The Drastics

The Drastics are a roots-oriented dub reggae group hailing from Chicago. Though primarily classified as a reggae group, The Drastics embrace many styles of music both live and in the studio. This can be heard in their songs which draw from roots reggae, hip hop, jazz (mostly hard-bop), afro-beat, dancehall, as well as folk musics from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America.

Band history

The Drastics formed in December 2003, playing their first show in March 2004 at Chicago's now defunct Fireside Bowl. Answering a Chicago Reader ad placed by guitarist Josh Rosenstock, the original 6 piece lineup formed and began playing originals and a handful of covers. Over the years, the group has changed from the original lineup.

The Drastics first full-length album, Premonition was released on Chicago's JumpUp! Records. The album featured guest vocalists Craig Akira Fujita (Pressure Cooker, Joint Chiefs, 10 ft Ganja Plant), King Django (Stubborn All-Stars), Dr. Ring Ding (Senior All-Stars) as well as several local underground talents.

Their second release, Chicago Massive, is a 2 disc album with 27 tracks and 24 guest musicians. It received a four-star rating from AllMusic...

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