Kali Creek Dub Collective’s album Bluegrass Babylon Vol. 1 opens up with a countdown sequence. A bass line thumps as a scraggly voice comes through, preparing the listeners for the launch, and a wavy synthesizer enters, informing them that they have reached cruising altitude, begins to rise and fall. The futuristic tone mixed with the hissy voices gives these recordings from the past a new sheen, leaving it in a stasis state, sounding both futuristic and archaic.   And this opening track perfectly shows what Bluegrass Babylon does; it gives Reggae a nice, new, chrome paint job. But while it may look pristine, the interior still is that comfy, cloth seating with the Rasta beads hanging from the rear view mirror.

Jerrod Figgs and Co. have created an album that remains rooted in traditional Reggae, while also taking influence from various other genres, including House, Glitch, Hip-Hop and New Age, making an album that still has the classic Reggae sound, but also has some futuristic beats driving it along, resulting in a very, for lack of a more suiting word, chill, and, honestly, sometimes daunting, experience.

Songs like Skylarking, Fist Fullah Dub, and Toothchipper are perfect for a lounge atmosphere, while others like, Destroyer of Worlds and Oasis Dub feature a more sinister tone and club like presence, which keeps the album interesting; it throws something different at the listener, keeping the album’s pace up while maintaining that overall laid-back atmosphere.

The tone usually maintains the chill-out vibe throughout the album; the few darker songs placed sparingly through the album, keep it from becoming stale and too monotonous. It’s difficult to maintain a laid-back atmosphere without each song beginning to mesh together, but thankfully, Figgs knows how to keep it interesting, and mixing these genres of music together keeps the listeners attention.

Unlike Figgs’ previous bands, Bluegrass Babylon is an all-instrumental album, only featuring vocals from various samples on a handful of tracks.  It’s far less abrasive from Groovezilla and The Rudies, and it is far better off for it. This album shows a softer and more mature side of the mastermind behind the album and really displays Figgs’ chops as a musician.

Along with Figgs is a cast of local artists featuring Willie Eames, Dave Farris, DeBraun Thomas, Tripp Bratton, Ben Lacy and others. All contributing melodies and such, with Figgs orchestrating it all, the work really has that “jam-session” feel to it. It’s got personality to it and that makes a lot of difference to this kind album. Figgs and the Collective successfully put their own spin on the genre, and while they may not necessarily be redefining the genre, they’re most certainly preserving it.

For information on how to get your hands on this music, contact Jerrod Figgs on his Facebook here: www.facebook.com/saint.jerrod