Category: Dub (Revolution

Greensleeves was inspired by the Darwin year 2009 and is celebrating Charles Darwin's bicentenary with the Evolution Of Dub-Boxsets (Greensleeves / Groove Attack). At the moment contradicting information is circulating about whether four or seven boxes are planned. In any case, the fact is that I have three boxes: Vol. 1 - The Origin Of The Species, Vol. 2 - The Great Leap Forward and Vol. 3: The Descent Of Version. Each of these boxes contains four classic ones Dub-Albums in reprint of the original cover. With this, Greensleeves made it pretty easy, because instead of tracing the evolution on the basis of important pieces - which would have been a huge research and licensing work - they limited themselves to the re-release of a few albums. In a stupid way, however, evolution has to do without epoch-making works by z. B. Lee Perry, Yabby You, Augustus Pablo or Glen Brown get along, which makes the claim made by the title of the series seem quite questionable. Therefore, it makes more sense to present the series as a beautiful, classic collection Dub-To understand albums from the 1970s (maybe later also the 1980s?) And not worry about the evolution theory à la Greensleeves.

Let's take a closer look at these boxes. Vol. 1. begins with a small sensation, namely an ultra-rare work that is also one of the first Dub-Albums in general was: "Dub Serial ". Joe Gibbs published a minimal number of copies in 1972 and sold it for $ 50 apiece (a "normal" album at the time was around $ 4) primarily to sound system DJs. The wealthy listeners got a lot of well-known rhythms like “Satta A Massa Gana”, “Joe-Frazier”, “Money in My Pocket” or “Rainy Night in Georgia”, mixed spartan and with long drum & bass passages. The other three albums in the box were released by the then still young king of Dub, King Tubby, mixed: ""Dub From The Roots ”,“ The Roots Of Dub"And"Dubbing With The Observer ”. "Dub From The Roots ”and“ The Roots Of Dub“Were the first two LPs on which King Tubby was named as an artist. With black and white recordings of Tubby at the mixer prominently placed on the cover, they established the fame of the sound tinkerer. Tubby remixes the typical Bunny Lee-Mid-70ies “Flying Cymbals-Sound” on both albums, so that it is a pleasure. Especially in contrast to the two years older "Dub Serial “shows Tubby's mixing talent in full size. The 4th album, "Dubbing With The Observer ”, was of course penned by Winston“ Niney ”Holness and features some of his classic Dennis Brown rhythms like“ Cassandra ”,“ No More Will I Roam ”and“ I Am The Conqueror ”. Here, too, King Tubby provided pure Dub-Magic. Niney licensed the freshly mixed Dub-Album stante pede to England and sold just two years after the invention of Dub-Albums already considerable numbers. Dub had arrived overseas.

Box No. 2 begins with the album “Bunny Lee & King Tubby Present Tommy McCook And The Aggrovators - Brass Rockers” and presents what later became “Instrudubs "should be mentioned: Dubs with Overdubs. Bunny Lee delivered rhythm tracks like "A Love I Can Feel", "Dance In A Greenwich Farm" or "Dance With Me", which Tubby mixed Dubs from it and Tommy McCook then improvised his saxophone solos over it. This shows once again how unbeatably economical reggae functioned - and what innovations this economy brought about. While “Brass Rockers” was an experiment whose success could not be calculated, the box's second album, “The Aggrovators - Rasta Dub 76 ”, the ever-growing market Dub-Fan fans who stormed the record stores in droves and always wanted to hear the B-side of a Singe before the A-side. Tubby's name on the label sold the records. In this case, however, Tubby's mixing apprentice Phillip Smart drew for the Dubs responsible. While Smart, Prince Jammy and later also Scientist die Dubs mixing, Tubby could devote himself to the more lucrative activities, namely repairing televisions and radios. In the meantime it was Dub-Evolution arrived in 1977 and Bunny Lee (actually the series should better be called "The Evolution of Bunny Lee") rented the Channel One Studio to record "Aggrovators Meets The Revolutionaries At Channel One Studio". A very popular one Dub-Album with powerful rhythms, partly played by Sly Dunbar, in the outstanding sound of the Hookim studio. But the real attraction of the album is the fantastic horn section, which brilliantly garnished all pieces with its jazz improvisations and melody fragments. With the last album in this box, Niney has another chance: “Sledgehammer Dub". In the mid-1970s, each single came out with one Dub-B side. It didn't take long for this principle to be applied to albums, and so Niney released Sledgehammer in 1977 Dub" the Dub-Counterpart to Dennis Brown's "Deep Down" LP. Since Niney only sent around 400 pressings to England, which were also sold in an unprinted cover without a track listing, “Sledgehammer Dub“The most highly traded in auctions Dub-Works. Now the rare work is easily accessible - also a result of evolution.

Let's take a look at the last, third CD box so far. There are well-known ones in it Dub- albums that probably everyone Dub-Freund already has a vinyl LP on the shelf: 1. “The Revolutionaries: Negrea Love Dub", 2." The Revolutionaries: Green Bay Dub", 3." The Revolutionaries: Outlaw Dub", 4." The Revolutionaries: Goldmine Dub". It is obvious that towards the end of the 1970s the Revolutionaries and with them the Channel One studio were the leading authorities in the reggae business. And it's very beneficial that evolution has spawned other producers besides Bunny Lee. For example Linval Thompson, who produced the first three albums in this box and whose vocals keep flashing between the beats. The real star of these albums, however, is Sly Dunbar, who has his "Dubble drum sound ”to perfection. It was the time when the rhythms slowed down and got more "air". Actually, that started with ideal conditions for Dub, but in Jamaica the star of this genre was already falling. Not so in England, where Dub remained unbroken in popularity. It was a premonition of the current state in which Dub is a global but entirely un-Jamaican form of music. The fourth album in the set, “Goldmine Dub“, From 1979, was produced by Jah Lloyd and mixed by Prince Jammy. The mix, the sound and Sly Dunbar's playing are simply superb. The style was Jamaican Dub here at the peak. The then young label Greensleeves licensed “Goldmine Dub“And it was one of the first Greensleeves releases to hit record stores. But that's a different story of development ...

An album that also fits well into the “Evolution Of Dub“Would have been right "Pleasure DubBy Tommy McCook & The Supersonics (Pressure Sounds / Groove Attack), because the Dubs heard here are from the Treasure Isle studio - the place where Dub was invented. Bunny Lee describes the historic moment as follows: “Tubby and I met up at Duke Reid's studio, where sound man Ruddy Redwood and house engineer Byron“ Smithy ”Smith Dub Recorded plates. On one piece, Smithy forgot to turn on the vocal track in time because he was distracted by a conversation with Tubby and me. When he noticed the mistake and wanted to stop the recording, Ruddy only said: "No, make it run". The next day Ruddy played the song in the sound system and then put the "failed" Dub Plate up. People loved it and sang the song along with the mere rhythm track. Ruddy had to put the record on five or ten times. It was a huge success. ”In evolutionary terms, this was the moment that separated animate from dead matter - or the Big Bang of Dub, depending on your point of view. In any case, a moment in the Dub-Evolution cannot be missing, even if it is early on Dub Plates were only about "versions", i.e. unedited rhythm tracks. After the death of Treasure Isle boss Duke Reid, his nephew Errol Brown took control of the mixer and mixed three real ones from the old recordings from the 1960s Dub-Albums: "Treasure Dub Vol. 1 "and" Vol. 2 "and" Pleasure Dub". While the former has been rereleased many times, perhaps the best album of the three, “Pleasure Dub“, Patiently his rediscovery. Now it is available, the sound has been edited and six bonus tracks have been added. Of "Dub“There is not much to be heard on the album, for which one is secretly grateful, because a real one Dub Mixing would mean having to do without the wonderful arrangements of the Rhtyhm tracks, missing the grandiose wind or organ melodies or only hearing fragments of the typical, warm, full-sounding Treasure Isle sound. Fortunately - one can only say - he thought Dub-Big Bang on four-track tapes!

From the beginning of the Dub let's take a giant step into the present, where Noise shaper with the new album "Satellite City" (Cat'n Roof / Groove Attack) describes the current status quo of the genre. And this is already beyond the narrow limits of reggae. But the heart of the Dub - the deep groove, warm sound and melodic bass - still hits in the right place, which is why genres such as soul, deephouse, electronic and reggae come together organically and naturally into a big whole on Satellite City: to Dub 2009! The ten fresh tracks by Axel Hirn and Flo Fleischman sometimes sound like On U-Sound, sometimes like Dubhouse à la Rhythm & Sound, sometimes leftfield and mostly different drummer - and they always have a casual pop appeal, which is not insignificantly brought in by the committed guest vocalists such as Juggla, Jackie Deane or Wayne Martin. I especially love Noiseshaper for their deep shuffle beats, like him z. B. on the song "Sod's Law". Here it is congenially complemented by soft female soul vocals. Dub can be so much. In the course of its evolution it has developed less into a specific musical style in an economic niche than much more into a universal principle that permeates a multitude of musical genres.

This thesis can also be seen very nicely on the new album "Dr. Boondigga & The Big BW "(The Drop / Roughtrade) by Fat Freddy's Drop prove. After the Freddys released their debut album "Based On A True Story" in 2005 with vehemence from far-away New Zealand into the local field of perception Dub Enthusiasts and thus achieved an unprecedented commercial success, now follows the high-expectations successor. But the New Zealanders escaped the almost four-year pressure of expectation simply by doing what for Dub (according to Axel Hirn from Noiseshaper) actually stands: You broke the conventions and consequently now deliver an album that disappoints, surprises, enthuses. They themselves describe their music as "Beat Reduction & Sonic Fine-tuning" and let it change stylistically between blues, electronics, reggae and funk. If it weren't for the latent effect Dub-Principle that holds the very different tracks together, then we would have a very disparate compilation here. But in this way - and especially through the ingenious dramaturgy of the song sequence - a highly interesting, demanding and inspired album is created, which in the end is perhaps a logical further development of "Based On A True Story".

I saw it with the highest expectations DubDocumentary by Bruno Natal. With expectations that were too high, it seems, because instead of portraying the music, its fascinating way of production and performance, the film often did not go through the series of interviews that were too substantial. Perhaps that was the reason for Souljazz's decision to dedicate a CD of the same title to the film - which, however, is not sold in a bundle with the film, but has to be purchased separately. A purchase that is well worth it, given the CD "Dub Echoes "(Soul Jazz / Indigo) in no way contains the “soundtrack” of the documentary, but a completely independent and also extremely competent and tasteful compilation of Dubs from the long history of the genre. The spectrum ranges from Lee Perry productions to King Tubby mixes to Sly & Robbie, Rhythm & Sound to the latest Dubstep-tracks from Kode9 or Harmonic 313. And as the Dynamite compilations show, Souljazz doesn't believe in chronology. Why the C64 sound from Disrupt here seamlessly on the Dub Syndicate with Bim Sherman's coaxing voice bounces only to be followed by one Dubto be swept away by a no less powerful King TubbyDub is contrasted. Orthodox music historians will tip off this mess. Music hedonists, on the other hand, should experience a full intoxication, because the unusual mix of the tracks results in a fascinatingly holistic one Dub-Experience in which the specific peculiarities and at the same time the universality of Dub to be absolutely evident. A sensual insight that can only be provided by the work itself and not through objective documentation. So maybe the film never had a chance to get a grip on its subject. The CD, on the other hand, manages it with dreamlike security. I would like a whole series of compilations based on this pattern. And anyway: It's actually about time for Dub-Compilations - Dubthanks to step!

Where we're from Dubstep talk. The double CD "I love Dubstep "(Rinse / Groove Attack) landed in Germany one year late. Rinse vouches for selected ones based on compilations by Skream and Plastician Dubstep quality. With “I Love Dubstep “, Pirate Radio has now assembled a collection of the best of the last 5 years of the young genre. The 23 tracks on Disc 1 were put together by perhaps the busiest compilation mixer Youngsta and represent the Who Is Who des Dubstep: Skream, Caspa, Loefah, Skream, Benga, Distance and - did I already mention it: Skream. Wobble bass tracks have the upper hand here, nicely technoid and minimalistic. Disc 2, on the other hand, has taken on Geeneus and leads us to the dark side of the Dubstep. Significantly, he starts his collection with Shackleton and ends it with Burial. In between he gathers Digital Mystikz, The Bug, Fat Freddy's Drop (which one would not have expected here) and of course Skream. Who your entry into Dubstep would like to dare is well served with the 45 tracks.

We continue with the second Dubstep CD release of the month: Caspa, "Everybody's Talking - Nobody's Listening" (Sub Soldiers / Rough Trade). Right at the intro my heart was really warm: I hadn't heard the voice of good old David Rodigan, who starts here in praise of Caspa, on the radio for a long time. The 12 tracks that follow have nothing to do with reggae. But all the more so with a large disco rave. Compared to the productions on “I Love Dubstep “are caspas Dubs often mercilessly overproduced, oscillating between techno and pop and not infrequently annoying with excessive grime raps and voiceovers (as fitting with the album title). But there are also more reduced - and therefore all the more powerful - tracks like z. B. “Terminator”, which is completely dominated by a brutally brutal wobble bass, or “I Beat My Robot” - mechanically cold, ruthless and evil.

You want the warm beats of classic reggaeDubs back. And who delivers it to us? Of course our local favorite label Echo Beach again. This time it will be an extraterrestrial one Dub- Artifact Presents: Dubblestandart, Lee Scratch Perry & Ari Up, “Return From Planet Dub"(Collision / Groove Attack). Back from the planet Dub, pack the four Viennese boys from Dubblestandart from what they brought us from there: finds, trophies and the acoustic recordings of two aliens with the names Lee "Scratch" Perry and Ari Up. Okay, Alien # 1 has a deterrent effect, I know! Perry's babbling is in fact hardly bearable. But the Dubblestandarts have pleasantly cut his torrent of speech to a fraction, so that his songs are closer Dubs with sampled vocals. Only with "Fungus Rock" is Perry allowed to make fables about fungal diseases of the vagina - no one had the heart to shorten this wacky text. “Fungus Rock” is interesting for another reason, because this is where the Viennese experiment Dubheads with great virtuosity Dubstep. In general, one has to state that the Dubblestandarts are truly up to date. Every song is full of great ideas, the mix is ​​exciting, the basslines swing and the sound is overwhelming. And so that you can really enjoy this virtuosity, CD 2 of the double album offers all tracks again as Dub-Versions - which sounds like an absurd idea, since every piece on CD 1 already has a Dub is. Anyway, I would love to listen to a third CD with remixes of the remixes. Especially since it is teeming with immortal melodies. There are very, very cool reinterpretations of “Chase The Devil” and “Blackboard Jungle” - why hasn't anyone else come up with this great idea at Lee Perry as a studio guest? My personal favorite, however, is the Jean-Michel Jarre homage "Oxygen pt. 4" with director David Lynch at the microphone. You can only say: Welcome back! We are glad that you are back!

Not from the planet Dub I received the new album from the beautiful northern Italy RB Stylers, “Indubstria "(Alambic Conspiracy / Import). In the best old school manner, it presents 12 tracks as a showcase, one song each followed by his Dub-Mix. Hand-played, powerful rhythms shape the sound, which is somewhere between Zion Train and Draedzone. Particularly noteworthy are the melodious and at the same time powerful songs by singer Michela Grena, which on the one hand form a nice complement to the rhythms, but on the other - as can be heard on the starter song "Let The Shine" - are in perfect harmony with the music. The vowel versions go seamlessly into the Dub-Mix over so that a piece lasts almost 8 minutes. The best thing about the album, however, is that it is - hard to believe - free (and legal) on the BR Stylers homepage (www.brstylers.com) can be downloaded.

That Dub survived in Germany, we have only one label to thank: Echo Beach. Founded during the heyday of the UKDub, it has the flag of Dub held high in all these years of drought and hardship and today celebrates its incredible 15th birthday. 1,5 decades of first classDub from Germany and the rest of the world (with groundbreaking and Dub-History-writing albums by Black Star Liner, The Groove Corporation, Manasseh, Seven and others Dub, Dubblestandart, Noiseshaper, Cool Hipnoise and the More Rockers), one could justifiably have expected a best of sampler. But no, Mr. Beverungen from outta Hamburg surprises us with a new edition of his legendary King Size DubSeries - the thirteenth if I counted correctly (Echo Beach / Indigo). And because that is a bad omen, they simply resorted to another number whose symbolic content is far more promising, 69! Our Hanseatic Dub-Ritter (and -Retter) collected 14 exclusive tracks from his favorite label artists and the Mark Viddler-Dubmix of Martha & The Muffins song "Echo Bach" placed programmatically at the beginning. It follows a very spacey one Dub-Cover of the special hit "My Rasist Friend", performed by Deepchild feat. Andy B. High Dub-Mix art! Then a track that you can never go wrong with anywhere: “Peace & Love” by Dubmatix feat. Linval Thompson (from the album "Renegade Rocker" currently released by Echo Beach). Is it about the new school of the old schoolDub, then do DubMatix aka Jesse King is currently not up to anyone. (I'm currently hearing two great new ones Dubmatix singles, which will soon be available at irieites.de - not Echo Beach, but still great). Also big: Junglehammer vs. Daktari, a powerful, fast one Dub. The perfect choice after Dubmatix cracker. It continues with Smoke (from the current album "Addicted"), then (for the umpteenth time - but with the anniversary sampler, let's turn a blind eye) with The Ruts DC. Four grandiose ones follow Dub-Cover: "House Of The Rising Sun" (Animals), "Walking On The Moon" (Police), "Private Life" (Pretenders) and "Jeanny", a really deep one DubVersion of Falco's controversial '80s hit. Form the conclusion Dubblestandart with Lee Perry that Dub Syndicate, Sugar Sugar (from Seven Dub) and Ari Up vs. XA Cute, which is an interesting crossover from Cutty Ranks and Dubstep. In other words: A really good, fat anniversary present that Echo Beach gave us and itself as a present. For the next 15 years!

I live in the very satisfying awareness that at least I know my way around a musical cosmos really well: Dub. But lately I have repeatedly had the - albeit by no means unpleasant - experience that there are still some undiscovered corners and protagonists unknown to me. How z. B. Sideshow, their debut CD "Admit One" (From Music / Alive) recently landed on my desk. The name didn't mean anything to me, and a look at the press information raised the suspicion that this CD might just have been misdirected. We were talking about the singer / songwriter Fink, who has been releasing albums on Ninja Tune since 2003, on which he accompanies himself while singing with the acoustic guitar. So roughly the opposite of Dub. Anyway, I decided to let the music do the talking and put the CD in the player. After all, I didn't hear a man with his guitar, but a real Indian pop song with a female singer (Cortney Tidwell, as it turned out later) - but ultimately not my cup of tea either. I almost stopped the CD when the second track started and a bass line echoed against me that made my guts shake. Wow - what was that? Four to the floor, the beat stamped through space and time, leaving traces of long reverberant echoes. At the same time - and that went perfectly with the unusual introductory song - everything sounded so wonderfully analog and human, had warmth and atmosphere. On the third track, the familiar voice of Paul St. Hilaire rang out, which made it clear where the journey of the remaining seven tracks should go: to one of the most beautiful and exciting Dub-Excursions in the last few months. Fink aka Fin Greenall recorded this album live with his tour band, as it were to relax: “Im Dub For me it's not about rational thinking, but rather about emotional action, about freedom, a certain quality, "says Greenall:"Dub for me is like the church of music, a certain innocence with enormous power. ”Very beautifully poetic - and you believe him at the latest when the plaintive strings sound on“ If Alone ”, in which Weltschmerz spreads over the steadily flowing bass waves only to lead to a highly idiosyncratic version of Kraftwerk's "model". Anyone who does something like this as a relaxation exercise has to be a gifted musician - of which there are a lot in the various musical genres. One can only hope that they put their heart out for them Dub and make sure that many more obscure CDs land on my desk.

The exact opposite of "hand-played" analog music is provided by the label Jahtari, which - as the name suggests - was committed to the 8-bit sound of early computers like Atari and above all the C64 with its (then) outstanding sound chip. Label boss Disrupt now with "The Bass Has Left The Building" (Jahtari / Cargo) his second, "real" album on which he made the connection from Dub and exploring the 80s computer game sounds. He inevitably follows in the footsteps of King Jammy, who in 1985 produced the first fully synthetic reggae sound with Sleng Teng. But while Jammy's Epigonen now work with the most modern software such as Logic and Cubase, Disrupt deliberately limits itself to the minimal sound repertoire of the three-part SID chip that was in the C64 at the time. What can be done with this limited set of instruments? To be honest: not very much - although, on the other hand, more than expected. In the worst case, the pieces sound like the simply knitted soundtracks of silly jump & run games, in the best case Disrupt succeeds in composing more complex shuffle beats that occasionally even come close to rhythm & sound tracks. Ultimately, however, this music cannot be grasped with the usual quality criteria. Dubs made from C64 sounds are an experiment that, regardless of whether it fails or succeeds, broadens our musical horizons - and is therefore justified.

Know real reggae buffs clinton fearon. Even if you didn't expect him in this column, because Fearon is known as a member of the Gladiators and thus as a singer. But now the reggae veteran, who is not only a singer but also a bass player and who has already played in Studio One and the Black Ark studio (and now lives in Seattle (USA)), has a real one DubAlbum recorded. “Washable” means that it's not just that Dubmix of an existing vocal album. No, "Faculty Of Dub"(Boogie Brown / Import or iTunes) is an original, "hand-played" Dub-Album. And a very good one too, with a wonderful old school flair, a classic line-up, gentle, harmonious rhythms and a simple but very pleasant mix. Such music is wonderful to play in the office. It spreads warmth and well-being, has a calming effect but by no means boring. The Faculty Of Dub is quite simply what you call a “solid Dub-Album "is called. And that is exactly what there has been far too little of in recent years. Even beyond musical engagements, Mr. Fearon seems to be active. A Google search for his name unearths a blog called “Boogie Brown and the Baby Notes,” in which Fearon advertises gift ideas (mostly gift baskets). The gift baskets are then available on a Canadian shopping site. Well, since there is hardly any money to be made with music, musicians have to be open to alternative sources of income.

But since we're surfing the net right now, I have one more tip for a really good one Dub- Get rid of podcast: thedubzone.blogsome.com. It is produced by Pete Cogle, who puts a half-hour show up to three times a month on the net. To do this, he only uses downloads that are freely available on the Internet and thus relieves his listeners of the trouble, even music community sites such as reggaedubwise.com to search for good material. In any case, I'm always amazed at the good ones Dubs Mr. Cogle clicks together like that (and above all I am amazed at the good quality of "Hobby" -Dub-Producers in the network).

Dub is an international style and the best Dub-Productions have long ceased to come from the UK alone (not to mention Jamaica). Yet we have ever considered Canada over here Dubbin ground spoken? Apart from Dubmatix, who lives and works here, has not yet heard any echoes from the north of the American continent. But as it turns out, that was because we didn't listen carefully enough, because the small label "Balanced Records" has been releasing a highly interesting musical mixture for several years now Dub makes up some volume fractions. Basically “Balanced” is about downtempo, nu jazz, electro and Dub, the whole thing additionally spiced with global sounds. But now - probably because of that Dub-Virus spreads inexorably, once it has infected its victim - is the label sampler "Northern Faction 4" (balanced-records.com) pronounced dubturned out heavy. The label makers have not only made use of their own musician stable, but have also licensed suitable tracks around the world. 14 artists have come together, of whom I have only been Noiseshaper, Dubmatix and the Subatomic Sound System. Most of the others are not in the strict sense either Dub-Artists, which makes it all the more interesting. Because that's how the straight ones are found Dubs one Dubmatix z. B. in an exciting contrast to a melancholy nu jazz piece or a hard electro track. Instead of rocking stoically in the offbeat tack for 70 minutes, “Nothern Faction 4” is more suitable for attentive listening and for getting involved in different moods. In other words: It's a slightly more intellectual, but especially eventful album that can be enjoyed with both stomach and head.

Instead of more straightforward, hypnotic Dub-Albums, this time somewhat unusual and tricky works are piling up on my table, albums that operate more on the edge of the genre than in its one-drop center. For example, there is the new album “Visions In Sonic Sense” (Malicious Damage / Cargo) by Analogue Mindfield, which - if you buy it as a physical data carrier - comes with a psychedelic cover and enclosed green-red 3D glasses. While looking at flying 3D eyes in space, there is music to be heard that can be assigned to the leftfield spectrum and sounds a little like unreleased Dreadzone tracks. "Acoustic soundscapes consisting of challenging, but still accessible music" are the aim of the Irish band. What sounds so abstract here can also be seen as a mixture of reggaeDub (also old-school), pop and electronics. There are (by the way, also like with Dreadzone) very catchy, almost chart-suitable pieces, but also experimental and weird ones Dubs to hear. Characteristic are sometimes small, sometimes large melodies that nestle in the ear canals. In addition, there are fast and often syncopated beats and a whole universe of various small sounds, small synth melody sequences and vocal samples - some of them border on overproduction. Overall, there is a light, good-humored atmosphere and it is undoubtedly fun to get involved with the "Visions In Sonic Sense".

It continues with an expedition to the limits of the Dub. Our guide is called Harmonics 313 and our field of research is time, "When Machines Exceed Human Intelligence" (Warp / Roughtrade). Those futuristic spheres are the favorite field of activity of Marc Pritchard, the electronic artist who has dedicated himself to so-called “UK bass music” since the early 1990s. This should make it clear what the relationship to Dub mainly consists: in the bass. "Bass! How Low Can You Go? ”Asked Public Enemy 20 years ago. With his new album, Pritchard now provides an impressive answer to this question. In his opinion, English dance music has been ruled by the bass for almost 20 years: Dub, Jungle, drum & bass, garage, Dubstep - and he had a say in all styles. And so it is not surprising that the futuristic-gloomy, but also hard and rational sounds on “When Machines Exceed Human Intelligence” are most likely to hit Dubstep (with clear references to Detroit techno and 80s electro). Reggae is in vain here (apart from the intro sample), but the excess of bass should still be a hit with anyone Dub put in a blissful state. 

Since we're so far from the classic Dub-Terrain removed, we'll stay a little longer in this border area and listen to the album "Underground Wobble" (Jarring Effects / Alive!) By High Tone. A group of operates under this title Dub-Alchemists from Lyon who made an eclectic music Dub, Industrial, hip-hop, trip-hop and ethnic samples together and the whole "Novo-Dub“Call. You can hear partly heavy, partly wild breakbeats and offbeats, screeching synths, oriental melody ornaments and hypnotic keyboard sounds. The right material to let your ears blown free by the Harmonic 313-Bass. If you listen carefully and penetrate the full, rich sound of the tracks, you will discover fascinating details such as z. B. gentle jazz interludes, contrasted by wild sirens, synth escapades (which could just as easily be samples of opera singing), as well as always indistinct, mysterious radio messages (in which a conspiracy theory is probably discussed). Instead of a consistently brutal sound, the individual pieces follow a sophisticated dramaturgy full of contrasts and surprises.

For a conciliatory end there is real reggae again: "Infinite Dub"By Midnite / Luster Kings (Luster Kings / Import). This is the Dub-Version of the album "Infinite Quality", a collaboration between Midnite singer Vaughn Benjamin and Luster producer Digital Ancient. The result of this collaboration is - at least in Dub-Form - reasonably boring. The riddims are pretty average, the singing can only be heard in tiny scraps (yes Dub!) and the production is, well, let's say: little inspired. Somehow the sound sounds strangely dull. Well, you can see that I can't get much positive out of the album. The vocal version was certainly better, because the few melody scraps that Dub-Treatment sound promising.

"... One of the hardest dub albums ever released ”, says the Rough Guide To Reggae about the album "Dub I "by producer Jimmy Radway & The Fe Me Time All Stars (Pressure Sounds / Groove Attack). This statement is an excellent argument - about the fact that "Dub I was "one of the hardest albums ever TO GET", but there is no need for a discussion. Published in Jamaica in 1975 with an edition of only 300 copies, "Dub I ”as one of the first Dub-Albums in general - and an early work by master engineer Errol Thompson - something like the holy grail of reggae collectors. The chosen few, whose collection was crowned by one of the rare, remaining vinyl records on this album, now have to accept a sharp drop in the price of their assets, because Pressure Sounds re-releases that Dub-Album now perfectly remastered with five bonus tracks, the original cover and detailed liner notes. In XNUMX, when Dub-Connoisseur of the year 2008, knowing the long history of the Dub (even after 1975), the revolutionary new and above all the “hardness” of the album may no longer be revealed. You have already heard too much of this music, which is not lacking in innovations, you have had tons of heavy bass thrown around your ears and has been whirled through many an echo chamber. From today's perspective, the sound and the arrangement of "Dub I “somewhat conventional. In retrospect, however, one can understand why the dry, clear and straightforward sound, dominated by powerful brass, was perceived as revolutionary back then. If Radway's Micron label hadn't already been broke when the album was released, a higher circulation and a few promos in the mailboxes of Virgin or Island Records would certainly have secured Mr. Radway a place in the Reggae Hall Of Fame. It didn't turn out that way, which is why we are now more than thirty years late listening to the album and granting it the recognition it has been denied for so long.

How innovative Dub can be can be seen in the album "Kasbah Rockers with Bill Laswell" (Barraka) (to acquire z. B. via Amazon or iTunes). Under this title, the musician Pat Jabbar, who lives in Basel, has released an album with some artists from his Barraka label, the Trip Hop Beats, "Rai'n'B", Dub and combines progressive dance sounds with traditional Moroccan influences. Bill Laswell, who plays bass on 11 tracks, grooves here together with musicians and singers like Youssef El Mejjad from Amira Saqati, Abdelaziz Lamari and Abdelkader Belkacem from Maghrebika or Kadir & Erdem from the Swiss-Turkish hip hop crew Makale. It sings in Turkish and Arabic about the life of young Muslims in the western world - or exactly the other way around - the confrontation of the Islamic world with western influences. Incidentally, two tracks on the album, "Bledstyle" and "Shta", were selected by Ridley Scott for the soundtrack of his new film "Body Of Lies". You won't find proven reggae beats at the Kasbah Rockers, but the elements of Dub are ubiquitous. Laswell's heavy rolling bass in particular draws a direct connection to the Dub. Instrumentation, mix and arrangement do the rest. The mood of the music is dark, psychedelic and, last but not least, strange and exotic. An eventful, acoustic excursion into unknown territory.

In order to regain safe ground, let's listen to the new EP of Abassi All Stars, "No Answer" (Universal Egg / Import). Three of the four tracks are based on Mr. Perch's “No Answer” rhythm - an extremely fast steppers beat with the familiar synth sounds. But despite the now really more than worn sound, Neil Perch knows how to screw good rhythms together again and again and - perhaps his greatest achievement - to develop decent melodies. With Minoo, Omar Perry and Carlton Livingston there are three vocalists on “No Answer”, each of whom knows how to contribute a really nice song. Especially the refrain of the latter "I don't have the answers to all those questions" has an insidious catchy tune.

Let's stay briefly in the area of ​​the well-known: Alpha & Omega lay with "Songs From The Holy Mountain" (Alpha & Omega / Import) a new (new?) album. To be honest, I lost track of the two Brits. A&O have remained so consistently true to their style since the 1990s that you cannot tell whether you are listening to new or well-known material. Somehow everything here sounds like deep jungle. The vocals, which are contributed by Paul Fox and Jonah Dan, are definitely new. The two hardly came up with much, so the second part of the album with the DubVersion that is actually interesting. Although I probably own all A&O albums from the last 15 years and have heard them many times, the mystical, dark sound enchants me every time anew. This explains why nothing really good can be said about “Songs From The Holy Mountain”, but I still recommend the album from the bottom of my heart.

The Wackies label, which is carefully maintained in Berlin, is with "Black World Dub"(Wackies / Indigo) a new old work by Bullwackie's All Stars was released. First published in 1979, it offers us DubVersions of reworking old (Studio One) hits like "Heptones Gonna Fight", "Guiding Star", "Skylarking" or "This World". We owe this selection to Leroy Sibbles, who directed most of the recordings on the album and of course also contributed the bass playing. The sound is typical of Wackies: warm, soft and rather fuzzy. Some tracks have little surprises in store, such as the breathtaking percussions on "Skylarking" or the interspersed syndrums on "Morning Star", which at the time were the sensational product of the latest Japanese technology.

Heartbeat Records has just released a nice album for the Revival Selection: Dub Specialist, "Dub"(Heartbeat / in-acoustics). Here you can find Dub-Versions of classic Studio One recordings - which of course is always nice. This time there are among others "African Beat", "Mojo Rocksteady", "Swing Easy", "Mean Girl" and many more. Nice scruffy sound, wonderful basslines, great melodies and all of this, of course, remastered and nicely packaged. What more do you want?

Finally, let's take a quick look at an album from Jamaica: Penthouse All-Stars, "Dub Out Her Blouse & Skirt "(VP / Groove Attack). "Dub from Jamaica “sounds good at first, but in this case it is not very spectacular. The only thing you can hear on this VP release is Studio One reworkings, which Donovan Germain produced for his Penthouse label in the 1980s and 1990s. Digital material in a sound that has unfortunately survived quite a bit and today, whether its simplicity, is no longer quite convincing. You can hear Steele & Clevie, Robbie Lyn, Dave Kelly, the Firehouse Crew and Steven “Lenky” Marsden. By the way, from the album you can immediately understand why with the arrival of digital music in Jamaica the Dub took his leave.

When the fashion label Stüssy celebrated its 25th anniversary three years ago with a nice reggae collection, they hired the freelancer Mike Pelanconi (who gave Lily Allen a "Smile") to produce a single that fits the fashion. With “Nina's Dance” Pelanconi delivered a nice, relaxed tune in the style of early reggae, which, contrary to expectations, brought it to some popularity in the UK. Inspired by this success, Pelanconi produced under the appropriate name "Prince Fatty“A whole album that could have sprung straight from the early 1970s: "Survival Of The Fattest" (Mr. Bongo / Cargo). Recorded with analog equipment and recorded by some luminaries of the British reggae scene (Carlton "Bubblers" Ogilvie, Style Scott, Winston Francis, Little Roy and others) the album is a unique homage to King Tubby, Bunny Lee and the Revolutionaries. But as meticulously as Pelanconi copied the sound of the 70s, the songs are all originally his work - but this can only be determined if you listen carefully, because the sound quotes always convey the feeling of knowing this piece and being able to hum along that melody. Only at the moment when you purs your lips to whistle along do you pause and realize that these are brand new pieces and previously unheard melodies - even if Dennis Alcapone is doing his well-known toasts, the organ pulsates like Jackie's Mittoo, the guitar seems to be plucked by Ernest Ranglin and the brass section makes you think of Tommy McCook. The fat Prince (who is of course by no means fat) just succeeded in wonderful feel-good pieces, which are actually more instrumentals than Dubs are. In four cases there is even nice vocal accompaniment: Little Roy has taken on two tunes, Winston Francis one and Hollie Cook, the singer of the Slits (and daughter of Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook) gives the track "Milk And Honey" the right touch . Prince Fatty rules!

Jesse King! A super name. I don't know why Mr. King of all places is Dubmatix had to call. Maybe this should "Dub“Necessarily in the name because Dub is without a doubt the core business of the Toronto master. The son of a jazz and funk producer, Jesse experienced his musical awakening in the early 1980s when an exiled Jamaican gave him the record "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown". From that moment on, Jesse King's life moved purposefully towards 2004 when he was his first Dub-Album "Champion Sound Clash" released. Then came "Atomic Subsonic" and now, finally, "Renegade Rocker" (7 Arts / Rough Trade). All three albums are characterized by very powerful, highly dynamic beats. The timing is right here, the offbeats are perfect and the one-drop makes the diaphragm shake. Mr Dubmatix knows how to screw together fat beats. "Renegade Rocker" is now the culmination of this art. Heard it out loud, the album simply blows you away. When music hits you, you feel no pain - fortunately! Many other Dubover would have made 16 albums from the 5 tracks, Dubmatix puts the material on a long player - and is not even satisfied with that Dubs alone, but also packs guest vocalists of the first guard on two thirds of the tunes! Linval Thompson, Ranking Joe, Michael Rose, Sugar Minott, Willy William, Alton Ellis, Pinchers and Wayne Smith take the lead in the studio. The result is an album that really rocks - reggaewise! 

But released alongside the "official" albums Dubmatix also so-called "digital releases", which are available under www.dubmatix.com or can be downloaded from the iTunes Store (but more expensive here). The latest in this series is the album "Dread & Gold" (www.dubmatix.com) published. It gathers Dubs from 2003 to 2008. Some of the tracks hadn't made it onto one of the CD releases at the last moment, others were recorded specifically for live performances or radio shows. But anyone who thinks they will only find scrap here is wrong. Because the tunes are without exception good. Of course they are less elaborately produced and all instrumental - which is what makes them so attractive. The Canadian is much closer to the classic here Dubbut without the clichés of the UKDub to repeat. His tracks are full of ideas, no Dub is like the other and in terms of craftsmanship there is nothing to be desired. The material would easily have been enough for an "official" album. How nice that Dubmatix offers it to us for half the price.

Another digital release is the debut album by Dub Milan, "Dubville Chapter 1 "that under www.reggae-town.de can be downloaded for free. Dub Milan, who I don't know more about than what is written on his Myspace page, presents six nice tracks here. They're really exciting DubBut unfortunately not, especially the rhythms are a bit lacking. The mixes are too dry and the sound is too artificial. But it is interesting Dub Milan's attempt to build his "Bach rhythm" on the basis of baroque harmonies. I would have liked the baroque part to be bigger, but the track has its charms.

I came across a strange album while browsing the MP3 store: The Dub Club, "Soundsystem for All" (Soundsystem1 / download, e.g. iTunes store). A strange album because the omniscient network has no information about it. “Soundsystems for All” seems to exist completely unnoticed, somewhere in the sea of ​​bits and bytes on the iTunes servers. I was probably just the first buyer of this work. It will probably not be the showpiece of my MP3 collection, but I wanted to hear it whole and in good quality because, yes, because it is quite unusual. The eight tracks on this album oscillate between the seemingly opposing poles of club beat, ska and Dub. There are fast ska-offbeats - fully electronic of course - club-like sound atmosphere and of course booming bass lines, samples as well as reverb and echo galore. Three or four tracks do not obey the fast ska rhythm and are pleasantly arranged Dubs with beautiful brass sections. In terms of sound, there is still something wrong here. One or the other track deserves a better mastering - an indication that “Soundsystems for All” is probably the living room production of an avid sound tinkerer and ska friend. Also, a few more pieces would have been nice, because the eight tracks only run for 30 minutes.

Already released at the end of last year (but only now downloadable), the album has it "Dub Harvest "(import or iTunes store) by McPullish not made into this column yet. The reason for this is simply that the DubIt's not really exciting. Somehow the groove is not right here, the arrangements are one-dimensional and the sound is quite a mess. McPullish aka Carson Hoovestol started in Seattle in 2002 Dubs to produce. He currently runs a studio in Texas, which probably has a lot of instruments lying around, all of which he actually plays by hand for his recordings. Basically, the album is the result of a one-man show, where Hoovestol does not use a computer or sampler, but plays all the instruments live (and usually uses the first cut). That should explain the deficit of the rhythms sufficiently. On the other hand, it also demands respect - not necessarily for the performance, but for the dedication with which he has dedicated himself to his music. But maybe it's not a blissful dilettantism that I'm implying on him here, but avant-garde, and I didn't notice it.

And again publishes the tireless Hamburger Dub-Label Echo Beach a new one Dub-Album from Germany: Sam Ragga Band, “In Dub" (Echo Beach / Indigo). Anyone who thinks the Sam Ragga Band is Jan Delay's backing band only knows half the job. Since Jan Eißfeld turned away from reggae and turned to funk, the Sam Ragga Band has been operating at its own expense and has in the meantime recorded three (!) Albums of its own. "In Dub“Is now the Dub-Synthesis from these three works, mixed, remixed and gedubbt by three friends of the band: QP Laboraties, Pensi and Martin Rothert. As a Mr. Delays backing band, Sam Ragga couldn't really convince me. Somehow the timing was wrong, the rhythms weren't tight and the basslines didn't have a groove. So I hadn't listened to the following Sam Ragga albums at all. Maybe a mistake, as I now think, because the DubThe s that can be heard on this album don't sound too bad at all. Especially those that come from the last album "Situations" like z. B. "Why Dub“- a nice deeper Dub-Tune with a richly played bassline, minimal effects and a very puristic mix. DubOn the other hand, those that go back to the first album “Loktown Hi-Life” suffer from the less powerfully recorded tracks and the lack of tension in the somewhat more poppy arrangements. From the second Sam Ragga album “The Sound Of Sam Ragga” only the track “Schade Dub". However, this is arranged in such a poppy way that the suspicion arises that the remixers did not find anything on the album, which is probably all too pop. No matter! Despite minor slip-ups, “Sam Ragga In Dub“A good album, not exactly avant-garde, but solid Dub- Food from Hamburg. Ahoy.

Let's listen to a second album from Echo Beach: "Dubstars - From Dub To Disco & From Disco To Dub" (Echo Beach / Indigo). Who here a classic Dub-Sampler expected will be amazed at the latest at the track listing. Instead of Tubby, Perry, Mad Prof & Co. he finds names like: Terence Trent D'Arby, Simply Red, Stereo MC's, Brian Eno & David Byrne, New Order or Cabaret Voltaire. What this compilation offers us is quite extraordinary, namely Dub-Mixes of disco pieces from the 1980s and 1990s, but almost all of which were created during the time of their original recording. For me, this CD reveals a previously unfathomable secret: Why didn't the Madonna, Grace Jones, Gloria Estefan (etc.) hits in the disco run in the version known from the radio? Quite simply: Because the disco producers reduced them to the rhythm - and thus more danceable and also easier to mix Dub-Versions had tinkered. Such disco versions are on "Dubstars ”- but no obscure snippets of disco producers at the time, but the works of remixers to be taken seriously (at the time) such as Chris Blackwell, Adrian Sheerwod or Dennis Bovell (among others, mixer virtuosos unknown to the reggae connoisseur). With reggaeDub Of course, the whole thing has little to do and a part of z. B. Getting through Terence Trent D'Arby takes some self-control. This is offset by really exciting discoveries such as the Chris Blackwell remix of the Grace Jones track "She's Lost Control" or Will Powers "Adventures In Success" from 1983, which sounds like it is the sequencer of a hip dancehall producer sprung from. Because the musical phenomenon is almost more interesting than the music, the CD offers detailed and very amusing liner notes.

It is long overdue that I am on this column "Lead With The Bass 3" (Universal Egg / Cargo) come to speak. After all, this sampler was made in Jamaica for Dub-Album of last year was chosen (and was also released in April). As with the two predecessors, label boss Neil Perch has taken stock of the UKDub put together and tunes from vibronics, Dubdadda, Abassi All Stars, Ital Horns, Dub Terror or Zion Train put together. Each track is available as an original recording and as a remix (Dubplate version or Dub) available a second time. This is how you make a whole album out of 8 pieces! Although the sound production is poor, the first two Vibronics tracks are already a blast. What a bassline! Add to that the powerfully syncopating percussions and there is already one of the strongest rhythms that the UK-Dub had to offer lately. It gets interesting again with track 11 by Prince David, who plays a nice melody here (which somehow reminds me of songs by anti-globalizationists). Unfortunately, the sampler cannot maintain the level of these tracks. The remaining pieces are not bad, but neither are they outstanding or even groundbreaking. UKDubhow to know him and how he is increasingly losing the interest of his listeners.

Much more interesting is the new album by Casualty: "Version 5.2" (Hammer bass / import). It is the second album by the French sound tinkerers and it leaves the narrow boundaries of the UKDub far behind. As if a breath of fresh air had blown through the beats, the album avoids (almost) all of the clichés Dub and convinces with new, exciting ideas. There are almost jazzy tunes with beautiful saxophone sounds that are sometimes fast Dub-House tracks and another time next to almost spiritual-Arabic ones Dub-Grooves stand. In two cases they even ventured to drum & bass and techno. No wonder, that Dub flourished in France, while in England it was losing supporters.

In England, however, is extremely popular Dubstep. Although the formal proximity to classic reggaeDub is not too pronounced so would be Dubstep without reggae and Dub unthinkable. The DNA of the Dub Of course, it shows in the uncompromising focus on the bassline. Also is Dubstep, as well as reggaeDub, relying on sound systems and DubPlates are an essential part of business. But that is where the similarities stop. One looks for onedrop, echoes and mixing desk magic in Dubstep in vain. Allegedly originated from a garage, sounds Dubstep in my ears much more like a derivative of jungle and drum & bass - but without the breakneck fast drum loops. Electronically creaky (by the way, like Scientist!), Subsonic basslines, cool and cold electronic beats: precise, rational, hard and sharp. In contrast, the sea of ​​bass. If you want to get to know this sound, which has now largely been defined, the double CD is for you "Steppas' Delight" (Souljazz / Indigo) recommended. The Souljazz compilers draw the (short) history of the in extensive liner notes Dubstep and bring together all the important protagonists with a total of 19 tunes.

Back to the classic one-drop. Paul Fox has a pretty nice one based on Michael Rose's “Great Expectations” Dub-Album mixed: "Michael Rose & Shades Of Black: Dub Expectations " (Nocturne / Rough Trade). It is not exactly a product of the drive for innovation and avant-gardeism. On the contrary: it's just a good, traditional one Dub-Album that you can just enjoy without any ambition or curiosity. The rhythms are powerful and full, the mixes on tubby level and Michael Rose's vocals a nice relaxing element. Fortunately, Fox does without the typical UKDub-Sound clichés and mixes a clean, neutral sound full of dynamics. The only irritating thing is that almost all tunes do not end, but are cut off in the middle of the beat. Given the meticulous production, this lapse is astonishing - unless Fox thinks the "band-to-end" effect is style.

The Berlin DJ Daniel W. Best runs a flourishing booking agency and also has a small label called “Best Seven”, which he gives to music “somewhere between reggae, soul and Dub“Dedicates. The pieces appearing on Best Seven usually see the light of day as vinyl singles, which the label boss takes as an opportunity to release them on CD from time to time. With "Best Seven Selections 3" (Best Seven / Sonar Kollektiv / Rough Trade) this is the third time. Apart from Black Seeds and Tosca, the names of the artists represented here (Sisters, Kabuki, Cat Rat, Ladi 6, Jah Seal and others) were absolutely unknown to me. Accordingly, I didn't expect much. But what a surprise when playing the first tracks! The pieces gathered here are beautiful. Wonderfully gentle, relaxed reggae with catchy melodies and really good singing. Sometimes it sounds a little like Lovers Rock, then again like Fat Freddie's Drop. Although all the pieces are with vocals, the record somehow fits into them Dub-Column. Maybe it's the warm, relaxed sound, the subdued Dub-Effects of some pieces - or it's simply because I like this compilation exceptionally well.

Recently I came across an idiosyncratic album: Tuff Lion, "Ten Strings" (I Grade / Import). You can hear instrumental reggae with the guitar as the lead instrument. Logical that such a record has to come from America. Label boss and producer Tippy I put together 14 rhythm tracks from the I Grade Back catalog and 4 new rhythms for the album and had guitarist Tuff Lion improvise on them. Instead of screeching rock solos, the lion plays soft, jazzy sounds that are often reminiscent of Ernest Ranglin. The whole thing is very relaxed - and unfortunately a bit boring in the long run. But perfect as background sound when reading or working!

We come to the revival selection. Roots Radics Meets King Tubbys, “More Dangerous Dub" (Greensleeves / Rough Trade) is the name of the successor album to the album originally released in 1981 and re-released in 1996, “Dangerous Dub". With the name "Roots Radics" it should be pretty clear which sound awaits the listener here: Ultra-slow rhythms mixed with a lot of "air", the focus of which is always a beautifully melodious bassline. Mixing engineers were Jah Screw (who also produced), Soldgie and King Tubby (the latter probably only "directed"). As with “Dangerous Dub“This is how the recordings on“ More Dangerous Dub“From 1981 and of course there are many Studio One interpretations to be heard, like z. B. “African Beat”, a fantastic one Dubwith which the album also begins. Allegedly, none of the recordings collected here were ever published - which is hard to believe given the quality of the material.

Not unpublished, but "rare" Dubit gives up "Scientist At The Controls Of Dub - Rare Dubs 1979-1980 " (Jamaican Recordings / Import). It was produced by Ossie Thomas and recorded at Tuff Gong and Channel 1 studios, mixed at Tubby's. Compared to the recordings of “Dangerous Dub“, The Scientist tunes sound rougher, more atmospheric, less clean and are definitely mixed more ambitiously. The original vocals also flash through here from time to time - especially at the beginning of each tune - so that you can always hear small fragments of melody by Dennis Brown, Tony Tuff, Tristan Palmer and others. A very nice album that easily goes with the enthusiasm for the good old Jamaican Dub to awaken again.

Meanwhile it is Lars Fenin yes a good friend in this column. After “Sustain” and “Grounded” we now turn to his new album "Been Through" (Shitkatapult / mdm), with which he made his mix driven to perfection Dub and techno remains loyal in principle, but still does not stand still. While his earlier beats were warmer, softer and closer to the “four to the floor” pattern, now they mix (DubThanks to step) there are more broken structures in the rhythms. With this, Fenin increases his distance to Rhythm & Sound on the one hand and The Modernist on the other. Extreme minimalism was never Fenin's thing anyway. He has always enriched his tracks with lots of ideas and woven refined arrangements from them. “Been Through” can no longer be grasped at all with the “Minimal” category. Fenin's pieces are developing more and more from “patterns” to full-fledged tunes - in those cases where he is supported by vocalists like Gorbi, even into genuine songs. “A Try” is such a song with beautifully melancholy vocals and a catchy melody. Likewise "Red Wine", a tongue-in-cheek quote from the UB40 hit, which of course has perfect song qualities. But while the British band packed the vocals into soft-washed beats, Fenin's version has rough edges, is far more complex and at the same time has a fat kick that makes the tune unreservedly suitable for clubs. Compared to earlier albums and EPs, Fenin's music now sounds much harder, almost as if the Berliner by choice wanted to end his synthesis Dub and techno add a few sprinkles of dancehall. Why not? Fenin's specialty is new approaches.

What a spring! So many good ones Dub- There were seldom releases in one place. Obviously, the material that was put together behind thick studio doors on dark, rainy winter days is now making its way to the public. How z. B. the great new album from Echo-Beach: "Police In Dub"(Echo Beach / Indigo). There is a detailed article on the subject at the front of the magazine. Here I just want to make an explicit purchase recommendation. The album is one of the best that has ever been done in Germany under the label “Dub“Was produced and plays in the first division even in international comparison. Producer Guido Craveiro and the band Okada recorded incredibly well thought-out tracks that were designed down to the last detail. The rhythms groove, the timing is perfect. The sound is miles and miles from noodled Dub- Clichés removed and still full of warmth and depth. Whenever you think it couldn't get any better, these grandiose, catchy Police melodies emerge from the sea of ​​bass, perform some elegant pirouettes, and then sink back into the depths of drum & bass. You could go into raptures!

The next big surprise is a Dub-Album from Jamaica! Who would have thought that 20 years after King Tubby's death the island would be one again? Dub-Album would make? The father of this project is Clive Hunt, a busy and versatile producer who produced artists like the Abyssinians, Dennis Brown and Max Romeo as early as the 1970s. In recent years he had romped around a lot in France (z. B. he produced Pierpoljak or Khaled). Maybe that's why it's his Dub-Album "Clive Hunt & The Dub Dancers "(Makasound / Rough Trade) also released on the French label Makasound. Well-known musicians such as Sly Dunbar, Leroy Wallace, Earl Chinna Smith or Sticky Thompson worked on the successful, surprising album. Because even if you know Clive Hunt as an innovative (and at the same time very modest) producer who has never really stepped into the light of fame, you would have such a sophisticated, varied and uncompromisingly modern from a Jamaican producer Dub-Album not expected. Clive Hunt is completely up to date with his work, as if Jamaica never had one Dub- Given a break of around 25 years. Fat, perfectly produced sound, fantastic riddims (with a few quotes like Realrock, Cuss Cuss, Cassandra), complex instrumentation, lots of FX and of course - from Hunt himself - extremely inspired mixed. But the greatest strength of the album is its diversity. Instead of pulling through one sound, it consists of 16 individual, very independent and always surprising tracks. Hunt is brimming with ideas. It would be so nice if this album wasn't an isolated case and Jamaican producers did Dub rediscovered. In order for this to happen, one thing would have to get around in Jamaica, namely that you should be with Dub Can make money. So: all nice Clive Hunt & The Dub Buy dancers (and don't download them illegally!)

How to use Dub Phil Harmony shows with the free download that makes no money, but makes the community happy Dub-Samplers "Dubnight compilation Vol. 2 " (http://www.reggae-town.de/Downloads-req-viewdownload-cid-7.html). He has collected 25 (!) Tracks here (that is the equivalent of two CDs) from such well-known artists as Ganjaman, Zion Train, The Okada Supersound, Malone Rootikal, Dub Spencer & Trance Hill, Jahcoustix, Dubmatix, Aldubb and Phil Harmony himself. This selection is supplemented by many (still) unknown, but by no means bad DubProducers. Mr. Harmony not only showed a skillful hand in the selection, but obviously also demonstrated a lot of persuasiveness, because to have so many high quality tracks left for free is a great achievement. Now the only problem is marketing. Such an extraordinary project should be much better known.

Since it fits the topic so well: The other day I went to the Polish net label "Qunabu" (http://netlabel.qunabu.com/) Bumped into where is a gigantic 5-track album called "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Dub Tape" can be downloaded for free. Five tracks of the best underwater minimalDubtechno, which - also qualitatively - is not far removed from rhythm & sound.

They have been mixing since the mid-1990s vibronics from Leicester Dub-Sounds made in the UK - and everyone Dub-Freund knows exactly what that means: powerful steppers beats with booming basslines and bass drums marching through four to the floor. This is accompanied by the typical synth offbeats and loads of reverb and echo. Once synonymous with the great Dub-Revival, which was heralded in the early 1990s by acts inspired by Jah Shaka like the Disciples, Zion Train or Alpha & Omega, this sound is one today Dub-Style among many but one that is inseparably identified with the United Kingdom. The Vibronics have remained loyal to him, vary him within the narrow limits and play as one of the last survivors Dub-Bands of the 1990s undaunted their sound system sessions. Their new record “UK Dub Story "(Scoop / Import) celebrates this UKDub-Sound - not in the form of a compilation, as the title suggests, but with new productions. Of course, no surprises are to be expected here. Conservation of customs fits the purpose of the album better. But there doesn't have to be anything bad about that. The general fixation on innovation is highly questionable anyway. Why not just produce a technically good, solid album without claiming to discover new worlds of sound? Most of the discoveries go in the pants anyway, so fans prefer to enjoy well-made genre food. And this is exactly what the vibronics deliver. No doubt they have mastered their craft after 13 years in Dub-Business perfect and know how to knit massive rhythms and get them right Dub-Treatment administered. Bass galore, shimmering sound particles, torn melodies and a stoically pounding bass drum - what more do you need for happiness?

Mossburg is the name of a US label that now has two thoroughbred Dub-Albums first caught my attention. The first album is from the Hi Fi Killers and is “Turf War Dub"(Mossburg / Import) titled. It contains 12 pretty interesting ones Dubs who play virtuoso with the sounds of the pre-digital age and unmistakably come out the killers as fans of Scientist and King Jammy. There is a lot of love in the details, the sound is warm and rich and the rustling and crackling brings back wistful memories of earlier times. Now that wouldn't matter much if the rhythms weren't good. Not arranged with great attention to detail Dub can be good if the rhythm, the foundation built from drum & bass is not convincing. But the Hi Fi Killers are excellent civil engineering experts, wise men who build their house on rock and not on sand. And so there is a surprising, very beautiful underground label on this unknown underground label, which is only accessible via import Dub-Album that I would like to recommend to everyone who knows how to listen.

The other album released by Mossburg, "Terrible Riddims" (Mossburg / Import), comes from Dub Fanatic and offers a much clearer, cleaner, more precise sound that is less dazzling and more straightforward through the beats. The arrangements is a preference for the Dubs listening to the Revolutionaries and the riddims are of course not terrible at all. If you are served with an album from Mossburg, you should go for the Hi Fi Killers, but if you have the luxury of two Dub-Packages can be given on the label website www.mossburgmusic.com and download the “Terrible Riddims” for only 9 dollars - not as mp3, but as uncompressed AIF files, which can then be burned to CD without loss. That’s an interesting sales strategy!

On the next album I fell for a stupid label fraud, but it turned out to be a blessing. In the order PDF of my reggae dealer, I immediately noticed the typical yellow-red Souljazz cover with the circular image in the middle: "Homegrown Dub - 100% Remixed "(May / Import) was the title, and in a flash I combined: After the two CDs “Box of Dub“1 and 2 Souljazz now brings a portrait of the current British Dub-Scene. Not even close! When I finally got the CD, I found what it was actually about in the small print at the bottom of the cover, where it usually says “Souljazz”: About Dubs the New Zealand band Katchafire. No trace of soul jazz! In a rather bad mood, I put the work into the player and was then somewhat surprised. Instead of making the rip-off perfect with cheaply produced material, hand-played, complexly arranged and thoroughly composed material played Dub-Versions (of the two Katchafire albums "Revival" and "Slow Burning"). The sound is actually a bit reminiscent of Fat Freddie's Drop, even if it's far less casual. Not infrequently, Katchafire sounds like a rock band that plays reggae, but offers beautiful melodies and really exciting, traditionally mixed ones DubEffects. On CD 2 there are seven remixed versions suitable for clubs, with the song "Rude Girl" being remixed three times. All in all, Katchafire wouldn't have needed the fraudulent labeling. The album is good enough to be bought for its own sake.

A tribute to that Dub Syndicate offers us Rob Smith with a mega mix of various tracks by Style Scott's band. "Overdubbed by Rob Smith (courtesy of Smith & Mighty) "(Collision / Groove Attack) is the full title and tries to make the material more diverse Dub To upgrade Syndicate albums with the reference to the magic duo from Bristol. The resulting increased expectations are unfortunately not fully met when listening, because of the overdubbs can't be heard too much. Mr. Smith more or less delivers one here Dub Syndicate-Tunes limited DJ set. Barely worth mentioning if the songs weren't as good as they are. Style Scott has been excellent with the help of great vocalists like Big Youth, Junior Reid, Cederic Myton, Capleton as well as the two Dub-Mixer Adrian Sherwood and Scientist in the Tuff Gong studio simply produced a few superb songs. Perhaps the real sense of the over liesdub-Action in that something originally went under Dub Syndicate albums again in the field of vision Dub- and to move reggae friends. They deserve it.

"Dub Evolution "has been the title of this column for some time now (it used to be called"Dub Revolution"). Now there is finally the right CD box for it: The "Dub-Anthology " (Wagram / SPV), which bridges the gap from the 1970s to the present day and traces the evolution of the genre on the basis of 60 (!) Tracks. Four decades Dub on four CDs, whereby the 1970s and 1980s have to share one CD, while the 1990s are divided into “International Dub"And" French Dub“Find space on two CDs. The “New School” will then be presented in full on CD4. Of course, the world already has some anthologies of the Dubs seen - who doesn't know Rodigans "Dub Classics ”, the“ Rough Guide To Dub“Or the Trojan boxes Dub-Material from your own archives. But no anthology has attempted to trace the history of the Dub as comprehensive as the present box. Mostly the border is from the Jamaican old school Dub, to the Dub Revival of the 1990s not to be skipped - let alone a look at innovative productions of the present. This is different here: the journey through time and space of the Dub begins with Augustus Pablo's “Cassava Piece”, leads to King Tubby's “Belly Dub“And some Dubs by Sly & Robbie (also in the reincarnations of the Revolutionaries and Skin Flesh & Bones), then bypasses some rather absurd pieces, (some of which only play very little Dub have to do) to then go straight to the great - from the best Black Ark times - Lee Perry-Dub “Bird in hand” to hold shut. CD 2 then takes a big step into England in the 1990s and presents the usual suspects: Alpha & Omega, Twilight Circus or Bush Chemists. Instead of listing the compelling names like Zion Train, Rootsman, Rockers HiFi, Dreadzone, The Disciples or, of course, Jah Shaka and Mad Professor, the track listing with Rhythm & Sound, Oku Onuora, Burnt Freidman, Thievery Corporation or Tosca is impressive, but this one Context somewhat unexpected names. The journey continues to France, whose Dub-Scene the complete CD 4 is dedicated to. The reason for the detailed presentation of the French Dub-Creation is not because it is so unbelievably rich or style-defining, but simply because the "Dub Anthology ”was produced in France (and of course with a special focus on the French market). Nevertheless, the French CD is the most exciting so far because it is also for busy people Dub-Connaisseurs still hide new discoveries - or does someone already have from Ez3Kiel, Pilah or the Löbe Radiant Dub System heard? CD 4 belongs entirely to the present. The oldest piece is just 2 years old, the newest is (according to the information on the cover) from the year 2023 - it couldn't be more current. The time traveler will find mostly French names here (including the important protagonists of the French label “Sounds Around”, which is very fond of electronic music, Lena, Molecule, Roots Massacre). Then bring a little internationality Dub-Experiments like noise shaper, Dubmatix or Nucleus Roots come into play. Admittedly, if you were to write an official anthology of the Dub put together, then the selection of the pieces would look quite different. But it would be questionable whether this would be as much fun as the present CD box. The official version would of course contain all the really important classics, but - to be honest - who wants to hear them for the thousandth time? I'd rather have a few obscure but exciting French people chased through my ear canals.

The fine English re-issue label Auralux has again its weakness for Dub-Classic of the 1970s gave in and with "Dread At The Controls Dub"(Auralux / Rough Trade) an early one DubAlbum by Gussy Clarke republished. You read that right: Gussie Clarke and not Mikey Dread. The latter was supposedly "somehow" involved, but he didn't play an instrument, none Dub composed and above all: not mixed either. Gussie and Mikey were just friends - and with good friends helping each other, Mikey Gussie just borrowed his "Dread At The Controls" badge so that the album would sell better (according to Mr. Clarke in the very liner notes worth reading). Originally released in 1978, the album features 10 tracks, recorded of course by the Revolutionaries with (unmistakably) Sly Dunbar on drums. The rhythms are tight and the timing of the musicians is perfect. But what use is that if the riddims and the mix are too boring? Great producer, top notch musician and also a brilliant sound - but after 10 minutes nobody is listening anymore, because the tracks ripple smoothly and without surprises. Too bad.

There is "DC Dub Connection "(Auralux / Rough Trade) much more interesting. Behind the 10 recordings gathered here is the Heptones background singer Earl Morgan, who occasionally took a seat in the producer's chair in the late 1970s, recording albums with Earl 16, Alton Ellis and Stranger Cole. Interestingly, he didn't produce the rhythm tracks himself, but bought them from various producers. There are even two tracks by Lee Perry. It is precisely from this circumstance that the (sound-technically not so brilliant) album draws its charm: It simply offers more variety - which is not least due to the fact that Prince Jammy and Scientist have delivered beautifully inspired mixes. 

While the reggae industry is crumbling around the world, the German label "Inakustik" is trying a new reggae line. It starts with a Dub-Album: “Bebo In A Dub Style - Featuring Sly & Robbie "(Tafari / Inakustik). Originally published in 1985, the year of slang tang, “Bebo In A Dub Style “almost antiquated - if it weren't for the championship of the 1A session musicians of the time: Sly & Robbie, Robbie Lyn, Willi Lindo, Dean Frazer and Sticky, Skyjuce & Scully. Their timing is so precise, the rhythms are so tight and the sound so crystal clear that the recordings have something timeless about them. Actually, the only thing missing is the laziness of the Dub-Mixers Peter Chemist. If he had paid a little more attention to the controls on his mixer, then “Bebo In A Dub Style ”deserves its title and would probably also be a milestone in the Dub-History become.