From St. Croix, Midnite is one of the most thrilling promises of millennium roots reggae. Midnite's deep and innovative lyrics are sincere and deeply rooted to present the other half of the story. Their recordings are filled with messages worthy of hours of reflection. Lead vocalist Vaughn Benjamin's electric voice seems a gathering of many great voices in reggae.
Vaughn's lyrical and powerful style and his brother Ron's striking keyboards form the core of this musical quintet, which includes Dion Hopkins (drums), Philip Merchant (bass) and Abijah (guitar). Midnite creates lyrics based on old-school Reggae Roots culture combined with modern everyday experiences, thus creating an original musical encounter. Reggae — stripped and raw — is a perfect description of Midnite's "classic roots musical style", in which they renounced the "fashions" of the genre.
"Unpolished" is one of their most striking titles, including classics like "Don't Move", "Mama Africa", and "Love Your Life You Live". The album "Ras Mek Peace" was recorded using only two channels and was mastered without any reverb, filters, compression or equalization. Songs like "Hieroglyphics", in which graffiti is compared to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, make evident the intelligent and concrete lyrics characteristic of Midnite's songs.
After the release of "Ras Mek Peace", Midnite returned to live in St. Croix so they could work with local musicians and record in their laboratory without any outside interference. The fruits of that work can be found on Jubilees of Zion, released on their own independent label Roots of Midnite.
The expansive, hypnotic rhythms continue, alongside messages of peace, universal brotherhood, and cultural resistance to Babylon. The new release "Seek Knowledge Before Vengeance" brings good old Roots Reggae to the fore. Midnite explodes in live performances with shows that frequently exceed 3 hours. Their vigorous, rigid sound, driven by bass lines, creates a vibration that penetrates directly to the heart. Midnite is one of the most exciting bands on the reggae scene today.
Breaking all the rules, Midnite is setting a new standard. Armed with a firm foundation in Jah Rastafari, their natural talents, and a strong and uncompromising musical vision, Midnite comes to raise the strong and sincere roots of Reggae for today's modern and troubled times... thanks to Jah!