NEW RELEASE

Reinterpreting classic pop albums in reggae is not a new concept. In 2003, the American reggae collective Easy Star All-Stars launched a dub reggae homage to Pink Floyd’s 1973 album The Dark Side Of The Moon. This was succeeded in 2010 by a remixed, bass-heavy version known as Dubber Side Of The Moon. Between these two albums, Easy Star All-Stars also released Radiodread, a 2006 tribute that reimagines Radiohead’s 1997 album OK Computer in reggae, ska, and dub styles. In 2009, they followed this with Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band, a dub reggae rework of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Fast forward to 2024 and Hamburg-based Echo Beach label, which has already released dub interpretations of several pop and new wave favorites. To pay tribute to the music of Florian Schneider, Ralf Hütter, and their fellow Kraftwerk collaborators, they enlisted French artist Jean-Yves Prieur, known as Kid Loco, who has made a name for himself as a versatile musician. He quickly brought in his longtime partner, keyboard wizard Guillaume Méténier aka Soul Sugar. Together, they fired up their equipment, particularly the vintage synthesizers, to reimagine the sonic elements of Kraftwerk’s timeless tracks. Notably, no original Kraftwerk songs or samples were incorporated in the making of Kraft Dub Werk. The album is released on CD, vinyl LP, and download and streaming platforms.