dubblog

So now the time has come: The first reggae instrumental albums by an artificial intelligence are here. It had to happen at some point. I just didn't expect it to happen now. A Sleng Teng moment? Hardly, because the three albums "Roots Rock Steady","Rhythms of the Grove" and "Bassline Confidential", all by Rudebwai Stailee, have received little attention so far. And yet it is a significant development, because just as the studio musicians were replaced by computer technology in Sleng Teng, the same is now happening with the composers and producers. The music is created automatically on the basis of a short beeping or "prompt". In any case, my experience with generative artificial intelligence in the field of images has taught me that AI not only works almost perfectly in terms of image technology, but can also be incredibly creative. What works with images and text must also be possible with music - and in principle it is, as Rudebwai Stailee proves.

Well, what do we do with it now? Somehow, listening to an AI album creates mixed feelings. On the one hand, there is the fascination that it is even possible. The fact that the pieces are created with almost no human intervention and still sound pretty good is incredible. On the other hand, there is this unease that the music has no author. No artist, no (real) producer, no one who uses Logic Pro, let alone plays a real instrument. Which, by the way, puts the music in the public domain. There is no copyright, anyone can use it freely. But why does the non-existence of authorship create unease? Why is it not really fun to listen to an AI reggae album?

Basically, I am convinced that knowledge of the process by which music is created can be very informative and can also influence the reception of music, but it must not influence the assessment of the quality of music. What matters is "what comes out at the end". That is all that counts. And I have to say that the three AI albums are quite okay. The rhythms are definitely very solid, as is the mix. Only the lead instruments and the solos sometimes sound a bit off. And the whole thing might sound a bit monotonous. But that's where we get to prejudices and cognitive distortions. Does it sound monotonous because I whitethat a machine was at work here and not a human? Or is it even hurt vanity because no one really made the effort to create the music that I am devoting my time to listening to carefully? Can I enjoy music - if there is no artist who cares about me as a listener? If there is no one who wants to please me, who is trying to make me happy, who, ideally, has something to say to me? In short: Can I enjoy and appreciate music if there is no artist personality behind it? Strangely enough, this is not a problem with an idyllic landscape. There is no artist personality behind it either, and yet I enjoy and appreciate it fervently. The same applies to other natural beauties. How fascinating is the sight of some plants or animals that are also not the work of an artist. Why should it be any different with music, painting or - in the future - film? Perhaps a really good AI will manage to compose only good music in the future. All killer, no filler! What could be wrong with that?

The situation is strikingly reminiscent of the refusal of nineteenth-century society to recognize photography, invented in 1839, as art. The arguments were the same as today with regard to AI: the photographic image is the work of a machine, there is no human creator, which is why it cannot be art. Today, of course, we see things very differently, but only because we have discovered that a photograph is by no means just the product of a machine. We have brought humans back into play through the back door, as the ones who select the motif, determine the section of the world that the photograph shows, and make numerous other creative decisions. This strategy may no longer be quite so simple in the face of artificial intelligence. Sure, the prompt is currently still written by someone. But only a minimal creative act is required - and even that will probably become obsolete in the future if the AI ​​algorithm simply adapts to the preferences of the user. z. B. oriented towards listeners.

Well, dear Dub-Fans, you see me at a loss. But I tend to believe that the artist's disappearance is only irritating because we are used to it being different. This is a radical break with an important convention, namely the way we understand and receive art and culture. My prediction would be: in five years, no one will care whether music is made by people or generated by AI. A bold thesis: perhaps in 10 years there will be no more streaming of pre-produced content. The music we will hear will then be generated for us in real time - according to our preferences. A horror scenario? Write to me and tell me what you think.

Okay, finally a few words on the actual topic of this review: “Roots Rock Steady” is an acceptable instrumental album. The rhythms have oomph, the basses rock, there are real melodies and the whole arrangement is very solid. There is even a real mix, the sound is powerful and the instruments sound real. What I don’t like: The generated tracks sound, yes, there is no other way to say it: a bit generic. They are too repetitive. A bit more variety and tonal complexity would be nice. The lead instruments also don’t sound very natural. The same goes for “Rhythms of the Grove”. Overall, the pieces here seem a bit more rootsy and varied. The most recent work, “Bassline Confidential”, sounds like 80s reggae. There are solid backings in the background and a lead instrument in the foreground. Overall, too monotonous and therefore a bit boring. Yes, if I were evil, I would write: Reminds me of Dean Fraser's instrumental albums – only without the saxophone.

But hey, remember that these are the first steps of AI. Think about it five years from now and you'll know what to expect.

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.

Those were the days when Rhythm & Sound was founded in the late 90s to mid-2000s with the fusion of Dub and Techno. Since the demise of the Burial Mix label, this form of DubOf course, there are minimal techno productions that are released under the label “Dub“, but these are always techno rhythms that are Dub-principles. At Rhythm & Sound it was the other way round: Mark Ernestus and Moritz von Oswald played clear - albeit minimalist - reggae beats and mixed them in a reduced, repetitive and dark way like minimal techno. I really liked that at the time. The hypnotic, almost metaphysical power of the music impressed me deeply. Ten years later, Michael Fiedler, also known as Jah Schulz, came on the scene and devoted himself to the stylistic legacy of techno.Dub. Initially more oriented towards Steppers, but then deeper, more minimal, more consistent. The two LPs "Dub Over Science” and “Dub Showcase” gave a clear foretaste of what Michael Fiedler is now doing under the pseudonym Ghost Dubs with his current album “Damaged” (Pressure) presented. Lemmi already asked in his commentary whether this can really still be classified under the general term 'music' or whether it is not more of a test tone for bass speakers. Hehe, that is somehow a brilliantly fitting question, because Michael's Dubs are so incredibly minimalistic, so incredibly bass-heavy, so incredibly slow motion that he is actually entering a border area of ​​music. He seems to be more concerned with the total experience of pure, abstract sound than with making us hear a piece of music in the classical sense. The incredible mastering by Stefan Betke also contributes to this, giving the sound a gigantic presence. The noise and vinyl crackling established by Rhythm & Sound are also indispensable, as is this dull underwater sound. These are exactly the ingredients needed to conjure up this deep, cottony and warm atmosphere. But atmosphere is not everything, because the most important ingredient of "Damaged" is undoubtedly the ever-present (at least latently) offbeat, which places these "test sounds" briefly but clearly in the genre of Dub Even if purists and “Dub Connoisseurs” like Lemmi turn up their noses a little, I have to admit that “Damaged” is something like the essence of Dub embodied. The distillate of 50 years of bass music. Just a touch less and it wouldn't be Dub more, but probably a test tone for bass speakers.

Today I will prove that Reggae/Dub has covered all the continents of the earth and has a firm grip on them. From the South Pacific it goes directly to Sweden, in the far north of the northern hemisphere.

A few years ago, Ras Teo, a native Swede of Armenian descent, turned to Magnus "Daddy Natural" Hjalmarsson with the question: "Why don't we work together?" The reason was that Ras Teo, who lives in California, wanted to come home and make an album with Swedish musicians from his hometown of Uppsala. The bassist, producer and man behind the label King Solomon Productions is Magnus "Daddy Natural" Hjalmarsson. He is one of the founding members of the Swedish reggae pioneers Natural Way, who released a 1995-track album entitled "17" in 1924. So "Daddy Natural" used his connections, got a few musicians together and the "Coming Home" project with Teodik Hartoonian alias Ras Teo was able to start. Speaking of drums: "Daddy Natural's" son Teodor Lindström alias "Junior Natural" is on the drums. The core of The Naturals consists of musicians from Uppsala. The backing vocals are provided by some Swedish reggae acts such as Papa Dee and others. International vocal support comes from Ashanti Selah and Roberto Sanchez, through whose label A Lone-Ark the album is distributed. The same applies to the brass section, which is supported by Zoe Brown, Patrick "Aba Ariginal" Tenyue and Trevor Edwards.

After "Ras Teo & The Naturals: Coming Home“ now follows the Dub- counterpart "Acoustic Vibes: Dub The Palace Prince Back Home“ (King Solomon Records). The first track “Dubkind" starts with a beautiful Nyahbinghi drumming, accompanied by some very beautiful flute passages that meander through the whole track. The real magic of the second track "Dub Timer" comes from the echoes of other genres, such as the blue notes known from jazz, which are brought into play by the brass. Of course I could continue in this style, but I want you to have something else to discover. The album contains an incredible number of soft, warm, soulful or simply beautiful sounds. The rhythm section is always pointed, the entire instrumentation is fantastic. Buttery smooth lead guitar runs, stoic bass lines, well-tempered brass and a slightly off-key sounding electric organ round off this wonderful sound perfectly.

All in all, an album that I have listened to many times with growing enthusiasm."Dub The Palace Prince Back Home" is a great achievement by all involved. It is a musically stirring project that ranges from roots to Dub to jazz, soul and Nyabinghi and back again. Not an easy task, but one that has been mastered here with flying colors. The album was mastered by Tomas Boden, who shows off his full skills and gives us this breathtaking, Nordic, cool record. I like this sound - just let it sink in.

Trivia: Until now, I did not know that Ras Teo's family had direct connections to Haile Selassie I. According to Ras Teo, his family was taken in and cared for by Haile Selassie after the Armenian genocide in 1915/16.

After "Dubbin' Darryl: Textures" is followed seamlessly by another album from the South Pacific, more precisely from Aotearoa, the most widely used and accepted Maori name for New Zealand today. Christopher Martin James alias Christoph El' Truento is for us in Dubblog since his album “Peace Maker Dub“ is no longer a blank slate. Christoph El' Truento has now blossomed into one of the best producers in Aotearoa. No matter what genre – his extraordinary style encompasses many – El' Truento proves again and again that it is second nature to him, as he wanders unerringly through the genres and makes them his own as if he were sleepwalking. With his new album “Christoph El'Truento: Dubs From The Neighbourhood“ (Haymaker Records) he continues where he left off in 2019 with the Aotearoa Dub-Classic “Peace Maker Dub“ and pays tribute to the inventors of the Dub through his unique South Pacific lens. The highly anticipated new album “DubLike its predecessor, "S From The Neighbourhood" takes us on a musical journey inspired by road trips through small towns, sunshine, deserted beaches and deep green primeval landscapes. Listeners can expect a sound that has matured in complexity. What you hear is the sonic reflection of an artist who has become a little older, more mature and wiser. While the idyllic landscape on the cover is typically associated with carefree joy, the album adds details and textures that point to the inevitable downside of grief and loss that befall us on the journeys and impasses of life.

Overall, the album's tracks are strongly influenced by the sound of the 70s, but at the same time have the artist's unique psychedelic lo-fi touch in a modern 2024 style. Local influences and the pleasantly warm sound of the Dub-Maestros expand the sound palette. For example, the penultimate track on the album, "Things Done Changed," features a lap steel guitar, better known as a Hawaiian guitar. The title track is reminiscent of Perry's working methods in the Black Ark Studio, and "Pep The Conqueror" is a remake of the Cornell Campbell classic "The Gorgon," which was once released on Bunny 'Striker' Lee's Attack label. As on the previous album, El' Truento's son Pep can also lend his voice to this classic. With "Dubs From The Neighbourhood“ El' Truento lets the listener dream of relaxed summer days, hanging out with friends and a good doobie on the beach or the river bank and letting God be a good man. Even lovers of classic Jamaican Dub get their money's worth.

Reggae and its subgenre Dub have spread all over the globe and so it is not surprising that from “Down Under” there are also highly interesting Reggae & Dub albums are released (see review “Nachur”). After the Springtones had already released the reggae version of the Kings Go Forth cult hit “High On Your Love” as a one-drop and Dubversion, the Dad Bod followed Dubs interpretation of “Sweet Dreams” by the Eurythmics. The whole thing was presented by the Australian Dub-Label Cry No More Recordings, which now releases the debut album of “Dubam' Darryl: Textures" released.
Inspired by the funkier side of instrumental reggae, Dubbin' Darryl adds his own unique touch to keyboards, organ and melodica, creating a captivating musical experience.
The EP “Textures” is a psychedelic journey through just four songs Dub-Rhythms with super cool jazz vibes. Dubbin' Darryl convincingly shows us that he can effortlessly delve deep into a world of echoes. Straight from a shed in Witchcliffe, South West Australia, he comes with a haunting barrage of reverberating echoes over sparkling percussion and grooving guiro beats. Darryl, who also plays drums for the improvisationalDubband Dad Bod Dub is inspired by the funkier soul side of instrumental reggae and adds his own musical touch with distorted keyboards, organ and melodica. Today just one example: “Muckaround Dub“ sounds as if the legendary Lee 'Scratch' Perry had his magic fingers in the game. Or is it just a siren-likedubrooster echoing from the fields?

“Textures” is the third release from the new Australian Dub-Label Cry No More Recordings, which was founded by life partners Kellie Bennett (Bass, Guitar, Horn Samples & Production) and Clay Chipper (Beats, Guitar, Keys, Horn Samples & Production). Here they can pursue their love for reggae and Dub-inspired sounds with a pinch of soul and funk.
What also commands my greatest respect is the fact that everything is produced sustainably. Kellie and Clay believe that good music doesn't have to cost the earth, which is why they press on 100% recycled vinyl, use recycled packaging and run their small business on solar energy. They also respect and support the Whadjuk elders and the First Nations communities. Respect!

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.

The Dub-Alborosie's albums have rarely convinced me. Of course I admire his technical skills and his fixation on analogue equipment also earns me recognition. But his previous Dub-Albums seemed too textbook to me. They lacked creativity, excitement and, above all, the intention to override the rules of good taste. Perhaps the Dubs underlying productions are not strong enough. That is exactly what Alborosie avoids with his latest Dub-Plant: "Dub Pirate” (Evolution Media), because it is based on the outstanding album “Soul Pirate” from 2008, with which he made his breakthrough as a reggae artist. And rightly so, because it is still a brilliant album, but to this day there is no Dubversion. Crazy, since Alborosie is a big fan of Dub and studio work. We don’t know what prompted him now, 18 years later, to grab the old tracks and Dubs from it - of course with his historic studio equipment, which previously belonged to King Tubby or Coxsone Dodd. Alborosie not only uses the equipment of these legends, but also cultivates the aesthetics of his great role models. Therefore, it is not surprising that "Dub Pirate” was mixed in the style of King Tubby. Generous use of echo effects, masterful manipulation of high and low pass filters, virtuoso switching on and off of various instrumental tracks as well as some heavy sound manipulation. On “Dub In his new album “Pirate”, Alborosie is much more aggressive, even radical, with the original recordings. There is no comparison to his later Dub-albums. Perhaps the historical distance to the material was needed to deal with it “destructively”. Dubs of "Dub Pirate” are all remarkable, all killer, no filler. Nevertheless, some stand out. For example, “Still Dub Blazing”, with the strong echo effects on the guitar that create a surreal and gripping atmosphere. Or “Precious Dub“, a piece that cleverly focuses on the wind section and its powerful, extremely creatively manipulated sounds are fascinating. A particular strength of “Dub Pirate” is undoubtedly the creative deconstruction of Alborosie’s greatest hits. Always nice to recognize echoes of well-known songs and their Dubreconstruction. Fortunately, Alborosie largely avoids the use of vocal snippets. The album particularly shines with “Natural Dub Mystic”, the Dub-Reinterpretation of his collaboration with Kymani Marley. This strong riddim was predestined for a Dub-Treatment, and Alborosie executes it absolutely masterfully. The heart of the track lies in the driving bass line and the recurring brass sections, which are enveloped by crazy swirling, spatial sound effects. A fascinating Dubexperience – like the album as a whole.

A year after their acclaimed album “Ladders”, the Loving Paupers from Washington DC release an extremely beautiful one Dub-version of the same: “The Ghost of Ladders” (Easy Star Records) - a title that all too obviously refers to the legendary Burning Spear album "Garvey's Ghost" and thus inevitably raises the level of expectation to the maximum. But with none other than Victor Rice handling the remix duties here (he also engineered “Ladders”), there's a strong chance that expectations will be met. Sure, his music isn't what you would play on a sound system. Somehow his sound - especially in contrast to Burning Spear - always sounds a little too light, too poppy, too much like ska. But for the sofa at home, or as a headphones accompaniment on your daily journey through the city, they are his Dubs wonderful music. Legendary British DJ Don Letts described the Loving Paupers' original sound as being influenced by 40s pop and XNUMXs reggae - a mix that made their music uniquely resonant. Which he is absolutely right about. I definitely had to think of UBXNUMX or Hollie Cook while listening to it. The sound is of course miles away from the repetitive, sappy Lovers Rock. It's pop reggae in the best sense. The question now is: what will happen? Dub-Mix of it? Known to be a treatment that generally gives pieces more gravity and grounding. What will be left of the light pop appeal? The answer is: exactly the right dose! “The Ghost of Ladders” is simply a super pleasant one Dubalbum that reveals the complex arrangements of the recordings and reveals the true quality of the music, which in the original could hide all too well behind Kelly Di Filippo's bright vocals. And as the singing disappears, the pop flair is significantly reduced. The allusion to "Garvey's Ghost" is perhaps a bit too exaggerated, but an analogy becomes clear: while "Ladders" is a nice pop-reggae album, "The Ghost of Ladders" really unfolds Dub-Magic - exactly that indescribable quality that Burning Spears also has Dubalbum elevated to the status of a cult work. Rice's masterful Dub-Mix uses the familiar ingredients of reverb and delay to transform the familiar into something completely new and otherworldly. “The Ghost of Ladders” once again impressively proves how Dub can effortlessly get to the core of the music and transcend it into a magical-abstract experience of pure sound. Now, I don't want to give the impression that Rice is somehow producing cerebral art music. On the contrary: thanks to the poppy basic nature of the music, it stays there Dubversion accessible and inevitably creates a good mood when listening. For me one of the most beautiful Dub-Albums from the last few months.