Grouch encompasses the audible tales of New Zealand born producer Oscar Allison. Born and raised in the breathtaking vistas of Aotearoa/New Zealand, this incredible backdrop enthused and ignited a passion for dub and ethnic percussion that would later form the basis for his electronic journeys.
Over the last couple of years, Oscar’s distinctive sound has continued to develop, his most recent work exploring his New Zealand Dub roots. Working with live musicians and producers from all over the world, this evocative sound has flourished. Combined with his iconic electronic flare, which he has mastered over more than a decade of production, his latest timbral creation can be heard in his Grouch in Dub Project.
The guitarist Mouad, learnt to play in his home country Morocco and his sound incorporates North African harmony, compositional techniques and motifs that are rarely heard outside of Morocco. He also sings in Arabic and French during the performance, creating an innovative soundscape.
Rick’s improvisations on violin bring a unique gypsy and middle-eastern sound to the broad range of genres that are showcased within the set. Due to his classical training from an early age, Rick’s tone is deep and rich, bringing warmth to the audience during his solos.
Ben’s iconic horn lines on saxophone make up some of the crucial elements of the band’s reggae influence. His distinct mellifluous solos on clarinet characterize the band’s mystical timbre. In some of the compositions, a world music theme blends with polyphonic bohemian lines from Rick and Ben, allowing the listeners mind’s to journey to far away distant lands.
Kelly and Fabian alternate between trumpet and trombone throughout the show. Kelly’s playing is heavily influenced by Jazz, Soul and Swing, clearly characterised through her impeccable phrasing and blue note style sound. Fabian draws his influences from Jazz, Latin and World music roots. His virtuosic sound and stage presence really encapsulate the strong positive message that is what this show is all about.
Coming together in harmonised musical motifs, the acoustic power of these instrumentalists is unrivalled. This is a show that will take you on a musical journey, fulfilling your heart and soul while making you dance to the heavy electronic drops, one after another… not to be missed…