In early February, San Diego progressive reggae band, Tribal Seeds, released their fifth album, Ancient Blood. It had been ten years since the group had last released a full-length LP, but with a whopping 17 tracks clocking in at 73 minutes, the band has certainly made it worth the wait. Of course, quality means more than quantity, and Tribal Seeds have delivered a magnificent album of all killer, no filler.

Most of the songs hit instantly and get stuck in my head, both signs that, to me, typify good songwriting. Digging a bit deeper into the music, I won’t tell anyone how to enjoy it, but in my opinion, listening to this album casually is doing this thoughtful work an injustice, because it has so many musical, lyrical and vibey hidden gems buried in nooks and crannies.  Ancient Blood deserves a set of hi-fi headphones and deep listening, allowing listeners to fully comprehend, absorb and really feel it.

With the exception of one song, “Irie Up,” which the group recorded as part of the Ganjaville riddim released in 2022, brothers Steven and Tony Ray Jacobo (aka Maad T-Ray) composed and produced the songs, with Steven getting primary credit on the majority of the tracks. About that, he told me, “We just come up with our own ideas and whoever came up with the song usually has more say of the overall structure of it. Sometimes I’ll just come up with chords and bring it to T-Ray to put a beat on it, like on ‘Wicked & Riled.’ Then we’ll meet up and add more to it like the cello parts, tribal breakdown, record scratch, etc.” 

Adding to the excitement and keeping things fresh, Ancient Blood boasts collaborations with an impressive 12 different musicians from all over the world, including Jamaica, England, Mexico and Argentina.  In fact, as a musician who writes, records and produces, when asked what he found to be the most challenging aspect of the creative process and whether he favors one part over another, Steven revealed that his favorite part is working with other musicians “to put their flavors on top of tracks.”

“I enjoy the creative process the most and the tedious editing the least,” he said. “Definitely the most challenging part for me is editing my vocals. I’m picky about it and that’s why I do it myself.”

Another aspect of this album that I appreciate is that it has a theme, represented by the title, that many songs delve into or touch upon. This is not something we see often nowadays, but it speaks to the Jacobos’ passion for using music as a vehicle to express what is important to them. However, as Steven puts it, rather than setting out to create a work with a particular theme, it kind of emerged organically as the album came together. “It was more so that we made the songs first and the theme came after. Like, we already had the songs ‘Fallen Kings,’ ‘Ancient Blood,’ ‘Aya,’ and ‘Wicked & Riled’ before we had a name for the album. but when we were thinking about what to call the album, we felt like ‘Ancient Blood’ was a good name to summarize what a lot of these songs were touching on.”

The album kicks off with the absolutely ferocious, “Bondage,” a deep and heavy roots banger, quintessential Tribal Seeds sound. The song carries a serious lyrical message to match the musical intensity and is enhanced by a memorable passage sung by Norman Grant of Jamaica’s Twinkle Brothers, one of the longest tenured foundational roots reggae groups still active today having been formed 62 years ago:

Babylon invade our mind
And attack and occupy our thinking
The races genocide and holocaust invasion and conquest
To keep us inna bondage
They wrap me up in bandages
Our heart and our soul is damaged
Babylon they wrap me up in bandages
The races genocide and holocaust invasion
Took us cross desert, and they took us cross the ocean
And because they knew that we were spiritual and tribal
They invade our minds with their religion
My mind need a good scrubbin’
From Babylon brainwashing

That last line about needing a good scrubbing from Babylon brainwashing really resonates during this election year in the United States and should serve as a mantra for us all.

From the weighty opener, Ancient Blood takes a lighthearted turn with its second track, “One Time,” an invigorating modern roots reggae song with a super catchy chorus, resplendent brass and jazzy guitar riffs that bring to mind Bob Marley and the Wailers’ later music.  I love songs that celebrate the power and glory of reggae and when composing an homage to Jamaica’s greatest gift to the world, who better to collaborate with than Romain Virgo, known for his lover’s rock style.  The song starts off kind of ambiguously but quickly brightens with Steven Jacobo’s mesmerizingly mellifluous voice carrying us through. Then, enter Romain Virgo with his powerful and polished vocals as he perfectly describes how reggae music makes us feel:

When I hear bassline like this
In my heart and soul I feel it, yes
Pure happiness
You better get ready for this lift
Rockin’ in the sun, sun, sun but we still cool as breeze
This music is lifе, keeps my mind at ease…

From here, Ancient Blood enters rare territory for Tribal Seeds music with essentially a ska song titled, “Tokyo,” which pleases with a chorus of Steven’s soaring vocals. According to Steven, he wrote the song around 2017 or 2018 after visiting Japan for the first time.  “It’s just a place me and my friends always wanted to visit,” he explained. “We grew up playing Japanese-made video games, watching anime, and growing an attachment to that historical and cultural aesthetic of Japan. It has beautiful scenery, some of the best food, and a fun night life. Every time I go, I take something new from the experience. Last time, we went to a Zen temple in Kyoto, and I remember just sitting there gazing at the pond with the hills in the background and Sakura trees in full bloom. I felt an appreciation of nature and culture and just kind of meditated on it. Next time I go, I plan to go to more rural and natural sites, so I’m looking forward to that.”

With the opening lines, “Vibes return and crowd and masses come, it’s been a long run with no music, so come get some,” the fourth track, “Dusk Till Dawn,” seems to commemorate the return of live music, presumably, or possibly, due to the pandemic lockdown. Regardless of its intent, like “One Time,” it also hails the treasure of reggae music as the lyrics portray an all-night reggae party.  The track features a collaboration from Jamaican singer Hector “Roots” Lewis and the brothers Jacobo drop out all the instrumentation except for a skanking keyboard to introduce his vocals, which begin with modulation and a bit of echo. Later, during the bridge, they bring in choral harmonies, which give the song a touch of gospel and perfectly fit with the idea of a communal celebration.

Ancient Blood contains many little nuances like this and they make for memorable moments that elevate the listening experience, an example of exceptional producing. Looking back at Tribal Seeds’ output over the years, the guys showed major songwriting chops from the get-go, but their studio skills have no doubt advanced with each successive record.

Staying with the uplifting vibes, Tribal Seeds steps back in time a bit with a delightful lover’s rock tune, “Time to Time.” Two key elements provide its signature sound: 60s-style organ, uncommon for Tribal Seeds’ typically modern take on reggae, and the heavenly voice of Hollie Cook.  “When I made the chords, it was with the U.K. lovers rock kind of vibe in mind,” said Steven, adding that he had a collaboration with Cook in mind from the moment he started composing the song. As for that old-school keyboard element, he said, “Louie Castle is the one who came up with that lead organ and Roger Rivas added to it.”  

Next, “Irie Up,” features T-Ray and Seeds’ guitarist Ryan “Gonzo” Gonzales joining Steven on vocals. As previously mentioned, it had originally been released in 2022 on the Ganjaville riddim put out by the online magazine, Reggaeville in conjunction with German label, Oneness Records. Despite this, the song fits perfectly within the musical context of Ancient Blood, and as the name of the riddim suggests, its lyrics extol marijuana with Seeds’ customary cool and clever rhymes:

Many names, many strains. Let me learn one
Reminisce about the times we couldn’t burn one
Government launched a war but never won
Now we legally order to deliver some
What Jah bless, let no man destroy
Holding up the test of time
Herbalists commit no crime
In this sufferation time
Jailhouse surrender the herb vendor

Skipping ahead, the eighth song, “Down Bad Vibes,” kicks off with a flurry of triumphant horns that repeat throughout this modern roots number, lending even more power to the strong message put forth. While the song laments suppressed knowledge, lost wisdom and stolen culture, the defiance expressed through the lyrics is inspiring. Steven sings:

Tired still I trod
Forward lest I stall
Over oceans over land
Over the oppressors
Weak hearts one and all

Later, with his invigorating guest appearance, Steven Suckarie warns:

Babylon, your wicked ways have woken up the people
Now that we’ve awakened
We’ve got stand for righteousness not evil…

 And:

We come to end your reign
Of bloodshed and pain
Because we see what’s true

The song immediately brings to mind Bob Marley, because the Jacobos ingeniously borrow the melody from the bridge of Rastaman Vibration’s “Want More” for their chorus, replacing the lyrics “Down back-biters” with “Down bad vibes.” Also worth mentioning, the 3:20 point of the song seems like the perfect place for it to end, but instead, they extend the song for a minute-long dub breakdown with percussion and bass. When something pleases, more is better!

The tenth song, “Wicked and Riled,” stands out as one of the best tunes on the album and offers so much to unpack. For starters, I’ve been watching this nature documentary on Netlfix called Our Living World, and my main takeaway is how every living thing upon the earth and the earth itself are so interconnected in ways that most people would never realize. It’s mind-blowing actually, and also heartbreaking about how, with the exception of some cultures such as Native Americans, mankind has always and seemingly will forever continue to plunder and ravage the planet, which is a gut-wrenching shame and truly frightening when you consider it’s what gives us life. With this in mind, I strongly identify with the vocal sample that opens “Wicked and Riled” which, according to Steven, came from a video clip from a native elder, Floyd Red Crow Westerman, which he found when YouTubing Native American prophecies:

We were told that we would see America come and go…
In a sense, America is dying from within
Because they forgot the instructions on how to live on earth

From this sage and somber spoken-word opening, the music kicks in with a riveting keyboard skank that brings to mind the Inner Circle classic, “Bad Boys,” which gained massive mainstream notoriety as the theme song from Cops, a documentary show about law enforcement that, in its 36^th season, is one of the longest-running television shows in the United States. To borrow an adjective from its title, the song features a wicked groove throughout as Steven pulls no punches with his lyrics:

Spit out the truth and get the wicked dem riled
Chant out your roots and get the wicked dem riled
Over-stand how the past still affects now
Over-stand the system works to keep you down

(Noting the use of “over-stand,” props to Jacobo for dropping in these little nuggets of Rasta jargon, a nod to the foundational roots reggae that many of us grew up listening to.)

Speaking of Rasta, what really launches this song into the stratosphere are the murderous vocals of Hempress Sativa, one of my favorite modern Jamaican artists.  Keeping in mind the historic oppression and outright abuse Rastafarians have endured in Jamaican society, her chill-inducing verse rails against the shitstem steadfast and strong:

Death before dishonor is the only decision
I naw hesitate when it comes to His mission
Iyah draw fi the shield and buckler
Ram mi sword through pagans naw be nuh pawn

Babylon master of manipulation
Masses minds are captivated like
Lot’s wife in Sodom and them wah dumb down
The consciousness from the youths dem born
GMO food a farm
Depopulate with biological weapon
Pandemic plan to systematic racism
We tell them we can’t breathe and
Yet no one is listening
Well revolution is a must I naw be no victim

“When I was writing this song, I knew I wanted to have a collaboration who could drop a heavy verse,” said Steven about working with this amazing artist. “Around that time, I was buying a lot of reggae vinyl and really digged Hempress Sativa’s ‘Rock It Ina Dance’ song. I felt like she would be a good vibe for the song so we reached out to her team.”

As far as how the collaboration actually unfolded, he explained, “I gave a general idea of what the song was going to be about, because when we sent it to her, I only had one verse done. I remember thinking that she would slay the verse lyrically with a heavy roots message, and that’s what I wanted. Needless to say, she didn’t disappoint. It was the hard-hitting message that I wanted to send to the people, to remind them that this is what real roots reggae is about. It’s not just about getting high and positive vibes, it’s about the struggle and speaking the truth about what’s going on. I knew it would trigger certain people, but that’s the point I’m making in the song.” 

Big ups!

Further into the song, Steven sings:

MAGA man claim them a Christian then why
Do they fall victim to politician lies?
Do they not recall what Daniel prophesied?
Bowing to the beast, do they not realize?

Personally, as someone who loathes Donald Trump and the MAGA mentality, I love this passage. When I asked Steven if he felt a duty to use his music as a weapon against fascism or if it was more that tyranny pushes his creative buttons, he said “I feel like a lot of reggae legends have used their platforms to speak out against political corruption and it inspires me to do the same.”

Expanding on this, I asked him if he cared to offer his opinion on the political shituation in our country, and he shared this wisdom: “The fact of the matter is that they got us fighting against each other with political bullshit, while they run things behind the scenes. So, I can’t stand seeing people play into politics so hard. They’re just behaving like good little puppets, which was the inspiration for the cover art for the song. I don’t give a fuck who’ll be the next president, and I don’t care to argue with anyone on their political ideologies anymore. I just disconnect myself from them and focus my time and energy on better things.”

 Steven then returns with another righteous verse, citing America’s ugly past pertaining to Native American genocide, a precursor to centuries of racism that continues to plague our society thanks in part to our penchant for revisionist history:

Real natives of this land knew what you’ve defiled
Atonement awaits, countdown the sundial
And we still ride high
Vexed with yourself, you nah vexed with I
Go on, trace back your bloodline till it run dry
Systemic racism is something they still deny
Warnings of their scripture, they turn blind eye
Convince yourself of a little white lie

Also worth mentioning, a haunting sound resembling a bow going across strings lurks beneath the surface, adding to song’s gravity. “It’s a cello that we chopped up in editing and added some effects to it,” Steven revealed. “I got the idea honestly from watching the Game of Thrones live orchestra concert. They had their cello player making those sounds and I tried to recreate it.”

After “Wicked and Riled,” Ancient Blood reverts to more lighthearted, feel-good music with three straight reggae songs that are as sweet as honey.  First, “Tempest,” features Steven’s soft touch singing upful lyrics that allude to finding fulfillment in making music:

Calm myself to wait
For the clouds to fade
There’s a bright new day a coming
Still holding onto something
As long as I heart and blood keep pumping
Rhythm and melodies keep on humming
Four strings to make something out of nothing

The latter two songs of this section, “Mellow Mood” and “Breathe Easy,” feature guest vocals from two of the most adored singers and songwriters in the American reggae-rock scene, Jackson Wetherbee of The Elovaters and Josh Swain of The Movement. Both songs are super vibey and could easily cross over to mainstream listening audiences. “Breathe Easy” paints a blissful picture of contentment:

Got no time for games
Got no time for no drama
Just post me up on the beach
And smoke marijuana
No evil intent, away with bad karma
Cool breeze as I’m sippin’ on a lager

After “Breathe Easy,” Ancient Blood pivots in a big way with songs 14-16, where the album enters a phase of trance-inducing music.  The first song in this section, “Nice Up,” is a banger of the highest order, a hip-hop/reggae mashup that features a crucial collab with Grammy-winner Kabaka Pyramid. The Jamaican star comes mighty with wicked vocal flow, spittin’ rhyme after rhyme as the wall-shaking sub-bass rolls through like huge barrel waves and the synth-drum pops rapid-fire like gun shots, mirroring the cadence of the vocals. Upon on that savage groove, Tribal Seeds layer various synth affects that make this song psychedelic headphone candy; musical alchemy at its finest.

About working with Kabaka Pyramid on this track, Maad T-Ray said, “We knew we had to have a lyrical assassin on this one and thought Kabaka would be perfect! He killed that and we couldn’t be happier with the way it came out.” He added, “Touring with him was such an awesome experience. His energy and conviction is inspiring to watch.”

Tribal Seeds stay with a similar vibe for the next song, “Aya,” a mind-bending sonic journey with echoing keys and guitar over rumbling bass and a hip-hop drumbeat. Steven sings in a hushed voice about the wonders of ayahuasca while keyboard tones mimic an Andean pan flute, appropriately giving the song a South American flavor. To this, the Jacobos add an effect that resembles that unmistakable wahwahwahwahwah sound one hears when under the influence of nitrous oxide, only slower and deeper. It’s brilliant and absolutely perfect for a song about a psychotropic substance.

Steven sings:

Like a snake who come to seek and destroy you
So is the works of the Vatican and royal
Priesthoods who’re claiming that they’ll do something for you
While covering up the truth and propagating works in toil
Amazonian, come walk me through the ritual
Prepare the flesh and the mind for the spiritual
Voyage through time and through space in the literal
And confront negative tendencies that may be habitual
As a student, I yearn to learn from the teachers
Whom hold the secrets of esoteric scripture
Lessons within them are the arrows to my quiver
And as a messenger, I need new words to deliver

If all of this wasn’t interesting enough, the guys brought in Mexican singer/rapper, Pat Boy, who delivers a passage in Maya! I have no idea what he is saying, but it sure sounds dope. According to T-Ray, they learned about Pat Boy from a documentary film about the making of the soundtrack to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever called Voices Rising: The Music of Wakanda Forever. “There was so much Mayan cultural influence in that movie and soundtrack, it inspired us to reach out to him and have him be a part of our Ancient Blood album with this ancient language,” explained T-Ray. “We felt it was a perfect fit and are ecstatic that he agreed to be a part of it. Definitely some natural mystic vibrations that flow through this language.”

From the chill, percolating dubbiness of “Aya,” Tribal Seeds step up the intensity with the pounding cumbia stomp of “Ancient Blood,” as if they wanted to emphasize that this is the title track to drive home the theme of the album. The song, which has the talented Chiquis Lozoya of The Expanders joining Steven on vocals, calls for people to know their roots and encourages youth to come from a place of truth and authenticity. “When I was writing this one, the lyrics just came out as if I was giving advice to the upcoming roots artists,” Steven told me. “I just wanted to encourage them and give them some advice from personal experience. But most importantly, I want them to remember where they came from, where we all come from, and to let it guide their work.”

All my youth them
Pierce and shine like the rays of the sun
Rise through the ranks in the place you’re from
Bust through the cracks as the weeds that’ve sprung
And the masses gonna hear of the words you’ve sung…

 My youth, never forget who and where you come from
Roots be within every chord you strum
Truth be within all the words you’ve sung
Strength be within you when the evil them come

About the song’s musical inspiration of “Ancient Blood,” Steven revealed, “This song originally started from El Dusty sending us some beats that we could collab with. So, he was the one who worked with Los Daddys and first gave it that bumping cumbia vibe. Later, me and my brother added the reggae skank to it along with a few other instrumentations, and structured the song out.”

Additionally, on working with Chiquis Lozoya, Steven added, “Because it had a cumbia vibe, I knew Chiquis would kill it with his vocal tone. I basically gave him a general idea of what the song would be about and mentioned that I wanted the chorus to kind of follow the guitar melody and for it to be in Spanish. We were all stoked on his chorus when he sent it back to us.”

This brings us to the final song on the album, “In Love,”  which finds Tribal Seeds shifting back to a more upbeat pop-reggae/lovers rock type of sound enhanced by the seductive vocals of Argentinian Natalia Doco. “I’ve had one of her songs, ‘Respira,’ on my playlist for years,” Steven shared.  “I was thinking about who would fit well for this and I felt her style, voice, and tone would be a great fit for the song.” 

I wondered about the placement of this song as I felt that closing with the title track would have been a more obvious choice.  Steven told me, “We wanted to end the album on a feel-good, uplifting note with a little Latin/world music flare…leave the listeners with something to move and groove to.”

Finally, often overlooked but not to be forgotten, I asked Steven if he could provide some insight into the artwork for Ancient Blood. “I came up with the idea with the title in mind. It represents the ancestors from our indigenous blood here on these lands, “the Americas,” as well as the African ancestors that we all derive from. Their blood, ancient wisdom and knowledge runs through us, and we can tap into it if we take the time. Nate Dino was the artist that helped bring this vision to life for the cover artwork.”

In sum, I’m in awe of this album and I have the deepest respect, admiration, and appreciation for Tribal Seeds’ musicianship and creative ethos. To me, they are  among the best in the business.