20 questions to: Aldubb

Your name: Aldubb
You live in: Berlin
Title of your last album or your last EP: Aldubb meets Diana Levi 10 ″ EP / Welcome to Bassland CD

What is your definition of Dub?
Hard to say. Remixed reggae music with little vocal content, I always insist on the difference between Dub and "Soundsystem" / "Steppas with Singing". Then there is a whole world full of Dubwho actually has nothing to do with reggae and yet Dub is called. So for me there are hardly any limits, little vocal, that is perhaps the most important thing - besides a bass-heavy arrangement and the mix, of course.

What distinguishes a good from a bad Dub?
My brain. I can't really pin down that, I think some things are good, some not so. As a producer, I have the stupid habit of always listening with an analytical ear, which is sometimes annoying because I always think about how this or that was done, or I analyze the mix, but whether one Dub is good or bad, don't tell me that, luckily that's still a bit of magic.

How would you your Dub-Describe style?
Now it's getting nasty ... It always depends on the project, my own things range from roots to “steppas with singing” to techdub or even Dubstep. I am popular as a remixer because of my wobble bass in connection with King Tubby's moderate delay styles. The Space Echo is my most important instrument ;-)

How does the creation process of a typical Dub-Tracks from you?
First I make a "song" - if there is a vocal track. Then I break the arrangement up into groups of instruments and rearrange the song using the classic Dub-Do things, so mute, delays, reverb, actually it's pretty classic, like King Tubby and Lee Perry did. Sometimes I cut up the tracks quite radically on the digital level, or for example replace a bass track with a synthesizer. A really "typical" DubI can't really imagine track of mine right now. One track I still celebrate is “Let there be dub“Somehow everything is there, mystical speaking vocals with a wink, filtered wobble basses, digital drum sounds with a lot of effect, but also real percussion and riddimsection.

When are you with one of your produced Dubs satisfied?
Sometimes pretty quickly - that's often a good sign, sometimes it takes forever (but that doesn't have to be a bad thing). I've got used to leaving the versions lying around for a while, and sometimes playing to people I trust. At some point I'll declare the song finished. However, I find it easier to do so when there is a deadline or a release date. The worst thing is when I do my own things, I could go on filing forever, I sometimes set myself deadlines ;-)

What are your personal Dub-Top 5 albums?
Dub Chemist: Light up your chalice
Paul St Hilaire: Unspecified
East meets West: Time is the master
King Tubby: Declaration of Dub
Lee Perry: Kung Fu Meets the Dragon

Who is the greatest for you Dub-Artist of all time?
Lee Perry

And who is currently the most interesting Dub-Artist?
No plan, I hear very little current Dub. What I do know is that the last Mad Professor album wasn't that great. So far I've really celebrated everything from Benga, but that's yes Dubstep ...

What is the musically most interesting decade for you? Why?
The 70s, pretty much everything was invented that still exists today, punk, house, metal, hip-hop, funk - reggae has been around for a while, but the best and most radical things came out of the 70s too. Dub had its heyday, rock bands experimented with all kinds of electronic avant-garde. It's hard to do something new today.

What do you hear besides Dub?
Pretty much everything except Gothic, Wave and Depeche Mode. When metal gets too progressive, I'll quit too. I like repetitive music, but not too minimal. I also find a certain punk attitude important, I don't like overly smooth productions in any style.

What is your current favorite album?
Haha, Cultural roots: Drift Away From Evil it is out of date, but I just discovered it for myself. Errol Brown is one of the best at the mixer!

In what form do you buy your music: vinyl, CD, download, subscription? Why?
Preferably vinyl, if possible, but also CD. I've never downloaded it before, I still think that you have to put music on the shelf, for whatever reason. Actually, I don't buy a lot of music anymore, I listen to so much in the studio all day and then my own stuff. As a consumer, I prefer to listen to music in a club or, best of all, at an open air, at home really little.

Can you make a living with music?
I make a living from him Planet Earth Studio - so mostly with music. My label One-drop music however, makes no profit. So if you classify karaoke and audio books as music in the broadest sense, then yes ;-)

Which artist would you like to work with?
Mutabaruka, Linton Kwesi Johnson ...

What is your particular strength?
Much experience. I have a feeling that the longer I do this, the better I hear. It also often helps that I play some instruments, especially drums and bass, myself. What I always underestimate is my knowledge of studio technology and devices in general. I find it normal to know what a compressor does and how to use a patchbay. But unfortunately many producers are using more and more presets and don't even know what a Treshhold is or how to use an aux path. You can hear that somehow.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
Satisfied costumers. But I chose this job because I've always liked to be surrounded by music equipment and instruments. I only got to know and appreciate the human side in everyday studio life. There is nothing better than when a musician has the feeling that he has found the perfect studio.

What do you dread in the studio?
Apart from burglary, fire and technical problems that hold up the whole operation, it annoys me when people don't know what they want and always want to do everything from scratch. There are “rappers” who then start looking for their beat on YouTube in the studio and write the lyrics. I now calculate the hours for it really hard, but it's still annoying.

When you're not at Dubs screwing, what is your favorite thing to do then?
To travel.

Which music website do you prefer to visit?
Soundcloud.

How do you see the future of Dub?
Dub is actually timeless. Inspired every few years Dub sometimes a new style of music, last Dubstep, formerly House and Triphop. I am very excited. I think somebody will always remix reggae songs, that's just too much fun to stop at some point.