Coblism

Raph Dumas brings the two strands of his musical heritage together with this innovative album entitled Coblism. On the one hand there is the traditional music of Catalunya, the music of his heritage, which is in his blood. On the other, there is modern electronic music, to which he has dedicated his life as a DJ and producer. Coblism is the meeting of both, an album that swells with the tradition and pride of the cobla (the traditional Catalan band), but also works on the modern dancefloor. It is Raph’s personal reading of the cobla sound, from the perspective of a modern DJ.  

Unlike the Primaveras project, solely a ‘live’ affair, where Raph put together his own cobla and recorded them, this is a studio affair.  This album features samples from 1950s vinyl recordings of different coblas’, studio sessions with the Primaveras and Sardanas (traditional dances, where the music is provided by a cobla) that Raph has written himself. This traditional music is combined with the type of beats and grooves you would expect to find on an album of electronic music. Coblism is therefore a unique beast, celebrating both two centuries of traditional Catalan music and modern electronic music culture. On the face of it, this may seem like a strange meeting of cultures and ideas. However, it is not, because the basic role of both the cobla and the modern DJ or electronic music producer is the same: they wish to make you dance. Raph believes there are parallels between the sardana and breakdancing, as both are street dances.  He envisages live performances of the album to feature break dancing and traditional sardanas.

The album features Oscar Dalmau, who speaks on the Outro Lliure. Dalmau is a famous TV and Radio presenter in Catalunya. He also DJs as Phil Musical and has made a number of Catalonian pop compilations. Raph’s daughter, Lou, also features on this track. Another guest, celebrated French musician, Pascal Comelade, has supplied the painting on the cover.  Comelade is better known for his musical exploits than his paintings, having worked with the likes of PJ Harvey and Robert Wyatt. He has an extensive discography and released his first album in the mid 1970s. However, his artwork should not be underestimated, as this striking album cover shows.