Combat Wombat

The long-awaited third album from the notorious COMBAT WOMBAT

Just Across The Border is a hip hop album with a revolutionary attitude. Paying equal homage to sound system dub reggae and the golden era of hip hop, it was recorded and produced in Monkey Marc’s solar-powered studio in Melbourne, Australia. From bass-heavy speaker-blasting hip hop to cinematic musical epilogues, Just Across The Border is truth-exposing, riot-inspiring music to tear down borders and break down the walls of racism and injustice we live under.

Over the past 18 years since the band’s inception, the world has witnessed many changes – some for the better, some for the worse. Combat Wombat continue to keep their eyes open, ears to the ground and mega-phones switched on toward their ongoing grassroots creative movement and musical engagement with communities both here and abroad. Each individual crew member has been on their own epic journey, with stories of life, death, children and musical adventures. Just Across The Border is the culmination of the last ten years of their experiences and insights, as they venture off in different directions around the planet, and return to collaborate for the brief moments that they are together in one place.

For full quality and full length downloads go to https://combatwombat.bandcamp.com/album/just-across-the-border  OR Preorder Vinyl from http://www.pumpkinrecords.co.uk/

‘Labrats Solar Powered Sound System’ is a big beat, drum and bass, electro hip-hop montage featuring political samples from the late 90’s.

At Combat Wombat’s core is the Lab Rats Solar Sound System, which was formed at the Jabiluka uranium mine protests in 1998. Monkey Marc and MC Izzy are Australian pioneers of vegetable oil conversions for diesel engines . Their fully equipped mobile studio runs off the solar panels on the van’s roof, and the first album ‘Labrats Solar Powered Sound System’ written and recorded on the road using eco-friendly energy.

Introducing the second album from Combat Wombat: Unsound $ystem an album set to drop a political bomb on these conservative times. Armed with only samplers, mics and turntables, powered by solar energy and an uncompromising belief in ‘truth’ over ‘spin’, these desert nomads are the real deal, creating an album that reflects the frontline activism they have become famous for.

Unsound $ystem is a bullet to the dark heart of the Australian psyche. Sonically rugged and funky, Monkeymarc’s beats draw their influence from ‘70s reggae, Public Enemy’s Bomb Squad and the golden era hiphop of the early 1990s. The album moves from A-grade head thunkin’ hiphop to seriously heavy dub reggae, all laced with relevant and politically charged vocals and samples, with ARIA award winning DJ Wasabi providing cuts.

MC Elf Tranzporter (ex Metabass ‘n Breath) flows marvelously throughout the album, rhyming with the gift of enviable flexibility. MC Izzy’s approach is the perfect contrast: her stand and deliver take-no-prisoners approach, injects high-spirited passion into the mix. Together they add a potent combination of hiphop, ragga and punk political flows.

Unsound $ystem delves into issues of national identity, the government’s treatment of refugees, Indigenous sovereignty, US military force and uranium mining with a sense of urgency that is balanced by Combat Wombat’s ability to turn words into action. They’ve brought in some high profile friends including Ozi Batla (The Herd) and Seed MC (TZU) for the ride.

At Combat Wombat’s core is the Lab Rats Solar Sound System, which was formed at the Jabiluka uranium mine protests in 1998. Monkeymarc and MC Izzy are Australian pioneers utilising vegetable oil conversions for diesel engines (which will also fuel their upcoming national tour). Their fully equipped mobile studio runs off the solar panels on the van’s roof, and Unsound $ystem was written and recorded using this same eco-friendly energy.

Unsound $ystem is a step forward for Combat Wombat, mixed and mastered at the ever impressive Containers Studio in Melbourne. The end result is a beautifully packaged rich sounding CD made of completely recyclable material, and for the vinyl lovers, a double LP available shortly after CD.