Heavyweight Dub Champion
Encyclopedia
Heavyweight Dub Champion is a music and art collective founded in Gold Hill, Colorado
in 1997 by Resurrector
& Patch. Heavyweight Dub Champion, also known as HDC, is rooted in electronic music
, but they create their unique style by using real and acoustic
instruments fused with synthetic and electronic elements. In 2005, they relocated to San Francisco, but the members of their constantly rotating lineup also come from New York, Australia and the UK. Denver's Westword
Magazine describes their music as "a shamanistic wall of hip hop
dubtronica
" and the magazine awarded their debut album Survival Guide For The End of Time with the editors pick for Best Local Recording in 2003. HDC is perhaps best known for their live performance, in which they use a massive amount of vintage and electronic gear to perform what they call "Sonic Shamanistic Alchemy". The LA Weekly
says, "The main HDC aesthetic is a cooled-out groove... Their genius is the great virtue of ’70s dub: never overdoing it."
. Both Studio albums are produced by Resurrector
and Patch. The debut album, Survival Guide For The End of Time, incorporates contributions from a vast array of artists, including A.P.O.S.T.L.E., Stero-Lion, Wailer B, Elon, Emcee Vill, J Criminology, Totter Todd, Jack Ruby Jr., DJ Hot Daddi 36-O, and others. Since the release of Survival Guide the membership has expanded to include Jillian Ann, Lady K, Dr. Israel, Elf Tranzporter, DJ Illnaughty, and album appearances by KRS-ONE
and Killah Priest
. In addition to musical performance, HDC often collaborates live with visual artists such as Unstoppable One, Jher 451, King Mob and Free Speech TV
. “We have all kinds of artists on our album and it doesn’t matter if they’re white, black, Australian, or whatever – everyone’s tied together by the same spiritual message,” says Resurrector
.
in the Spring of 1997 by Resurrector
and Patch after the demise of Roots Revolt, a Boulder, Colorado
Reggae
/Hip hop
band from 1995–1997 of which they and others in HDC were members. While in Gold Hill
, "They hunkered down in a sonic laboratory – a log cabin equipped with an outhouse and no running water – and began to shape their music. Eventually, they conceived a kind of soundtrack for their shared end-time scenario: a heavyweight knockdown between the Last Champion and the forces that threaten to imprison the planet," says Westword
Magazine. Resurrector
described their roots, "In Gold Hill, we were so close to the natural course of existence... Our band is based on cosmic relationships, and it really helped to create the rhythm of our music.” Today Heavyweight Dub Champion is known for using a large amount of analog and digital gear on stage, similar to the Chemical Brothers, but in the beginning, they weren't into electronic music. As Resurrector
puts it in a 2007 interview, "At first there were no electronic instruments involved. We weren't very interested in electronic music in those days... Using this old 4-track we started making all these beats with the essential focus on rocking and shaking interdimensional spirit beings." A focus of the Heavyweight Dub Champion experience, as described by lead vocalist A.P.O.S.T.L.E. (an acronym for Ascending Power Over Secular Territories Liberating Earthlings), who joined the group in 1998, "is trying to present a new paradigm of how people view spirituality. We're trying to evoke a spiritual experience.the manager is sean leonard "
" that "aims to topple the foundations of modern-day Babylon" as well as offering "prescriptions for survival and victory in a tension-filled time." The album was recorded and mixed in Colorado
and Los Angeles and "can safely be called a concept album". As described by Resurrector
, Survival Guide "relates to the coming of the Last Champion, an interdimensional spiritual warrior, who is bringing people together throughout the world to try to elevate consciousness in a way that will focus people on the healing of themselves and the healing of the world, and help put people in a more offensive position." Survival Guide has an ambitious package including the band's credo, Last Champion Manifesto, a 70 page booklet "detailing their mission of 'Unconditional Liberation of the Human Race,'” a poster by Jher 451 and sticker of their "protector" logo. As described by Denver's Westword
Magazine, "Structurally, the record moves from the announcement of the battle to the rallying calls of the Last Champion's chosen army – followers who unite to liberate individuals and the Earth – to the eventual announcement of the Last Champion as a victor in the championship against predators who have put a stranglehold on humanity's innate desire to creatively seek truth, beauty, pleasure and power." The album's manifesto has chapters which follow the story, or the album could be seen as the soundtrack to the book.
, who states in the title track, "Heavyweight Dub Champion restores all hope", Killah Priest
and Brooklyn Dub pioneer Dr. Israel, in addition to the familiar cast of A.P.O.S.T.L.E. and others. The project was mixed by Bill Laswell
's veteran engineer Oz Fritz and is mastered by industry favorite Brian Gardner
. The album is conceptual following "the Warrior" from the Arrival, through Warrior Divination One, Two and Three, to emerge as King Of The Mountain and the eventual journey ends with Promised Land. Throughout the album the character of Emcee Vill is again beckoned to by "N.A.F. Agents" while on his quest to infiltrate Champion Nation and assassinate the Last Champion. Pop Matters describes the album as using "socially conscience and spiritual weapons of words to tell a story whose central plot leads to a philosophical and spiritual revival and a genuine awakening of the human spirit... (with) an apocalyptic and epic cinematic soundtrack." Reviewed by Derek Beres in the Huffington Post, he calls the album "A conversion, the ending of an era, a new dawn". He goes on, "Their hope might feel bitter to the taste, but only because they are correctly reflecting reality. By the glean of their astute and painstaking cultural observations, we are invited to join into their dance. It may require we pound our fists and wave our heads—their trance is fitful, not wistful... this band does achieve greatness." Music Connection Magazine describes the album as "A consortium of prophets heralding our doomed planet."
remixed Arrival from then not yet released Rise album. It features vocals from KRS-ONE
, A.P.O.S.T.L.E. and Stero-Lion. The track was included on Bassnectar
's Om Records
releaseYo EP as well as his double full length Mesmerizing the Ultra released by Organic Records. In 2008, New Zealand native Freq Nasty remixed Snared featuring vocals from Stero-Lion for an album benefiting his Water Of Life campaign for giveback.net- a project to bring water to communities in Ethiopia. Both HDC and Freq Nasty performed at 2008 Harmony Festival which backed the project. The album also includes tracks from Damian Marley
, Cheb i Sabbah
, and others. In an interview, Resurrector described the band's intention behind doing the project, "our collaboration with FreQ Nasty is an example of musical power in action, as a means to bring life and abundance to a people and a region. With Heavyweight Dub Champion, we focus our musical energies on bringing life and abundance to the human spirit from within... The power of music can generate real momentum that leads to action in all sorts of ways and contributing our musical energy and experience to the "Water of Life" is just a very small step towards using it as a positive Earth-changing force."
Festivals including Reggae Rising
, Lightning In A Bottle Festival, Monterey Bay Reggae Festival, Joshua Tree Music Festival, EmergNsee Festival, Earthdance Festival, Symbiosis Gathering, Stilldream Festival, Raggamuffins Festival Shambhala Music Festival, Summer Circus, Harmony Festival/Techno Tribal, and the Headline slot at the last Reggae On The River
. In addition, 2007 brought HDC to some of Europe's better known festivals as well including Eurockeennes
and Furia Sound Festival in France and Fusion Festival in Germany. Their live performance is often referred to as The Liberation Process... in the words of Marquee Mag, "Using complex musical alchemy, the core members... aim to liberate the human race completely through the power of sound vibration." The performance itself consists of some live music elements combined with pre recorded instruments and sequences generated exclusively at HDC's own Champion Nation Studios. HDC prides itself in incorporating originally recorded material only and uses over 50 instruments when laying foundation for album and live material. They have stated that the intention is to bring people into a trance-like state that resembles a "de-zombification process that will, according to Resurrector
, 'create a space for a new sort of psychology that will welcome helpful spirits that will, if you call them, come to assist you'". They have titled some of their live performances Operation Raise The Dead. "It's more about raising the walking dead than raising specifically dead people from their graves," says Resurrector
. Described by Festival Preview Magazine, Heavyweight Dub Champion "blend dub, dancehall, hip hop and throbbing electronics together into an intense dancefloor beast." In a recent show with Tricky
, 944 magazine described HDC's performance as "a dark, throbbing, harmonic geniusly live mixed set consisting of a wide range of instruments and equipment generating an eclectic electronic sound like I have never heard. The bass in the front row was almost enough to make your heart skip a beat, yet alone hold a camera steady."
is defined as The Unconditional Liberation of the Human Race. Each studio album follows a loose story line about Warrior conquest and a battle against the "rulers of the planet." The Heavyweight Dub Champion hero is a spirit consciousness called "the Last Champion." The antihero, "Villain", is an infiltrator character mostly only referred to through ethereal waki taki jabber in the background, but Emcee Vill also appears as a vocal guest often alluding to or expressing his plight. Many of the other characters who appear as themselves through the course of the albums represent different fundamental philosophies presented in the Last Champion Manifesto.
", which would lead one to assume that it was indeed written by him. Reviewers and interviewers have referred to the work with various degrees of both interest and disdain. The LA Weekly
calls it a "bible/babble manifesto", the Denver Westword
refers to it as "a scripturally spirited rant" and The Source Weekly labels it as, "steeped in allegory and at times reading like ancient scripture". It is a 70 page bound book presented in seven sections divided into chapters named after songs from both Survival Guide and Rise, as well as some presumed to be as yet unreleased. The booklet is written about the development of the Warrior consciousness, a trend presented throughout the HDC experience. "We use the symbolism of an army and a gathering of soldiers," says Resurrector
. "There are ways that you can generate, create and prepare for a life focused on trying to elevate consciousness and liberate people – and to combat the progression of a society that, we believe, generates closed-minded educational frameworks that don't allow for people to explore their own power and creative tendencies." The chapters of the booklet refer to various aspects of clearing space and redefining perception. Removing mental and spiritual pollution is presented as an essential part of the process (the liberation process) of unifying with the consciousness of the "Last Champion." Those who believe and follow this process are referred to as members of the "Last Champion's Chosen Army." It stated that people are not chosen to be in this Army, they choose to do so by uniting with the fundamental goals and ideology. They call this global unification of Warriors the "Champion Nation", which is also the name of their Record Label.
, it involves, "taking a range of vibrational materials, from tribal instruments to electronic instruments, and manipulating them through devices like tape delays and old analog stomp boxes to try to find the personality of each piece... looking for particular voices, particular vibrations that would contribute to the spectrum of sound we're trying to bring forth, a spectrum of liberational revolutionary energy... to change the chemistry of the planet leading to unconditional liberation of the human race."
. Dr. Israel has been involved in many projects over the years and in 2007 experienced international success with his album, Dreadtone International – Patterns of War. He is currently working on album projects with Bill Laswell
, Dr. Know
of Bad Brains
and Mad Professor
. Resurrector
and Jillian Ann, who married on July 7, 2007, are working on multiple projects together including Jillian Ann's fifth solo album and a joint project called Liberation Movement. Liberation Movement also includes vocal contributions from Stero-Lion, who released his first solo effort, Lion Paw in 2008.
Gold Hill, Colorado
Gold Hill is a census-designated place in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The population was 230 at the 2010 census.This settlement is located to the northwest of Boulder, perched on a mountainside above Left Hand Canyon at an elevation of 8,300 feet...
in 1997 by Resurrector
Resurrector
Resurrector is an electronic music producer best known as founder of Colorado/San Francisco Dub Hop band Heavyweight Dub Champion...
& Patch. Heavyweight Dub Champion, also known as HDC, is rooted in electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, but they create their unique style by using real and acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
instruments fused with synthetic and electronic elements. In 2005, they relocated to San Francisco, but the members of their constantly rotating lineup also come from New York, Australia and the UK. Denver's Westword
Westword
Westword is a free alternative weekly newspaper based in Denver, Colorado.Westword was established independently in 1977. In 1983 it was bought by New Times Media. In 2005, New Times acquired Village Voice Media, and changed its name to Village Voice Media...
Magazine describes their music as "a shamanistic wall of hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
dubtronica
Dubtronica
Dubtronica is a neologism that has been used to describe electronic dance music that evidences the influence of dub. The origin is thought to be either the experimental English dub of On-U Sound Records and Mad Professor in the 1980s, Note that the term is not universally accepted by both artists...
" and the magazine awarded their debut album Survival Guide For The End of Time with the editors pick for Best Local Recording in 2003. HDC is perhaps best known for their live performance, in which they use a massive amount of vintage and electronic gear to perform what they call "Sonic Shamanistic Alchemy". The LA Weekly
LA Weekly
LA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
says, "The main HDC aesthetic is a cooled-out groove... Their genius is the great virtue of ’70s dub: never overdoing it."
Membership
The band lineup of Heavyweight Dub Champion, for both studio albums and live performance, is an ever changing organic unit. The only person always involved in every aspect is co-founder ResurrectorResurrector
Resurrector is an electronic music producer best known as founder of Colorado/San Francisco Dub Hop band Heavyweight Dub Champion...
. Both Studio albums are produced by Resurrector
Resurrector
Resurrector is an electronic music producer best known as founder of Colorado/San Francisco Dub Hop band Heavyweight Dub Champion...
and Patch. The debut album, Survival Guide For The End of Time, incorporates contributions from a vast array of artists, including A.P.O.S.T.L.E., Stero-Lion, Wailer B, Elon, Emcee Vill, J Criminology, Totter Todd, Jack Ruby Jr., DJ Hot Daddi 36-O, and others. Since the release of Survival Guide the membership has expanded to include Jillian Ann, Lady K, Dr. Israel, Elf Tranzporter, DJ Illnaughty, and album appearances by KRS-ONE
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
and Killah Priest
Killah Priest
Walter Reed, better known as Killah Priest, Iron Sheik from the Middle East, or Masada, is an American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan affiliate who was raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant & Brownsville neighbourhoods in Brooklyn. He is known for intensely spiritual lyrics loaded with metaphors and religious...
. In addition to musical performance, HDC often collaborates live with visual artists such as Unstoppable One, Jher 451, King Mob and Free Speech TV
Free Speech TV
-External links:...
. “We have all kinds of artists on our album and it doesn’t matter if they’re white, black, Australian, or whatever – everyone’s tied together by the same spiritual message,” says Resurrector
Resurrector
Resurrector is an electronic music producer best known as founder of Colorado/San Francisco Dub Hop band Heavyweight Dub Champion...
.
Formation & History
Heavyweight Dub Champion was founded in ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
in the Spring of 1997 by Resurrector
Resurrector
Resurrector is an electronic music producer best known as founder of Colorado/San Francisco Dub Hop band Heavyweight Dub Champion...
and Patch after the demise of Roots Revolt, a Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
Reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
/Hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
band from 1995–1997 of which they and others in HDC were members. While in Gold Hill
Gold Hill, Colorado
Gold Hill is a census-designated place in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The population was 230 at the 2010 census.This settlement is located to the northwest of Boulder, perched on a mountainside above Left Hand Canyon at an elevation of 8,300 feet...
, "They hunkered down in a sonic laboratory – a log cabin equipped with an outhouse and no running water – and began to shape their music. Eventually, they conceived a kind of soundtrack for their shared end-time scenario: a heavyweight knockdown between the Last Champion and the forces that threaten to imprison the planet," says Westword
Westword
Westword is a free alternative weekly newspaper based in Denver, Colorado.Westword was established independently in 1977. In 1983 it was bought by New Times Media. In 2005, New Times acquired Village Voice Media, and changed its name to Village Voice Media...
Magazine. Resurrector
Resurrector
Resurrector is an electronic music producer best known as founder of Colorado/San Francisco Dub Hop band Heavyweight Dub Champion...
described their roots, "In Gold Hill, we were so close to the natural course of existence... Our band is based on cosmic relationships, and it really helped to create the rhythm of our music.” Today Heavyweight Dub Champion is known for using a large amount of analog and digital gear on stage, similar to the Chemical Brothers, but in the beginning, they weren't into electronic music. As Resurrector
Resurrector
Resurrector is an electronic music producer best known as founder of Colorado/San Francisco Dub Hop band Heavyweight Dub Champion...
puts it in a 2007 interview, "At first there were no electronic instruments involved. We weren't very interested in electronic music in those days... Using this old 4-track we started making all these beats with the essential focus on rocking and shaking interdimensional spirit beings." A focus of the Heavyweight Dub Champion experience, as described by lead vocalist A.P.O.S.T.L.E. (an acronym for Ascending Power Over Secular Territories Liberating Earthlings), who joined the group in 1998, "is trying to present a new paradigm of how people view spirituality. We're trying to evoke a spiritual experience.the manager is sean leonard "
Survival Guide For The End of Time
In 2002, HDC released their debut album, Survival Guide For The End of Time- "an ill-bent mix of industrial apocalyptic hip-hop dubtronicaDubtronica
Dubtronica is a neologism that has been used to describe electronic dance music that evidences the influence of dub. The origin is thought to be either the experimental English dub of On-U Sound Records and Mad Professor in the 1980s, Note that the term is not universally accepted by both artists...
" that "aims to topple the foundations of modern-day Babylon" as well as offering "prescriptions for survival and victory in a tension-filled time." The album was recorded and mixed in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and Los Angeles and "can safely be called a concept album". As described by Resurrector
Resurrector
Resurrector is an electronic music producer best known as founder of Colorado/San Francisco Dub Hop band Heavyweight Dub Champion...
, Survival Guide "relates to the coming of the Last Champion, an interdimensional spiritual warrior, who is bringing people together throughout the world to try to elevate consciousness in a way that will focus people on the healing of themselves and the healing of the world, and help put people in a more offensive position." Survival Guide has an ambitious package including the band's credo, Last Champion Manifesto, a 70 page booklet "detailing their mission of 'Unconditional Liberation of the Human Race,'” a poster by Jher 451 and sticker of their "protector" logo. As described by Denver's Westword
Westword
Westword is a free alternative weekly newspaper based in Denver, Colorado.Westword was established independently in 1977. In 1983 it was bought by New Times Media. In 2005, New Times acquired Village Voice Media, and changed its name to Village Voice Media...
Magazine, "Structurally, the record moves from the announcement of the battle to the rallying calls of the Last Champion's chosen army – followers who unite to liberate individuals and the Earth – to the eventual announcement of the Last Champion as a victor in the championship against predators who have put a stranglehold on humanity's innate desire to creatively seek truth, beauty, pleasure and power." The album's manifesto has chapters which follow the story, or the album could be seen as the soundtrack to the book.
Rise Of The Champion Nation
Heavyweight Dub Champion's follow up album (a "limited edition" was released at shows in Fall of 2008) includes guest appearances and endorsements from KRS-ONEKRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
, who states in the title track, "Heavyweight Dub Champion restores all hope", Killah Priest
Killah Priest
Walter Reed, better known as Killah Priest, Iron Sheik from the Middle East, or Masada, is an American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan affiliate who was raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant & Brownsville neighbourhoods in Brooklyn. He is known for intensely spiritual lyrics loaded with metaphors and religious...
and Brooklyn Dub pioneer Dr. Israel, in addition to the familiar cast of A.P.O.S.T.L.E. and others. The project was mixed by Bill Laswell
Bill Laswell
Bill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
's veteran engineer Oz Fritz and is mastered by industry favorite Brian Gardner
Brian Gardner
Brian Gardner, also known as Brian "Big Bass" Gardner is a mastering engineer. He has worked on countless recordings since the mid-1960s, including classic rock, funk, disco, alternative rock, R&B, hip hop, pop punk, and dance pop. He is perhaps best known for his work on hip hop albums and in...
. The album is conceptual following "the Warrior" from the Arrival, through Warrior Divination One, Two and Three, to emerge as King Of The Mountain and the eventual journey ends with Promised Land. Throughout the album the character of Emcee Vill is again beckoned to by "N.A.F. Agents" while on his quest to infiltrate Champion Nation and assassinate the Last Champion. Pop Matters describes the album as using "socially conscience and spiritual weapons of words to tell a story whose central plot leads to a philosophical and spiritual revival and a genuine awakening of the human spirit... (with) an apocalyptic and epic cinematic soundtrack." Reviewed by Derek Beres in the Huffington Post, he calls the album "A conversion, the ending of an era, a new dawn". He goes on, "Their hope might feel bitter to the taste, but only because they are correctly reflecting reality. By the glean of their astute and painstaking cultural observations, we are invited to join into their dance. It may require we pound our fists and wave our heads—their trance is fitful, not wistful... this band does achieve greatness." Music Connection Magazine describes the album as "A consortium of prophets heralding our doomed planet."
Collaborations
In 2006, prominent West Coast Breaks DJ BassnectarBassnectar
Bassnectar is a freeform electronic music and dubstep artist, DJ, and producer based in Santa Cruz, California. He is known for his live performances and light shows, and actively supports the non-profit group Conscious Alliance....
remixed Arrival from then not yet released Rise album. It features vocals from KRS-ONE
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
, A.P.O.S.T.L.E. and Stero-Lion. The track was included on Bassnectar
Bassnectar
Bassnectar is a freeform electronic music and dubstep artist, DJ, and producer based in Santa Cruz, California. He is known for his live performances and light shows, and actively supports the non-profit group Conscious Alliance....
's Om Records
Om Records
Om Records is a US-based record label, established in 1995, which releases electronic music, dance music, and hip hop. The label was founded in San Francisco in 1995 by Chris Smith. Om Records releases both artist albums and various compilations. Some of the most notable compilations include Om...
releaseYo EP as well as his double full length Mesmerizing the Ultra released by Organic Records. In 2008, New Zealand native Freq Nasty remixed Snared featuring vocals from Stero-Lion for an album benefiting his Water Of Life campaign for giveback.net- a project to bring water to communities in Ethiopia. Both HDC and Freq Nasty performed at 2008 Harmony Festival which backed the project. The album also includes tracks from Damian Marley
Damian Marley
Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley is a Jamaican reggae artist who has won three Grammy awards. Damian is the youngest son of Bob Marley....
, Cheb i Sabbah
Cheb i Sabbah
Cheb i Sabbah , born Haim Serge El Baz in Constantine, Algeria, is a club DJ based in San Francisco, California....
, and others. In an interview, Resurrector described the band's intention behind doing the project, "our collaboration with FreQ Nasty is an example of musical power in action, as a means to bring life and abundance to a people and a region. With Heavyweight Dub Champion, we focus our musical energies on bringing life and abundance to the human spirit from within... The power of music can generate real momentum that leads to action in all sorts of ways and contributing our musical energy and experience to the "Water of Life" is just a very small step towards using it as a positive Earth-changing force."
Live Performance
HDC has gained notoriety by appearing in prime slots in prominent West CoastWest Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
Festivals including Reggae Rising
Reggae Rising
Reggae Rising was an annual reggae festival in Humboldt County, California which took place on the first full weekend of August along the banks of the Eel River. Performers at the 2008 edition of Reggae Rising, which took place August 1-3, 2008 at Dimmick Ranch and French's Camp included Sizzla,...
, Lightning In A Bottle Festival, Monterey Bay Reggae Festival, Joshua Tree Music Festival, EmergNsee Festival, Earthdance Festival, Symbiosis Gathering, Stilldream Festival, Raggamuffins Festival Shambhala Music Festival, Summer Circus, Harmony Festival/Techno Tribal, and the Headline slot at the last Reggae On The River
Reggae on the River
Reggae on the River is a reggae festival that was held annually on the first weekend in August in Humboldt County, California. It began in 1983 as a benefit for the Mateel Community Center, a nonprofit for southern Humboldt County...
. In addition, 2007 brought HDC to some of Europe's better known festivals as well including Eurockeennes
Eurockéennes
The Eurockéennes de Belfort is one of France's largest rock music festivals. The Eurockéennes, a play on words involving the words rock and européennes , is a festival based in a nature reserve in Malsaucy near Belfort...
and Furia Sound Festival in France and Fusion Festival in Germany. Their live performance is often referred to as The Liberation Process... in the words of Marquee Mag, "Using complex musical alchemy, the core members... aim to liberate the human race completely through the power of sound vibration." The performance itself consists of some live music elements combined with pre recorded instruments and sequences generated exclusively at HDC's own Champion Nation Studios. HDC prides itself in incorporating originally recorded material only and uses over 50 instruments when laying foundation for album and live material. They have stated that the intention is to bring people into a trance-like state that resembles a "de-zombification process that will, according to Resurrector
Resurrector
Resurrector is an electronic music producer best known as founder of Colorado/San Francisco Dub Hop band Heavyweight Dub Champion...
, 'create a space for a new sort of psychology that will welcome helpful spirits that will, if you call them, come to assist you'". They have titled some of their live performances Operation Raise The Dead. "It's more about raising the walking dead than raising specifically dead people from their graves," says Resurrector
Resurrector
Resurrector is an electronic music producer best known as founder of Colorado/San Francisco Dub Hop band Heavyweight Dub Champion...
. Described by Festival Preview Magazine, Heavyweight Dub Champion "blend dub, dancehall, hip hop and throbbing electronics together into an intense dancefloor beast." In a recent show with Tricky
Tricky
Tricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...
, 944 magazine described HDC's performance as "a dark, throbbing, harmonic geniusly live mixed set consisting of a wide range of instruments and equipment generating an eclectic electronic sound like I have never heard. The bass in the front row was almost enough to make your heart skip a beat, yet alone hold a camera steady."
Ideology
Central to the core of Heavyweight Dub Champion is a pseudo-mythological science fiction style ideological foundation. As defined by the band, "Heavyweight Dub Champion is a movement of interdimensional Warriors representing the Army of the Last Champion." They use catch phrases like "where ancient ritual meets modern technology", "the liberation process is in full effect" and "Champion Nation Revolution" on posters, banners and descriptions. Their mission statementMission statement
A mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path, and guide decision-making...
is defined as The Unconditional Liberation of the Human Race. Each studio album follows a loose story line about Warrior conquest and a battle against the "rulers of the planet." The Heavyweight Dub Champion hero is a spirit consciousness called "the Last Champion." The antihero, "Villain", is an infiltrator character mostly only referred to through ethereal waki taki jabber in the background, but Emcee Vill also appears as a vocal guest often alluding to or expressing his plight. Many of the other characters who appear as themselves through the course of the albums represent different fundamental philosophies presented in the Last Champion Manifesto.
Last Champion Manifesto
Included in the CD package for Survival Guide is the mysterious and band defining booklet Last Champion Manifesto. The liner notes specify "text and composition by ResurrectorResurrector
Resurrector is an electronic music producer best known as founder of Colorado/San Francisco Dub Hop band Heavyweight Dub Champion...
", which would lead one to assume that it was indeed written by him. Reviewers and interviewers have referred to the work with various degrees of both interest and disdain. The LA Weekly
LA Weekly
LA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
calls it a "bible/babble manifesto", the Denver Westword
Westword
Westword is a free alternative weekly newspaper based in Denver, Colorado.Westword was established independently in 1977. In 1983 it was bought by New Times Media. In 2005, New Times acquired Village Voice Media, and changed its name to Village Voice Media...
refers to it as "a scripturally spirited rant" and The Source Weekly labels it as, "steeped in allegory and at times reading like ancient scripture". It is a 70 page bound book presented in seven sections divided into chapters named after songs from both Survival Guide and Rise, as well as some presumed to be as yet unreleased. The booklet is written about the development of the Warrior consciousness, a trend presented throughout the HDC experience. "We use the symbolism of an army and a gathering of soldiers," says Resurrector
Resurrector
Resurrector is an electronic music producer best known as founder of Colorado/San Francisco Dub Hop band Heavyweight Dub Champion...
. "There are ways that you can generate, create and prepare for a life focused on trying to elevate consciousness and liberate people – and to combat the progression of a society that, we believe, generates closed-minded educational frameworks that don't allow for people to explore their own power and creative tendencies." The chapters of the booklet refer to various aspects of clearing space and redefining perception. Removing mental and spiritual pollution is presented as an essential part of the process (the liberation process) of unifying with the consciousness of the "Last Champion." Those who believe and follow this process are referred to as members of the "Last Champion's Chosen Army." It stated that people are not chosen to be in this Army, they choose to do so by uniting with the fundamental goals and ideology. They call this global unification of Warriors the "Champion Nation", which is also the name of their Record Label.
Sonic Shamanistic Alchemy
The foundation of the band's musical presentation is a method they call "Sonic Shamanistic Alchemy". The instrumental members of the band are often referred to as "Sonic Shamanistic Alchemists". As defined by ResurrectorResurrector
Resurrector is an electronic music producer best known as founder of Colorado/San Francisco Dub Hop band Heavyweight Dub Champion...
, it involves, "taking a range of vibrational materials, from tribal instruments to electronic instruments, and manipulating them through devices like tape delays and old analog stomp boxes to try to find the personality of each piece... looking for particular voices, particular vibrations that would contribute to the spectrum of sound we're trying to bring forth, a spectrum of liberational revolutionary energy... to change the chemistry of the planet leading to unconditional liberation of the human race."
Other projects
All the members and affiliates of Heavyweight Dub Champion are active in other music projects. Patch has recently resigned from being involved in some HDC gigs to focus on a solo career. A.P.O.S.T.L.E. released his fourth solo album, Lyrical Activism in 2008 and has been touring with DJ QuestDJ Quest
DJ Quest was born in 1973 in El Salvador. While there are others using the name 'DJ Quest', Carlos Aguilar has most likely had the moniker the longest,. He is considered one of the most skilled and reputable DJ and innovators in the field of Turntablism. DJ Quest has contributed to the hip hop DJ...
. Dr. Israel has been involved in many projects over the years and in 2007 experienced international success with his album, Dreadtone International – Patterns of War. He is currently working on album projects with Bill Laswell
Bill Laswell
Bill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
, Dr. Know
Dr. Know (guitarist)
Dr. Know is the stage name of Gary Miller, guitarist for Bad Brains, regarded as one of punk rock's most innovative and important bands...
of Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
and Mad Professor
Mad Professor
Mad Professor is a dub music producer and engineer known for his original productions and remix work. He is considered one of the leading producers of dub music’s second generation and was instrumental in transitioning dub into the digital age. He is a prolific producer, contributing to or...
. Resurrector
Resurrector
Resurrector is an electronic music producer best known as founder of Colorado/San Francisco Dub Hop band Heavyweight Dub Champion...
and Jillian Ann, who married on July 7, 2007, are working on multiple projects together including Jillian Ann's fifth solo album and a joint project called Liberation Movement. Liberation Movement also includes vocal contributions from Stero-Lion, who released his first solo effort, Lion Paw in 2008.
Discography
- "Whirlwinds Of Revolt" – Voodoo, Sacraments, Oddities and Other Holy Anthems. (1998). Reggae On The Rocks Compilation. What Are Records?
- Survival Guide For The End Of Time. (2002). Champion Nation Recordings
- "Arrival" – Bassnectar Remix (2006 & 2008). BassnectarBassnectarBassnectar is a freeform electronic music and dubstep artist, DJ, and producer based in Santa Cruz, California. He is known for his live performances and light shows, and actively supports the non-profit group Conscious Alliance....
. Om RecordsOm RecordsOm Records is a US-based record label, established in 1995, which releases electronic music, dance music, and hip hop. The label was founded in San Francisco in 1995 by Chris Smith. Om Records releases both artist albums and various compilations. Some of the most notable compilations include Om...
& Organic Records - "Snared" – Freq Nasty vs. Heavyweight Dub Champion. (2008). Give Back Compilation
- Rise Of The Champion Nation – Limited Edition. (2008). Champion Nation Recordings
- Rise Of The Champion Nation. (2009). Champion Nation Recordings & MVD Distribution
General
- Catania, Chris (2009). Heavyweight Dub Champion: Rise of the Champion Nation. Pop Matters http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/heavyweight-dub-champion-rise-of-the-champion-nation/
- Beres, Derek (2009). The Champion Nation is Apocalyptic: Heavyweight Dub Champion makes good use of KRS-ONE. Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/derek-beres/the-champion-nation-is-ap_b_176440.html
- Mayo, James (2003). Survival Of The Chillest. WestwordWestwordWestword is a free alternative weekly newspaper based in Denver, Colorado.Westword was established independently in 1977. In 1983 it was bought by New Times Media. In 2005, New Times acquired Village Voice Media, and changed its name to Village Voice Media...
Magazine http://www.westword.com/2002-10-24/music/survival-of-the-chillest/ - Davis, Aaron (2008). Improv Meets Electronica in Heavyweight Dub Champion. Planet Jackson Hole Online http://www.planetjh.com/music_arts_culture/A_102770.aspx
- Oshlo, Lisa (2007). Heavyweight Dub Champion move from Colorado to take music to the masses. The Marquee http://marqueemag.com/heavyweight-dub-champion-move-from-colorado-to-take-music-to-the-masses/2007/12/15/
- Burk, Greg (2006). I Got Riddim- Dr. Israel and Heavyweight Dub Champion. LA WeeklyLA WeeklyLA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
http://www.laweekly.com/2006-03-16/music/i-got-riddim/ - Bookey, Mike (2006). A Heavyweight Manifesto: Heavyweight Dub Champion and the art of soul maintenance . The Source Weekly http://www.tsweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=825&Itemid=43&mosmsg=Thanks+for+your+vote!
- O'Rourke, Tim (2005). A Dub For $10? Nice Deal. Eugene WeeklyEugene WeeklyThe Eugene Weekly is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Eugene, Oregon. The paper, published every Thursday, has a circulation of 39,850. It publishes an annual "Best of Eugene" list, a restaurant guide , and special sections on festivals, music, wine, health, and travel....
http://www.eugeneweekly.com/2005/12/01/music.html - Mayo, James (2003). The Home Team. WestwordWestwordWestword is a free alternative weekly newspaper based in Denver, Colorado.Westword was established independently in 1977. In 1983 it was bought by New Times Media. In 2005, New Times acquired Village Voice Media, and changed its name to Village Voice Media...
Magazine http://www.westword.com/2003-01-02/music/the-home-team/2 - Editor (2003). Best Local Recording – Survival Guide For The End Of Time. WestwordWestwordWestword is a free alternative weekly newspaper based in Denver, Colorado.Westword was established independently in 1977. In 1983 it was bought by New Times Media. In 2005, New Times acquired Village Voice Media, and changed its name to Village Voice Media...
Magazine http://www.westword.com/bestof/2003/award/best-local-recording-38575 - Interview with Resurrector (2008). Give Back – Water of Life Campaign. www.giveback.net http://www.giveback.net/WaterOfLife
- Friedrichs, Joseph (2008). Breaking the Mold: Heavyweight Dub’s A.P.O.S.T.L.E. takes Longfellow over Snoop. The Source Weekly http://www.tsweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2598&Itemid=43
- Doran, Bob (2007). Sonic Shamanistic Alchemy. North Coast JournalNorth Coast JournalThe North Coast Journal is an alternative weekly newspaper serving Humboldt County, California. The Journal is published in Eureka, California and includes coverage of the arts, news, personages, and politics of the region....
http://www.northcoastjournal.com/issues/2007/05/24/sonic-shamanistic-alchemy/
Band Sources
- Resurrector (2002). Last Champion Manifesto. Champion Nation Recordings publisher
- Heavyweight Dub Champion (2002). Survival Guide For The End Of Time. Liner Notes. Champion Nation Recordings
- Heavyweight Dub Champion (2008). Rise Of The Champion Nation – Limited Edition. Liner Notes. Champion Nation Recordings