, Afro Celt Sound System
Afro Celt Sound System
The Afro Celt Sound System is a musical group which fuses modern electronic dance rhythms with traditional Irish and West African music...
, Loop Guru
Loop Guru
Loop Guru is a worldbeat group consisting of bassist/guitarist Salman Gita and programmer Jamuud . They first met around 1980 and initially played together in The Transmitters and released their debut single as Loop Guru, Shrine, in 1992...
, Kava Kava and others. They released both vinyl and CD material on their own label, Universal Egg, until 1995, when they signed with China Records
China Records
China Records was a record label founded October 1, 1984 by Derek Green. Its top-selling artists were Art of Noise, Morcheeba and The Levellers....
. They returned to their own label in 1999. Much of their back catalog was reissued in 2005.
Lately, their early albums, such as A Passage To Indica, have been cited as primary influences on the minimal techno and minimal dub genres. There was a bitter feud within the band beginning around 2001, which led to Neil Perch continuing the band with an almost new line-up, comprising long-term trumpeter Dave Hake, trombonist Bigga and an assortment of international session players and studio vocalists. This line-up released the album Live As One, with which Zion Train won the 'Jamaican Reggae Grammy 2007' for 'Best Dub Recording'.
Albums
- A Passage to Indica (Universal Egg, 1993)
- Natural Wonders of the World in Dub (Universal Egg, 1994)
- Siren (China RecordsChina RecordsChina Records was a record label founded October 1, 1984 by Derek Green. Its top-selling artists were Art of Noise, Morcheeba and The Levellers....
, 1995) - Homegrown Fantasy (China, 1995)
- Grow Together (China, 1996)
- Single Minded and Alive (compilation, 1997)
- Love Revolutionaries (Universal Egg, 2000)
- Secrets of the Animal Kingdom in Dub (Universal Egg, 2000; recorded 1994)
- Original Sounds of the Zion (Universal Egg, 2002)
- Original Sounds of the Zion Remixed (Universal Egg, 2004)
- Live As One (Universal Egg, 2007)
Members
- Neil Perch - electronics, production (1988 - present)
- David Tench - production (1990 - 2001)
- Dave Hake - trumpet(1990 - present)
- Chris - trombone (? - 2001)
- Bigga - trombone (1999 - ?)
- Colin Cod - melodicaMelodicaThe melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...
(1990 - 2001) - Molara - vocals (1992 - 2005)
- Dubdadda - vocals (2001 - present)
External links
- Official MySpace
- Biography at WOMEXWOMEXWOMEX is an international world music support and development project based in Berlin, whose main event is an exposition held annually in different locations throughout Europe. It integrates a trade fair, showcases, conferences, film market, networking sessions, and awards...
.com - [ Zion Train] at Allmusic
- Zion Train at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Interview with Neil Perch