Brave New World

Reggae has long played a pivotal role in Pacific music, but unlike its Jamaican roots counterpart, the more derivative Oceanic version often highlights its own regional flavours, with local rhythms, instrumentation, and various international influences.

One such hybrid is fast-rising New Caledonian rastaman Marcus Gad, who after several years of world travel returned to his hometown Nouméa to produce two well-received EPs – Soul Talk and Purify (in 2015 and 2016 respectively). His debut 2017 album Chanting was recorded in Paris with French beatmaker Clement ‘Tamal’ Thouard, who joined Gad’s band on tour as their live sound engineer. The duo debuted as Marcus Meets Tamal on their 2019 EP Enter a Space, and following Gad’s 2020 release Rhythm of Serenity with American production team Zion I Kings, the pair started pandemic-lockdown work on this latest project. With politico-enviro lyrics to the fore over solid reggae-electronic backing, the title-track addresses multiple social problems, while ‘Between the Lines’ tackles global warming issues from a South Pacific perspective. The gently moody ‘Look Around’ contrasts with the upbeat ‘Tempo’, which indulges Gad’s fascination for Moroccan music and features the traditional Berber loutar. With New Caledonia’s continued non-independence from colonial France still an issue, this successful Kanak-Franco collaboration highlights the benefits of both cultures.