Kiwi dubtronica legends Salmonella Dub released their self-titled in 1994, and 15 years on they still have the ability to produce excellent dub/DnB influenced music. Freak Controller is their ninth album, and the first for some time not to feature any input from former frontman Tiki Taane (although Tiki had left the band before the release of 2007’s Heal Me, he still featured on the album). Since the departure of Taane, Paddy Free, one half of the Christchurch duo Pitch Black, has started touring with the band, and also features heavily on this album, contributing keys and production on many tracks. Other guests include vocalists MC Mana, Whirimako Black and the Mighty Asterix, and the result is a well-balanced, if unremarkable album.

The band has said that their aim with this album was to achieve a more upbeat, live feel, after the relatively downbeat vibe of their previous offering, 2007’s Heal Me. Tracks like Restless Soul, Dub Shakes and Walk Into Your Mind are at the drum and bass end of the spectrum, with the latter graced by the excellent vocals of MC Mana. While similarly upbeat Freak Local (which also appeared on the Freak Local EP released in June this year) sits in more familiar dub influenced territory.

In fact, “familiar” is a word that describes this album very well. Untangling builds slowly, before a slow-burning rhythm kicks in, punctuated by heavy horn stabs. Bombastic and Deep In Southland are both heavily dub-influenced, with plenty of space. Rhythm and Pattern heads towards a genuine dub sound (as opposed to merely dub-influenced). That said, Up & Running is definitely something of a departure from the usual Salmonella Dub sound, verging on hip-hop.
Tiki Taane has said of his decision to leave the band that he felt that like he’d “gone as far as he could with the band”. Between 1999’s Killervision and Freak Controller, there isn’t really anything new. Salmonella Dub make great music – they know what they do and they do it well. The advantage of this is that if you like their music, you will certainly like this album, and fans certainly will not be disappointed.