King Size Dub Special: Noiseshaper

Germany has established itself firmly as a new world center of roots and progressive reggae music — but Austria? Believe it or not, one of contemporary reggae’s most impressive ensembles is Noiseshaper, a Vienna-based duo consisting of producers/beatmakers Florian Fleischmann and Axel Hirn. The Echo Beach label dedicated a special volume in its King Size Dub series to a compilation of Noiseshaper tracks, and it offers a fine overview of their style, from the sturdy steppers anthem “We Rock It” to a dub techno rework of “The Only Redeemer,” with detours into bluesy reggae funk (“Got It Bad”) and dancehall hip hop (“All a Dem a Do”) along the way.