Author Philip K

To be honest, I am wondering to which artist or art style this “Album“ fits. No idea! But it would have to be something versatile that still shows a certain unity and a common thread. Strictly speaking, it is not a classic Dubalbum, but rather three 12″ vinyl releases containing a total of six different riddims, one on each side of the record (“The Vibe / Reggae Rub-A-Dub","Born As A Winner / Mr Officer","À mes Youths / Babylon Tremble“). And these songs can all be found on the album “MIXXTAPE“, which was released in December 2023, at that time simply without Dubversions and that's probably why it passed me by without me noticing. What is noticeable: in the digital bundle version, the tracks are arranged differently than if I were to put the three individual LPs on the turntable one after the other. The Original Bass Foundation presents a work that is experimental, brutal, energetic, psychedelic, weird, poppy, electronic, catchy, deep, groovy, technoid, punky and probably a lot more all in one piece and develops a certain pull: I want to listen to it again and again without knowing exactly why.

OBF is a sound system based in the French border area outside Geneva (Switzerland) and has been active since the noughties, especially in Geneva and the squat scene of the time. Producer and selector Rico OBF, operator G and manager Stef form the core of the crew and have slowly conquered dancehalls in Europe and then the whole world from Geneva after the squats (occupied houses) over the last two decades. I have to say that I don't like everything that is said about the in-house Dubquake Records label. However, over the years I have really taken a few EPs and singles to heart (worth mentioning “Do me right","Katibim"Or"Heavyweight SoundHowever, a lot of it is too electronic, too brutal or too straight forward stepper-like for me with driving “four-on-the-floor” beats throughout. Personally, I prefer it in the roots reggae style or more acoustic. Nevertheless, I am very impressed with this album and absolutely love the synthesizer sounds, beats and synth basslines used. In particular, the Dub-Versions are simply brilliant and not conventional, but bold and sometimes quite experimentally mixed and provided with effects.
The “Born As A Winner” riddim is simple, basically a piano lick, spiced up with a unison bass, offbeat and a rhythmic electronic bubbling (as if a thick sauce was simmering). In the meantime, a monophonic synth melody sounds. Two different vocal versions, one more party-like by Rider Shafique, one more conscious-rasta-like by Mikey General. Then the “Dub as a Winner”, with lots of reverb, faded in and faded out tracks, delay, filter rotation, stops. Very exciting and intelligent, I like Dub-Versions of this kind. "À mes Youths" after that is a hard (but logical?) change, especially in terms of the sound of the synthesizers. A driving stepper beat whips this instrumental forward, almost as if there was an apocalyptic rider behind it, hard and somehow electronically distorted, to finally close the circle again with the initially gentle synth carpet. The version of it "À mes Anciens" is then a first highlight. Rico OBF drags out the riddim and creates an oppressive mood full of inner restlessness that you don't want to escape but surrender to, and what he does with the knobs and dials on the mixer and the effects devices, I would love to experience live. At times it's just noise and vibration, great. He is brave, dares to do something and, in my opinion, wins all along the line because he really surprises the listeners and demands a lot from them. But for me, it only goes so far to the limit that I stay with it. It never becomes too much for me. With the outrageously poppy and dancehall-like beginning of "The Vibe" there is another break that is initially irritating, but immediately takes you along and makes you completely forget the certain heaviness from before. Curve scratched. Surprisingly, I find myself really feeling this electronic bassline. After that, the "Mr Officer" riddim becomes thematically militant and the sound gets harder again. Listen to these consistently very good, meaningful and interesting mixes and effect passages for yourself. I was torn and yet ultimately fascinated and kept coming back to this album and I am sure that this sound polarizes rather than unites. Rico knows his craft down to the last detail and delivers above-average and exceptional work here. It can only get a "very good"! And yet the fifth star is half missing!

Khokhmah is of Hebrew origin, pronounced “chochmah” and can be translated as “wisdom”. The album is by an aging Englishman who was born in 1967 in the London district of Stepney: Kirk Degiorgio. A complete unknown to me, but since the early 1990s he has obviously caused a sensation as a musician, music producer, DJ and record label owner. Probably because he was mainly active and well-known in the techno scene, he is completely unknown to me and his pseudonym “As One” I have never met him before. Later he also worked as "Kirk Degiorgio's Offworld" released what was stylistically classified as "Future Jazz, Broken Beat, House and Downtempo". So he had already moved away from the Detroit Techno of his beginnings and discovered and explored new musical styles for himself. In recent years, he has increasingly struggled with his health in the wake of the Covid pandemic and says of himself that he has never felt 2020% fit since a long and serious Covid illness in 100. Last year he even went on to be a DJ resigned after he had to have a pacemaker fitted. The years in the techno and party scene have not left him unscathed and the use of headphones and their electromagnetic radiation as well as the proximity to large monitor speakers is problematic for pacemakers and can impair or even damage the delicate technology.
And now, and this is what I hope is most interesting to readers here and this is what I am now focusing on, he seems to have finally acquired a good taste for reggae and has released his first reggaeDub-Album “Khokhmah: Khokhmah I” produced and published. As of today (05.08.2024/XNUMX/XNUMX), the album is only available in digital form via Bandcamp, and there you can only listen to a few tracks for free, the rest can only be obtained by purchasing. He also prominently writes "Unauthorized copying of this recording is strictly forbidden" on the cover (which is actually obvious). I respect this opinion, but personally I prefer John Lennon's "Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it", but I don't want to start a copyright discussion here.

The big question is, can a techno DJ and producer Dub? Here, definitely yes! He writes that he worked on the album for two years. The eight riddims are all his own compositions, which he produced and recorded himself “with respect for the originals of this wonderful Jamaican art form”.dubbt. Khokhmah is a “reverent reference to the first golden age of Dubs”, i.e. the 1970s, is the self-praise. For me, that is absolutely true and does not mean at all that the tracks you hear here are a dusty copy of these well-known originals. It sounds modern, powerful, current, post-2024 and above all the drums are played extremely lively (or programmed - at least it seems played to me). There are some Steppas riddims with the typical four-on-the-floor bass drum, which are refreshing and energetic, without the dull, boring and blunted SteppasDub-platitudes that unfortunately in Dub are all too often found. Furthermore, the sounds of the instruments are well and carefully chosen and come across as more analogue, although I am pretty sure that the basic riddims were produced digitally. I assume this because of Degiorgio's musical background and some keyboard and brass sounds sound very electronic-digital to me (but I could be wrong there too). Degiorgio states that he used Dub-Editing the twelve Dubs (four tracks are released with two different versions) exclusively used techniques from the early-mid 1970s. And it is precisely these Dub-Mixes and the use of effects are, in my opinion, very well done in the solid riddims and make the listening experience a real pleasure. Someone uses the individual tracks and effects wisely (and off) and has just the right touch for the ideal dose. At the latest then you notice that Degiorgio has a lot of experience at the mixer and has studied his role models and idols well. And yes, a good sound system with a lot of bass is recommended, I haven't tried headphones. A great Dub-Album, like a well-aged red wine! The only thing missing is a vinyl release.

To be honest, the star rating is just too much for me right now. I'm wavering between four and five stars, because I can well imagine that the album will make it into my top five at the end of the year. I'm giving it four stars because, in my opinion, the basslines are not particularly succinct and are rather mediocre...

With the band Groundation, I have always been drawn to Harrison Stafford's voice, which means I can't stand his voice for the length of an album, it's too strange, too croaky, not for my ears. Musically, however, I have always been impressed by the very unique interpretation of reggae music by this group, which has been active since 1998. For example, I fondly remember 2006, when I was repainting my apartment in an old farmhouse (in the colors green, yellow and red, what else?) and was constantly listening to the record "Dub Wars“. My first CD by the band and I still remember exactly how captivated I was by the jazzy brass section.

The present album “Dub Rock“ is about the Dub-Version of the 2022 album “One Rock“Responsible for the Dub-Mix is ​​the legendary sound engineer Jim Fox, known for his work at LION & FOX Studios. It is after 2005 with the album “Dub Wars” was his second collaboration with the band. The DubMixes are rather subtle and Jim Fox uses effects rather understated and I discover something new with every listen, what a great Dub-understanding and a lot of experience in mixing. I also find the very sparse vocal snippets to be bearable and well chosen. Although I have never listened to the "One Rock" album before because of my vocal aversion, I noticed that the titles of the individual songs are noticeably creative and by no means just "Dub“ be supplemented or filled, as is otherwise the case with Dubalbums. This was left out for the album title. For example, the song “Greed” is in the Dub-Version of “World of Love”, “Day When the Computer Done” of “So Soon” or “Market Price” of “The Human Soul”. It seems that someone has put some deep thought into it, which for me suggests a carefully thought-out work and is simply a joy to notice. Now for the most important thing for the friends of the Dubblogs: the music. Everything I appreciate musically about Groundation is there: the jazzy brass, the organ, the differentiated and exciting drums, the perfect bass that serves the song, the varied use of percussion and an electric guitar that sometimes starts a rock solo at the right moment (“Vision for the Future”). In addition, the songs “Astray” and “World of Love” feature string arrangements that initially confused me a little, but then became more and more fascinating and gave the whole thing another component that definitely enriched the music. The piano also has a small but very prominent role in two or three places: in the piece "The Human Soul", for example, it plays the intro in a way that is reminiscent of classical music, and in "Demons and Pagans" it is played in a furious, almost free-jazz style. Sun Ra inevitably springs to mind, which is also a highlight for my ears and, of course, there are some really unexpected listening experiences in delicate doses. The wind sections are also used professionally and succinctly, but never intrusively or even ingratiatingly and always create tension. In general, I think that this work handles dynamics very well and that intense, grooving parts are very skilfully contrasted with quiet and gentle parts. A balanced piece, then, I have to say, I am very impressed with this work.

On my occasional forays into new music, I came across the album “Bazille Noir Goes Dub“ encountered.

The project consists primarily of the Hamburg-based producer and musician Jens Paulsen, who has released music under the name “Bazille Noir” since 2001 and in recent years increasingly under the name “Paulsen & Stryczek”. For this Dub-album he has teamed up with bassist and keyboardist Matthias Zoeller. Both are unknown names to me and I did not look for any further information. The music should speak for itself. The album was released digitally on the Lemongrassmusic label, which for me has previously stood for ambient, downtempo, electronic or chillout releases. "Goes Dub“ is very convincing, but the nine tracks unfortunately also contain music that I like to switch away, but more on that later. It is more of an experimental approach to the topic of reggae and Dub, what the two do and that is exactly what produces successful and charming musical results.

The opener “Mutualism” begins with a relaxed, deep reggae groove bass, with bass drum accents on 2 and 4, where I particularly like the hi-hat work. The bass line is also good, but I don’t really need the recorded vocal samples. The wind arrangements dominated by the baritone saxophone, which are added discreetly but delicately from the middle of the song, are top notch. And my heart is happy because the song has an end and no fadeout. It continues with “Rainmaker”, which continues in a similar style, deep bass at its finest. I have to say that the mix and the effects used are very skillful, unobtrusive and serve the song. The wind instrument here is a flute, which is used rather sparingly – just the right amount. The third track is also good. However, the sound design is a bit more electronic and keyboard arpeggios and delays stand out, but a fat Hammond organ, an almost minimalist trumpet and a shy electric guitar also make an appearance. So far I'm impressed and can already sense a candidate for album of the year at the end of May.

"Blues Skank" comes after a minute-long intro, with a house beat that is too clumsy for my ears, otherwise it's still okay, the guitar is quite inspiring, but this beat just doesn't work for me. I know that it's a matter of taste and there will certainly be listeners who like it, maybe even prefer it, whatever. It continues like this (unfortunately) for the next two songs.

The three final tracks are again exactly what I like. Overall, the aesthetics of the work are very well balanced and compact. Everything fits together, I notice a concept, a real album from a single mold, which I have listened to quite often, apart from the three middle songs mentioned. In two or three places I even imagine borrowings from the sound universe of Dub Spencer & Trance Hill. A remarkably well-made work throughout, but one that doesn't get the highest marks from me - but that's purely a matter of taste. In any case, the two creators have my respect and goodwill to a great extent.