Silent Season starts new dub series with Mystica Tribe album, Island Oasis

How do you think straight-up dub music fits into the ethos of Silent Season? Dub and reggae have long had a place here in BC, perhaps because of our sizable hippy population but mostly because it sounds good and brings a positive vibe. Dub music sometimes features samples such as birds singing, thunder and lightning, or water flowing. There is usually a distinctly organic feel to the music, even though the effects are electronically created. Therefore I feel dub fits comfortably in the ethos of Silent Season as the dub vibes echo through the forest. How did the idea to make a straight-up dub album come about? After our many conversations over Twitter we learned we both share many favourite artists and bands. Releasing a straight dub album has long been a dream of mine, so it felt like a natural fit. I fell in love when I heard him play the melodica, a central instrument on the album. We both are big fans of Augustus Pablo, Zion Train and King Tubby, among many others. Taka made the tracks for Island Oasis using a melodica, Bass Station ?, Waldorf Rocket and VSTs. He plays live melodica on all the tracks and aims to make drums and percussions with a live feeling. Taka defines dub is a kind of psychedelic music, or downer psychedelia as he calls it. Taka aims to make his own psychedelia influenced by dub, soul, techno, house and psychedelic rock. Can you tell us a bit about the story behind Mystica Tribe coming to BC, and how that helped shape the record? Taka's visit to Canada came after the album was already in the works. He was interested in visiting British Columbia to spend time relaxing in nature, experiencing island life, and local food. I feel there is a distinct connection between Japan and Vancouver Island, so it was an honour to host Taka and show him my favourite spots. We went salmon fishing, ate raw oysters, hiked in the alpine and tubed down the river. We gave him a true Canadian experience. Of course DUB In The PARK was one of the highlights of his visit. What was DUB In The PARK like and how did it go down? DUB In The PARK was the first Silent Season gathering in my hometown on Vancouver Island. I wanted to host a free, daytime, family-friendly electronic music event in the park. We have the perfect park in downtown Courtenay right along the river. There's a large gazebo or pagoda structure reminiscent of Japanese architecture where we set up underneath projecting upwards to the sloping grassy hill. The event featured the sounds of Mystica Tribe along with label mate Segue, both playing live. It was an incredible afternoon soaking up the sun and sounds with close to 150 people lounging, kids dancing and swimming. DUB In The PARK was well received and we hope to do it again next summer. There was a limited edition CD produced to support the event which features four tracks from the upcoming Mystica Tribe album and the recent Segue album.