Paolo Baldini DubFiles ADD
Producer, engineer, bassist and sonic visionary Paolo Baldini was born in Pordenone, Northeast Italy, in 1975.
His first band was B.R. Stylers (which included singer Michela Grena, later of Wicked Dub Division). BR Stylers stood out in the Italian reggae scene thanks to Paolo’s innovative use of electronics and UK-inspired sounds, a distinctive feature for his music ever since.
In 2006 Baldini joined Italy’s longest-established reggae band Africa Unite. As well as playing bass, he produced two of their albums (“Controlli” and "Rootz"). This led to a collaboration with band leader Madaski on the THE DUB SYNC project – who have worked with UK legends Zion Train.
Over time, Paolo’s approach and techniques became increasingly analogue - inspired by Jamaican dub legends such as King Tubby and Scientist.
Baldini is also the producer of Pordenone’s hugely important independent rock band, Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti (“Three cheerful dead boys”). He produced three of their albums (“Primitivi del futuro/Primitivi del dub”, “Nel giardino dei fantasmi” and “Inumani”) blending rock, reggae and global rhythms.
Paolo Baldini is perhaps best known as the producer of Pordenone’s most famous reggae band, Mellow Mood. He has produced all their albums, on their journey from an underground phenomenon to international superstars. He also mixes their live shows – when his many solo projects permit.
In 2014 Baldini debuted his solo project Paolo Baldini DubFiles, focusing on his work as a dubmaster. In February 2015 he travelled to Jamaica to record what would become his second album, entitled “At Song Embassy Papine Kingston 6”. Dozens of artists from the Papine ghetto, many unknown to the mainstream public, transformed Baldini’s riddims into a tribute to the spontaneity and genius of Jamaican music.
After extensive touring of Europe and the Americas, 2018 was another busy year for Baldini. For his own label La Tempesta Dub, which he jointly manages with Mellow Mood, Baldini produced Sardinian group Forelock & Arawak's To The Foundation, Mellow Mood's heartfelt masterpiece Large and its flipside follow-up Large Dub. At the same time, Baldini also started working with legendary UK label Pressure Sounds, mixing and re-mixing a number of released and unreleased Jamaican songs from the 70s and 80s.
At the start of 2020, Baldini announced the release of a full-length album in cooperation with Dan I and Imperial Sound Army. The album, titled “Dolomites Rockers”, explored a darker electronic and heavyweight sonic landscape compared to previous DubFiles works. Baldini maintains his renowned analogue and organic approach to production, while Dan I contributes his skilful song-writing, providing rock-solid riddims and powerful melodies. The album is enriched by special guest appearances by several artists (including Akae Beka, Fikir Amlak, and Benji Revelation), for a project which will be loved by dub fans around the world.
In 2022 Baldini has been hard at work on an exciting new project with platinum selling New Zealand group L.A.B. He has been selecting and remixing tracks from their back catalogue for the forthcoming album L.A.B. In Dub...
