Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on June 2010

Courtesy of Tru Thoughts/Beat

The last time we heard from Will “Quantic” Holland, it was with his Combo Barbaro, which last year garnered rave reviews for its club-friendly update of traditional Colombian music. This time we find the English resident of Cali, Colombia on a different tip, exploring the cross-currents where Latin American salsa and son meet Caribbean reggae and dub. The title track on Dog With A Rope finds fertile ground between the two, with punchy Latin brass providing a counterpoint to fat dub bass lines. Working with pianist Alfredito Linares, Jamaican-born drummer Conrad Kelly and singers Orlando and Virgilio Hurtado, Holland brings to life a sepia world that now only exists on collectors’ 45s and compilation CDs. Whether your tastes run to Cuban cigars or Jamaican spliffs, this album makes a fitting soundtrack to your smoke.