WOMAD

Dry and Heavy

From Japan

Biography provided by management: April 2002Official website www.beatink.com Shigemoto Nanao : drumsPata: bass guitarLikkle Mai : vocalAo Inoue: vocalMitsuhiro Toike : keyboardThe K : guitarNaoyuki Uchida : dub controlDRY & HEAVY, a rhythm section for a number of years though with great luck and little planning ( and 3 highly acclaimed studio albums supported by endless touring ) evolved from such humble beginnings into the fully fledged unit that we know it as today. Although originally intended as a vehicle for the powerful combination of long time collaborators, drummer and founding Audio Active member, Shigemoto Nanao and bassist, Takeshi Akimoto it was a natural progression as the focus moved more and more onto its two featured vocalists, Likkle Mai and Ao Inoue whose performances on such vintage Dry & Heavy singles as Mr Blueflame, Private Plan, Dawn Is Breaking, Radical Star and Love Explosion have come to the define the truly unique Dry & Heavy sound. Following Akimoto’s rather abrupt departure at the end of last year’s main stage appearance at the Fuji Rock Festival ex-Audio Active bassist, Pata was invited to step into the bass slot and if anything the rhythm section is now more powerful than ever. Also essential to the Dry & Heavy sound and on deck from the first album onwards are engineer and reigning Japanese dub emperor, Naoyuki Uchida, Mitsuhiro Toike on keyboards and ubiquitous "The K" on guitars and effects. As would be expected from an act named of respect for the mighty reggae legend, Burning Spear, this tight-knit combination reproduce and refine that which they have learnt and love of the great roots reggae records reinforced by the experience of four years of constant touring and recording. As well as appearances on every major Japanese rock and reggae festival, the band have enjoyed great success with their own headline dates in Japan, England, France and Switzerland as well as highly acclaimed appearances at the 2000 Reading (U.K.) and Hanover (Germany) Womad festivals and guest appearances in Germany with Asian Dub Foundation and Buju Banton, Hong Kong with Primal Scream and Adrian Sherwood, their own highly successful Japanese dubfest, Echomaniacs which featured Adrian Sherwood, Andrew Weatherall, Dennis Bovell and 3 Head as well as dates in Japan with reggae legends, Lee Perry, Horace Andy, Jah Shaka and Mad Professor.It is not difficult to understand the band’s evolution when listening to the first 3 studio albums - Dry & Heavy (’97), One Punch (’98) and Full Contact (2000) and their continuing dub experiments can be heard on the collaboration with Jamaican dub master supreme, King Jammy resulting in King Jammy Meets Dry & Heavy In The Jaws Of The Tiger, bone fide modern dub classic as well as their dubs and remixes for artists as diverse as Asian Dub Foundation, Arrested Development, The Skatalites, Two Lone Swordsmen, Audio Active and 3 Head.2002 sees the release of their latest studio album “From Creation” and the follow up dub version “Dub Creation” album (both out now) available on Beat Rec. (Japan). The UK and Australia/New Zealand release a combined version of the two albums titled “New Creation” and is released on Greentea Rec. in the UK and Valve Rec. in Australia/New Zealand. Biography by Andy Morgan, June 2000:The Japanese have this legendary ability to swallow a style of music whole like a boa-constrictor and then regurgitate it ship-shape and funky fashion, smelling sweeter than the original. Remember Orquesta de la Luz with their Latin more Latin than the Latins?Well now's the time to get your festival-addled heads around 'Dry and Heavy', a bunch of Tokyo dreads who serve up dub platters that King Tubby himself would be proud of.Dubbed "the best reggae band we've heard since Black Uhuru" by The Guardian, Dry and Heavy are an offshoot of acclaimed Jap dubnicians Audo-Active. The group is led by Dry, aka Shigemoto Naneo (drums) and Heavy, aka Takeshi Akimoto (bass)..the Sly and Robbie of Shinjuku who know how to skank it large with the best of them. Lead vocalist Likkle Mai, a songbird with stars in her eyes, sounds uncannily like the sorely missed Hugh Mundell except a couple of octaves higher. This whole unlikely phenomenon had enough of the 'wicked-an-wile' stuff to entice none other than On-U supreme Adrian Sherwood, who definitely would pass the blindfold dub test, to release the band's debut album 'Punch Heavy' on his Green Tea label. It's all there....earthquake bass, banshee quitar licks, floating organ melodies, Lee Perry-esque audio humor and a refreshing dose of originality. Just wait for the release of 'The Harder They Come'....manga style sah!!