Dub Colossus – Dub Will Keep Us Together (Real World X, 2026)
Dub Will Keep Us Together is the final Dub Colossus album to feature musician, producer, and composer Nick Page (aka Count Dubulah). The record brings together the last studio sessions Page completed with the project he founded in 2008 before his death in May 2021.
Dub Will Keep Us Together was co-produced by Page, bassist and percussionist Toby Mills, and Page’s life partner Cristina Moran (Dubulette). The album focuses on collective solidarity, cultural inclusivity and resistance to political and social pressures, aiming for a shared struggle for justice as something “bound together by love,” as the project’s notes explain. Dubulette describes finishing the record as the best way to honor Page’s life, his work and his extended musical family, recalling touring with Dub Colossus and his “easy and open-minded” approach as a bandleader.
The record revisits Dub Colossus’s pioneering and enchanting world music fusion. You’ll find a flavorful mix of dub; traditional influences from Jamaica (reggae, ska), Ethiopia, western Africa (Afrobeat), and elsewhere; electronica; jazz; and warm vocals performed in English, Amharic, Spanish, and French. Page’s humor runs through the pieces, including titles such as “24 Carat Dub Affair” and “And The Gods Made Dub.”
Original members from the Dub Colossus collective appear on Dub Will Keep Us Together, among them Ethiopian vocalist Mimi Zenebe, London saxophonist and flutist Ben Somers, and percussionist Paul Chivers. Longtime collaborators join them, including Transglobal Underground’s Tim Whelan on keyboards and Hamid Mantu on drums, alongside guest vocalists Holly Holden, George Riley, Mykaell Riley, Amara Mills, Ollie Mills and Dubulette.
Co-producer Mills describes the album: “Of course, there is playfulness and puns, but there is a reflection on the times we live in: the world seems to be spinning out of control, and those with evil intent are on the rise. But we mustn’t give up hope (keep the faith, chuck!). Humanity is not doomed, but we must stand up and fight for what is right.
Climate change. Inequality rising exponentially. Wars are on the rise. Corruption is rife, and capitalism seems to be failing us. It can feel overwhelming, that we are on a bad path, but it can be turned around. In a fast-changing world, we need more dub.”
Track Information
01 “Dub Conquers All” expresses hope in the sense that dub can overcome anything.
02 “Dub Will Keep Us Together” was originally composed as a tribute to those who had departed too soon. It was conceived in the middle of the pandemic. Toots Hibbert had just died, and many others seemed to be passing too soon. At the same time, it is an important message to see us through dark times. “If we embrace it, dub will keep us together.”
03 “We Stand” addresses the problem of musicians not getting paid in the digital age. Their effort and value are extracted by large corporations, but musicians and composers are not rewarded. Although it is a sweet-sounding song, it is also a sharp rebuke to those streaming platforms and others who choose to place no value on musicians’ work.
04 “Ebo Dub” brings together a multitude of African influences, Afrobeat, Gurage folk and Ethio-Jazz, hybridized with dub. The band indicates that “there is beauty in bringing people and cultures together.”
05 Do We Have a Right. “Should we stand up and fight for what we believe to be right, or just accept our fate?”
06 “24 Carat Dub Affair” presents the lockdown dub affair: “all is not doom and gloom, dub will find a way.”
07 “Consequences” Change is coming fast. “Old certainties are collapsing while we look for new ways of living in a world that doesn’t make sense anymore.”
08 “And the Gods Made Dub” offers “Celestial vibes with extra contributions from the next generation and a few words of wisdom from Nick.”
Dub Will Keep Us Together closes Page’s Real World story as the final Dub Colossus recording with his direct involvement.
Page, a beloved artist, worked on more than 200 albums and singles. In 1990, Nick Page founded the groundbreaking world fusion band Transglobal Underground with Tim Whelan and Hammid Man-Tu. He produced, wrote, and played on six albums before leaving in 1997 to form another trailblazing band, Temple of Sound, with Neil Sparkes, before going onto found and work with Dub Colossus.
Notably, Page maintained a long association with Real World Records. He released well-known albums for the iconic British label, such as Temple Of Sound & Rizwan Muazzam Qawwali – Peoples Colony No 1 (2001); Dub Colossus – A Town Called Addis (2008); Syriana – The Road To Damascus (2010); Dub Colossus – Addis Through The Looking Glass (2011); Dub Colossus – Dub Me Tender, Vol. 1 & 2 (2012); and the 2018 EP A Spy In The House Of Dub.
Musicians: Nick Page on guitars, programming, vocals, percussion; Toby Mills on bass, percussion, dub siren, programming; Ben Somers on saxophones, flute; Hamid Mantu on drum kit; Paul Chivers on percussion, effects, synths; Tim Whelan on keyboards, melodica (2,6,7); Ashley Slater on trombone (2); and Mimi Zenebe, Holly Holden, George Riley, Mykaell Riley, Dubulette, Ollie Mills, and Amara Mills on vocals.
Recorded at Patchwork Studio by Toby Mills. Mixed by Toby Mills.
Produced by Nick Page, Toby Mills and Dubulette.
Mastered by Luis Bonilla.
Cover art by Sam Dodson.
Layout and artwork by Simon Last.
Buy Dub Will Keep Us Together.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.