Long Beach Dub Allstars, the renowned reggae-rock band, has just released their highly anticipated album titled Echo Mountain High. This dynamic new record features collaborations with several notable guests, including Chris Dowd of Fishbone, Devin Morrison of Expanders/Man Like Devin, Jesse Wagner of Aggrolites, and Philieano of Doobie Raider.
The band’s bassist, Edwin Kampwirth, expressed his uncertainty about the band’s future after the pandemic. However, he was pleasantly surprised by the way the band came together to work on the album. Each member got busy, did their parts, and approached the songs with love and respect. According to Kampwirth, Echo Mountain High is the wild album that needed to happen. The band took some chances, broke down barriers, and unleashed their creative floodgates.
To celebrate the release of their album, the Long Beach Dub Allstars enlisted the talented director Anthony Turrietta to create a music video for their current single, Preacha. The concept for the video draws inspiration from the movie Superbad and the Beastie Boys’ Sabotage video. Vocalist Opie Ortiz conceptualized the idea of band members playing different occupations and abusing their powers in a comical way. The video features Ortiz and Roger as police officers, Ed and Miguel as teachers and professors, Gil as a priest, and Jesse from Aggrolites as a judge. Filming the video was an absolute blast for the band, and they had a lot of fun throughout the process.
Speaking about the Preacha track itself, Ortiz revealed that it all started with an old demo that band member Ed had put together back when he was living in Long Beach. The demo had a unique and almost eerie sound, reminiscent of a scary circus. Ortiz and his brother Philieano went to the studio to record a demo with Lew, the band’s producer. They then presented the demo to the rest of the band, who loved it. The song features Philieano, who is Ortiz’s younger brother and a frequent collaborator on various projects.
Kampwirth added that Preacha was one of the first ideas that caught Ortiz’s attention when they were going through different tracks. The band worked on molding everyone’s parts into a structured song, and Preacha was born. The studio experience was incredible for Kampwirth, as he witnessed the team bringing the track to life and infusing it with their unique style. Echo Mountain High features an array of fun instruments, and Kampwirth had the opportunity to play the sitar guitar and melodica, which he highly recommends.
Long Beach Dub Allstars have truly delivered a phenomenal album with Echo Mountain High. Their collaborations with notable guests and their willingness to take risks make this record a must-listen for reggae-rock fans. The band’s passion, creativity, and camaraderie shine through in every track. Be sure to check out the music video for Preacha to get a taste of the Long Beach Dub Allstars’ infectious energy.
