Seasplash announces first names for 2018, some very special guests included!

Seasplash, the longest-running regional bass music, and sound system culture festival, is coming back to Pula for the 16th time. From July 19th to 22nd, fans of dub, reggae, drum’n’bass and related genres, as well as the artists who have just been revealed will gather at the Fort Punta Christo. Vibrant stages, free camping, summer vibes and a relaxed atmosphere are the reasons why Seasplash is one of the most popular reggae & dub events in Southeastern Europe.

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Legendary UK dub and reggae producer and innovator Neil Fraser aka Mad Professor, who unfortunately couldn’t perform last year due to a canceled flight will perform on this edition of the festival with another great name from the history of reggae and dub music – U-Roy aka The Originator. U-Roy is a Jamaican musician who invented toasting, wild and original vocal improvisations that are performed over a dub substrate. This vocal style influenced the early rap scene and later the hip-hop movement, U-Roy is therefore rightly called the father of today’s MCs, and his hits from the ’60s and ’70s still sound fresh. In fact, he can look back on a discography full of hits spanning 40 years. He is also one of the leading voices of the Rastafarian movement.

Mad Professor, judging by his character and the results of his recordings, is one of the sanest record producers in the business. The name Mad Professor was first given to him by friends at school who were amazed by the experiments he carried out. For example, he built a radio and a telephone system at the age of 10. The early ’80s launched Mad Professor from his front room in Thornton Heath. His genius and love for all sorts of music propelled him forward. Dub Me Crazy, the first in a 12 part series of albums, was to become the beacon for his label. By the mid-90s, Mad Professor’s profile increased to legendary status after remixing Massive Attack’s second album, Protection; No Protection. In the early ’90s, he already had over 100 album releases, tours all over the world and collaborations with many world-famous stars (Depeche Mode, Jamiroquai, Beastie Boys, Lee Perry etc.). By the end of the ’90s, Mad Professor’s label Ariwa gained international notoriety in many territories throughout the world, mainly known for its dub, roots and techno/drum and bass catalog. In the new millennium, Ariwa, with over 200 issued albums, builds their own sound system, with which they tour the world’s clubs and festivals.

The joint performance of these two ingenious musicians on the Seasplash stage is certainly one of the biggest dub events of the year.

U-Roy & Mad Professor

For the first time in Croatia, at the 16th Seasplash, we’ll have the chance to see Dubmatix, a renowned Canadian producer, multi-instrumentalist and seven-time Juno Award winner. He is a recording machine, from his debut release Champion Sound Clash in 2004, he has gone on to produce and record over 500 releases. His vast collection of recordings has garnered multiple music awards from all over the world such as BBC Radio’s Don Letts, iTunes etc. He was also awarded by Billboard Magazine in 2016 who crowned his Is This Love rendition as the #1 Bob Marley Remix of all time! His last release Overdubbed (Echo Beach label), a new album with legendary duo Sly & Robbie, has already been declared as the best dub album in 2018 by Riddim Magazine.

Channel One, one of the UK’s best known and most loved reggae sound systems, is coming to the Fort. Having taken over the running of their father’s sound in 1979, Mikey Dread and his brother Jah T took the sound to local blues parties and dances. They are playing a unique selection of conscious reggae, exclusive dubplates, and uplifting steppas, providing a rich heavyweight bass sound, which compliments their tight selection of old and new dub classics.

Also, the Seasplash Festival has the special honor to host the cult UK band Radical Dance Faction (RDF). The band was founded in 1986 as Military Surplus under the guidance of Chris Bowsher. They created their peculiar style by combining socially-respected punk lyrics, with dub, reggae and ska styles. Engaged and passionate texts are also the trademark of Kanda Kodža i Nebojša, who for 25 years have been one of the key players in the regional rock scene. This band of unique poetic vision, excellent instrumentalists, and a peculiar vocalist has gained a new generation of audiences through their intense concerts.

Dubmatix

Channel One

Along with legendary names, Seasplash is also presenting up and coming artists from the international scene. Let’s start with Dub-Stuy – a collective and a label from Brooklyn, arriving directly from the renaissance of the sound system culture in New York and North America. Parly B’s is a reggae, dubstep and jungle MC. He is an MC with a unique style who has gained great popularity after a long series of releases with performers like Tradesman, Danny T, Ed West, Riddim Tuff, Origin One, Mr Benn and Fleck. Mikkim, a Czech producer and a DJ, is a pioneer in joining a large range of music genres – from jungle, over drum’n’bass to raggatek and hardtek. Gardna is the true embodiment of musical passion, a fresh perspective writer who, with his expression, really influenced the entire underground bass scene.

Croatian-Slovenian duo Kali Fat Dub are adventurers, songwriters, court lazy or verbal painters whose traces can be found all over the world; from Zion Crew, Golem, FOB, Ufosgian, Joke, Medici, Masters, to Sirup and Seasplash. The regional sound is also being represented by the Macedonian dub / reggae / crossover band Conquering Lion, whose album Land of Confusion was nominated for the best reggae album at the 60th Grammy Awards, as well as on the portal Reggaeville.

The Seasplash experience are sound systems, mostly hand-made, and this summer, the fortress, and festival beaches are occupied by the Italian Warrior Charge Soundsystem and the local Munchies Sound System, the Boca Sound System and of course the Seasplash Sound System. Fat Stash from Bristol are coming to spice up Seasplash with their energy and special sound-inspired roots music, as well as the Bosnian collective Zenicafaria Sound. In the live edition we will watch two bands from Zagreb; One Dread, with its reggae, roots and dancehall hits and young trip-hop band Blkprnt. There are also some regular guests on this year’s Seasplash – Slavonija Vibes Syndicate and Jah Billa and Sheco, a full member of the Seasplash collective.