Red-I and Cebu’s King Spade release Kings Music Ep on vinyl

Red-I and Cebu’s King Spade release Kings Music Ep on vinyl

by rick olivares

Last weekend, November 9-10 saw the release of Kings Music from local dub artists Red-I and Kings Spade.

The Quezon City-based dub master Red-I and Cebu’s King Space collaborated on the four-track Kings Music (released under Japanese independent label Oto Records).

After Red-I independently released the full-length album, Jahdgement Day in April of 2012, it helped re-start the local vinyl release craze. That 15-track record had this progressive feel to dub music that is an off-shoot of reggae music. 

It did take Red-I six years before he followed up Jahdgement Day with 2018’s the Natty Dread I Beat; a seven-inch extended play record. However, the Quezon City-based dub artist has been rather prolific this 2019. 

In March of 2019, he put out the Mystic Revelation EP. After Kings Music, he has this double album scheduled for late this November or early December. In between, Red-I also found time to perform in the One Love Festival from late August to early September in England.

The two top tracks from Kings Music are “Soundsystem” and “Jah Light”. 

“The local dub scene is getting bigger and is attracting more attention,” said Red-I before his trip to England. “We recently saw British dub musician Vibronics perform here among many others. And now, our local productions are getting noticed overseas.”

For his part, Kings Spade hopes that this release will give Cebu-based reggae and dub artists some attention. Most of the known reggae bands are based in Manila. There are some who are based in the provinces who have gained a measure of popularity such as Cebu’s Junior Kilat that first came into a national consciousness when they were included in the 2004 compilation album, Island Riddims. Since then, Junior Kilat has released three albums. Olongapo has its share of reggae artists in the late Blackdyak and Herb Culture. 

Kings Music is a limited edition pressing with only 300 copies (priced at PhP 1,200) made available to fans. It is available on Red-I’s Facebook page, his bandcamp site, and at Treskul Records in Mandaluyong City.