- 12inch
- Recommended
Siva
Skeleton EP
Dotei Records
- Cat No: DTR-008
- updated:2025-10-31
DTR-008, released in August 2025 on (Dotei) Dotei Records. In stock. The first solo outing from Siva, who has been active as leader and bassist of the instrumental reggae band Version Brothers.
Track List
Skeleton EP is the first solo work by Siva, who is also known as the leader and bassist of the instrumental reggae band Version Brothers while also running the reggae apparel brand RASTAFA Riddim in Hachioji, Tokyo.
The EP was recorded using analog equipment at Vibes House Studio, which Siva has been building over the past ten years. He played all the instruments himself, recorded onto a reel-to-reel multitrack recorder, and handled the mixing on his own. The project began with a simple question posed by the label owner—a friend of Siva's for over 15 years: What would happen if Siva, whose musical career had always centered around live performances and collaborations, created everything entirely by himself?
Rooted in the groove and spirit of roots reggae, the EP also incorporates unexpected sonic effects that emerged organically during the recording process. Moreover, with mastering by Pole, an artist and engineer known primarily for his work in the realm of electronic dub, the record gained a unique texture that sets it apart from conventional reggae.
In an age where AI automation is taking over music, this work stands out for its raw groove and primal creative spark—offering something that speaks to the listener.
The EP was recorded using analog equipment at Vibes House Studio, which Siva has been building over the past ten years. He played all the instruments himself, recorded onto a reel-to-reel multitrack recorder, and handled the mixing on his own. The project began with a simple question posed by the label owner—a friend of Siva's for over 15 years: What would happen if Siva, whose musical career had always centered around live performances and collaborations, created everything entirely by himself?
Rooted in the groove and spirit of roots reggae, the EP also incorporates unexpected sonic effects that emerged organically during the recording process. Moreover, with mastering by Pole, an artist and engineer known primarily for his work in the realm of electronic dub, the record gained a unique texture that sets it apart from conventional reggae.
In an age where AI automation is taking over music, this work stands out for its raw groove and primal creative spark—offering something that speaks to the listener.
Dub and instrumental reggae, with every instrument played by Siva himself. It's multitracked, yet you're drawn in by the live, in-the-room feel, the cool reggae groove, and the uniqueness of its dubwise sound. Label information follows. (Saito)
"Skeleton EP is the first solo work by Siva, who runs the reggae apparel brand RASTAFA Riddim and his family's silkscreen workshop MW ATLANTIS FACTORY in Hachioji, and who has been active as leader and bassist of the instrumental reggae band Version Brothers. At Vibes House Studio, which he spent ten years building on the second floor of his family home, he committed to an all-analog approach, playing every instrument himself, recording to a 16-track open-reel MTR, and handling the mixing entirely on his own. The project began when the label owner, a friend of Siva's for fifteen years, wondered what would happen if he let Siva—whose activity had centered on playing live with bands and collaborating with others—do everything alone. While rooted in the groove and spirituality of roots reggae, the record also incorporates sonic effects that arose by chance during the making of it, and with mastering by Pole, whose main territory lies in the more electronic realms of dub, a reggae of a distinctly different texture was born. At a time when the waves of standardization and automation are steadily encroaching even on music and creative fields, this primal impulse and raw human groove carry something that speaks straight to the listener's heart."