Music in Cannabis Culture: Meet Dub Traveller

Enigmatic French music artist Dub Traveller took time out from recording to speak to Paradise France about cannabis and music, his new album Infinity and an exclusive collaboration with Paradise Seeds.

What’s the history of Dub Traveller?

I grew up with a lot of music from the 60s and 70s, the experimental music of Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Santana, The Clash... And I was also immersed in reggae with The Gladiators, Lee Scratch Perry, Marley  and Tosh. Later,

I started listening to a lot of electro, I discovered this powerful universe and I had a flash. It’s possible to fuse my musical experiences into an artistic project: Trance N Dub, a path I took in 2020 with my E.P Exil Vol.2 . Basically, I created a Dub track that was very World Music oriented, close to Africa with powerful vocals. I thought it would be great to integrate the strength that Trance brings!

Tell us about your new album Infinity:

The Infinity album is a bit of an affirmation of this "Trance N Dub" style that feeds and carries me. This album underlies the idea of a collective awakening to the apocalyptic theme we are currently living. It is a way to express my sadness at the disrespect with which our planet is treated. How much humans forget where they come from.

If I had to transmit only one message: look at what surrounds us to understand that we are nothing without what it represents.

The album also features some interesting collaborations:

Yes! I worked with Dub stars like Tetra Hydro K, XLair, Ashkabad and guests such as Bakû and Jael. I haven't met any artist doing Trance N Dub yet, I gave the name to the style :).

When is Infinity by Dub Traveller released?

On digital and CD on the 18th of March and beginning of April for the vinyl!

What tour date plans do you have?

We began in Paris in February with a gig organised with the INDEMIND crew and the partner family: Jungle Paradise / Au bon Growshop and Paradise Seeds.

In March we are playing at SPANNABIS , a wonderful concert date that mixes everything I love: travel, the freedom of therapeutic cannabis and music! From there the tour continues (with Paradise Seeds merchandise available at the concerts!).

How has Covid affected you as an artist?

Since 2020, I have lost more than 80 concerts so we have had to renew ourselves, invent other ways of sharing music. The restrictions have been a challenge, especially because of the vaccination obligation in France and the stigmatization it causes.

It prevents a part of us from enjoying the freedom that is music, I am totally against it and send my support to the resistance!

Tell us about the influence of cannabis for Dub Traveller:

I grew up around Cannabis. It has never been a taboo contrary to French codes and it has always been present in my home. It is anchored in my culture, my education, it has always been a realinspiration motor even if, for me today, it has become rather recreational.

It is also an area that has widely opened its doors for me, thanks to activists like Franck (Jungle Paradise ) and Paradise Seeds! For us in France, where it is still prohibited, Cannabis is a field of defence for the rights and freedoms of people.

Given the number of consumers and the number of virtues thisplant has, we all clearly see that this is just a political masquerade that has played for too long...

To conclude, I would say that it is very important that we learn from this plant more than we criticise it. That self-production would allow our humanity to avoid many dramas linked to trafficking and other harmful substances.

It's time for France to open the floodgates to users so that we can stop feeling like criminals when we fall in love with a therapeutic and meditative plant. But maybe that is the real problem? Perhaps a thinking human is no longer enslaved enough for our presidency and politics?

Cannabis and music: Dub Traveller / Paradise Seeds Collaboration!

This superb collaboration is born thanks to my brother Franck and Patrice, the French PS representative. Franck is an activist in all the circles he frequents and discovered me at the Arverne Reggae Festival and we have been working together since then and this is how I met Paradise Seeds - a common adventure and a hand in hand fight: the culture in all its forms! – and I became an official Paradise Seeds artist.

Do you have a favorite Paradise Seeds strain?

Nebula and L.A Amnesia. I'm a fan of energy-uplifting weed! Perfect for making music and having a good laugh! Can't wait to try out the new strains, especially Chocolate Wafflez , which I'm really curious about.

More information:
To follow Dub Traveller rendez-vous on:

• https://facebook.com/dubtraveller
• https://instagram.com/dubtraveller

And of course, on Youtube and all the streaming platforms !

Thanks and welcome to my Trance N Dub !