Drink Victor Rice

• 1La Mura03:06
• 2Simão03:12
• 3The Demander02:18
• 4This Is Fine03:05
• 5Bebida02:55
• 6Arouche02:23
• 7Five03:05
• 8Because I Can03:18
• 9Madrid02:52
• 10Time to Go02:38
• Total Runtime28:52

Info for Drink

Victor Rice, winner of multiple Latin Grammy's and longtime fixture in the ska and reggae scene, returns with a follow-up to 2017's celebrated SMOKE release. DRINK continues Rice's efforts to create a Samba-Rocksteady musical hybrid, with amazing results. This album adds new elements to the mix, like the guitar work on the lead single "Simão."

As a bass player, engineer and producer Victor Rice was involved with most of the groundbreaking ska bands which emerged from New York in the early 1990s like The Scofflaws, Stubborn Allstars, The Slackers, New York Ska Jazz Ensemble, King Django’s Roots & Culture or The Toasters.

As he delved deeper into producing he began experimenting with dub and quickly gained a reputation as a highly original and much in-demand engineer and dub producer, for example for New York’s Easy Star Records and the Easy Star All Stars, contributing to highly popular records like “Dub Side of the Moon” or “Radiodread”.

After moving to São Paulo, Brazil in 2002, Rice continued to produce reggae and ska music by a variety of international acts, including Firebug (Brazil), The Moon Invaders (Belgium), The Stingers ATX (USA), The Japonicans (Japan) and Chris Murray (Canada), Pitshú (a.k.a. Alberto Matondo Manzambi), Cedric Brooks and Buford O’Sullivan (USA).

Victor Rice has also received top recognition for his mixing and engineering capabilities during his immersive stay in Brazil, which helped him bring home two Latin Grammys (2015, 2016) and become further knowledgeable in the depths of under-appreciated Brazilian music.

“Drink” is the sequel to Victor Rice’s last album “Smoke”, on which he created a new musical genre which he called “Samba Rocksteady”, mixing Ska and Rocksteady with Brazilian Samba-Rock. At Freedom Sounds, we will be the fortunate first ones to hear the new songs live.

Victor Rice

Victor Rice
Victor's involvement in the world of Retro-Jamaican music, as well as his instrumental and recording technique, have been influential in creating signature sounds of this era in the world of Ska, Reggae & Dub Music.

As a bassist, he started with the Scofflaws in 1988 and was soon involved in other ventures: Founding member of the Stubborn All-Stars as well as The New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble, he has also toured with Laurel Aitken and Desmond Dekker.

Producing for NYC’s Moon Records in the early 90s, Rice worked with The Skatalites, The Slackers, The Toasters, The Pietasters, The Adjusters, The Epitones and many others. By the late 90’s Rice was a regular figure in a majority of the Ska records coming out of NYC, either as bassist engineer or producer.

As musician and producer for NYC’s Stubborn Records in the late 90s, he received one of two keys to the Version City Studio in 1996. Finding himself in a limitless environment, Rice focused on the craft of engineering. It was here that he would work with King Django, Rocker T, Crazy Baldhead, Chris Murray and many more, as well as produce his first CD, “At Version City(1999)”. He also developed a personal Dub technique that serves him to this day.

Victor is more widely known for his bass and engineering work with Easy Star Records: “Dub Side of the Moon”, “Radiodread”, “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band” and “Ticklah Vs Axelrod”.

In 2002 Rice relocated to São Paulo, Brasil, where he finished his second CD, “In America(2003)”. He built his own mix studio and works constantly for artists in Brazil and Abroad. He has produced and/or mixed records for The Skatalites(JA), Glen Brown(JA), The Slackers(US), Dr Ring Ding and the Senior Allstars(DE), Mr T-Bone(IT), Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra(JP), Pannonia All-Stars(HU), Yellow Umbrella(DE), Brother Culture(UK), Open Season(CH), Hot Drop(ES), Mikkim(CZ), M.A.K.U. SoundSystem(CO) and many others.

Since 2010, Victor has been working more closely with some of Brazil’s best-known artists: Elza Soares, João Donato, Ceu, Marcelo Camelo, Bixiga70 and many others. In 2015, Rice joined a collaboration in São Paulo called Jam Lab, a monthly episode on YouTube that documents the production of one song from rehearsal to vinyl in two days’ time.

Victor has been touring the Continent for nearly ten years with the Strikkly Vikkly DubSystem, a one-man dub show utilizing an 8-track tape machine, mixing desk and live effects. When time permits, he can be found giving workshops in Analog Production Technique.

This album contains no booklet.