MEGA 004

A long time friend of Buck and The Toasters (he also performs on The Toasters MEGA 003 release), Victor Rice has a long history of work in the ska scene and outside the genre. He is a long time musician with many collaborations under his belt. Read on to view the impressive list of musical performers on this album, this alone is convincing enough to buy this release!

More on the experimental / dub side of ska and reggae, this album walks the spectrum of Jamaican music. Working on the foundation of looping 'riddims' and multiple layered tracks, the end result sound is the deepest darkest ska I have ever heard. Be careful if listening while operating heavy machinery or cruising down the highway, you're likely to get lost in a deep ska mood.

Historically, Victor Rice is known for his bass playing abilities in bands such as The Scofflaws, Mephiskapheles, The Toasters and many others, as well as his superb recording and producing abilities in the ska and non-ska musical genres. He even guest played on the Everlast album!

If you can, track down the Brazilian release of this record, as it has a few different tracks than this release, but not all the ones this one has either. This release was also done before we streamlined our layout process, so it has a lot more booklet than our later releases. It also saw the first use of the new round M logo, which would still change over the next few releases.  

Track List

• 1. The Whip
• 2. Fernandinho
• 3. Context NYC
• 4. Toque
• 5. Commit
• 6. Fique
• 7. The Ring
• 8. ParabÈns
• 9. Drum Thief
• 10. Dry Beat NYC
• 11. Baby Dub
• 12. Neighbors
• 13. Lazy River NYC
• 14. Context SP
• 15. J.D.

Line Up

Track 1 

• Drums :: Eddie Ocampo
• Bass :: VR
• Guitar :: Jayson Nugent
• Guiro :: Larry Macdonald
• Organ :: Victor Axelrod
• Guitar :: David Hahn
• Trombone :: Brian O'Sullivan
• Tenor Sax :: Tony Calarco
• Alto Sax :: Paul Gebhardt
• Trumpet :: Rolf Langsjoen

Track 2 

• Drums :: Eddie Ocampo (The Whip)
• Guiro :: Larry Macdonald
• Bass, Organ, Melodica :: VR
• Guitar :: Alexandre Klinke

Track 3

• Drums :: Eddie Ocampo
• Tamborine :: Larry Macdonald
• Bass, Melodica :: VR
• Organ :: Victor Axelrod
• Guitar :: Jayson Nugent
• Guitar :: David Hahn
• Guiro :: Larry Macdonald
• Alto Sax :: Paul Gebhardt
• Trombone :: Brian O'Sullivan
• Trumpet :: Rolf Langsjoen
• Tenor Sax :: Tony Calarco

Track 4

• Drums :: Eddie Ocampo
• Bass, Melodica, Piano, Tamborine :: VR
• Guitar :: Alexandre Klinke
• Guitar :: Jayson Nugent

Track 5 

• Drums :: Eddie Ocampo
• Caixa :: Larry Macdonald
• Bass :: VR
• Organ :: Victor Axelrod
• Guitar :: Jayson Nugent
• Guitar :: David Hahn
• Trumpet :: Rolf Langsjoen
• Tenor Sax :: Tony Calarco
• Alto Sax :: Paul Gebhardt
• Trombone :: Brian O'Sullivan

Track 6

• Drums :: Eddie Ocampo (Context)
• Tamborine :: Larry Macdonald
• Bass, Stick Bass, Organ, Melodica :: VR
• Guitar :: Alexandre Klinke

Track 7

• Drums :: Eddie Ocampo
• Bass, Melodica, Organ, Cowbell :: VR
• Guitar :: Alexandre Klinke
• Guitar :: Jayson Nugent

Track 8

• Drums :: Eddie Ocampo (Toque)
• Guitar :: Alexandre Klinke
• Bass, Stick Bass, Organ, Vibraphone, Ride Cymbal :: VR

Track 9 

• Drums :: Eddie Ocampo
• Guitar :: Alexandre Klinke
• Bass, Keys, Melodica, Tamborine :: VR

Track 10

• Drums, Wood Blocks :: Eddie Ocampo
• Guitar :: David Hahn
• Bass :: VR
• Organ, Guiro :: Victor Axelrod
• Alto Sax :: Stuart Bogey
• Trombone :: Aaron Johnson

Track 11

• Drums :: Eddie Ocampo (Dry Beat)
• Guitar :: Alexandre Klinke
• Bass, Stick Bass, Cowbell :: VR

Original Recording Of 'Baby-I' Courtesy Of Stubborn Records, Featuring:

• Drums :: Eddie Ocampo
• Guitar :: Jayson Nugent
• Bass :: VR
• Organ :: Victor Ruggiero
• Caz Gardiner :: Voice

Track 12

• Drums :: Eddie Ocampo (The Whip)
• Guiro :: Larry Macdonald
• Bass, Organ, Melodica :: VR
• Guitar :: Alexandre Klinke

Track 13

• Drums :: Eddie Ocampo
• Organ, Guiro :: Victor Axelrod
• Bass :: VR
• Guitar :: David Hahn
• Alto Sax :: Stuart Bogey
• Trombone :: Aaron Johnson

Track 14 

• Drums :: Eddie Ocampo
• Tamborine :: Larry Macdonald
• Bass, Melodica, Organ, Guitar :: VR
• Organ :: Victor Axelrod
• Guitar :: David Hahn
• Guitar :: Jayson Nugent

Track 15

• Drums :: Victor Axelrod
• Bass, Stick Bass, Organ, Vibraphone :: VR

Liner Notes

Gratitude :

The Families: Rice, Angarano, Baker, Cerqueira, Al Kass Issahak, Takara, Misukami and Antibalas.

The Movers: Robert Hingley and Jeremy Patton At Megalith Records, Oswald Muennig at Grover Records, Ira Heaps at Jammyland Records, Benno Reidmann at Leech Records, Bruno Lancelotti at Radiola Records, Chad Snyder at Redbud Records and King Django at Stubborn Records.

To Bela Bartok, Wayne Shorter and Don Drummond for the inspiration

And especially to the Octet, for assisting in the birth of this record!

All drums recorded at Studio Vikkly - Brooklyn, NY
{1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 13, 14, 15} Studio Vikkly - Brooklyn, NY with Victor Axelrod
{1, 5, 10, 13} Mixed at Studio Vikkly with Victor Axelrod
{11} Recorded and mixed at Version City - NYC
{2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15} Overdubbed and mixed at Estudio El Rocha S„o Paulo, Brazil with Fernando Sanches
{3} Mixed at Estudio El Rocha with Fernando Sanches

Mastered by Betho Ieesus at Sun Trip Studios - São Paulo, Brazil

Artwork by Rodrigo Cerqueira, Megalith logo by Jeremy Patton

* All music © 2003 by Victor Rice (Biscoitos Frescos BMI)