Category: Five Star

A plain, simple, uncomplicated album cannot be expected from the senior all-stars. Nothing works for them without a concept. It starts with the band Dub instead of playing reggae with singing - also live. An instrumental album by Dub- Let producers remix that DubThen re-record it live as an album, then add vocals and remix it again, sounds like a complicated concept, doesn't it? This is exactly what lies behind the albums “In Dub"," What Next? "And" Verbalized and Dubbed ". In comparison, the concept behind the new album "Dub from Jamdown - Darker than Blue "(echo beach) Almost simple at first glance: In 2001 the sampler compiled by Steve Barrow and Mark Ainley appeared on Blood & Fire, "Darker than Blue: Soul from Jamdown 1973 - 1980" with reggae reworking of US soul classics. Markus Dassmann, Arne Piri, Gudze and Thomas Hoppe were so impressed by this sampler that they decided to re-record the pieces instrumentally and create a new one Dub- To conjure up an album of the Senior Allstars: " Dub from Jamdown - Darker than Blue "(Echo Beach). Or to put it more simply: The Senior Allstars play the pieces by reggae artists who have played the pieces by soul artists. All right? So it's songs in the third incarnation. Well, if that's not a typical senior-all-star concept! But every concept is only as good as what comes out at the back - as our Federal Chancellor AD already knew. Well, and that's the good, old, hand-played, puristic, relaxed and slightly jazzy sound of the all-stars. Extremely precise, reduced to the max, but at the same time humanly warm, organic and always slightly melancholy - the guys have found their style. And apparently also the right material to use it: Songs like “Baltimore”, “Aint no Sunshine” or “Why Can't We Live Together” sound simply terrific when implemented.

Im Dub There are two major sub-genres: 1. The historical, Jamaican Dub, based on classic, hand-played reggae backings. The mix is ​​in the foreground for him. 2. The UK steppersDub, based on digital rhythms with a strong emphasis on the bassline and the four to the flour bass drum. The focus here is on the bass experience. Actually, both styles are now historical and the question of the sound of a contemporary one always arises Dubs, which does not serve clichés, but is conceptually and aesthetically up-to-date and can play along in the dance of modern popular music. There are many possible answers to this. But one answer seems most convincing to me at the moment: the "Brass Plant EP“(Reggae Roast) by Vibration Lab. Behind this name are two sound inventors from Bristol and London who claim to produce "Future Reggae". They stand with one leg in reggaeDub, with the other in current, digital bass music. With their new EP they achieved a great success. I am of the opinion that they have finally succeeded in putting their idea of ​​“Future Reggae” into practice - although this is, strictly speaking, “Future Dub“Acts. The heart of the beats in the center of their music Dub, dark, steady, energetic. It drives a stream of bass through the organism. A tsunami of bass shaking windows and doors. Stoically and repetitively he pushes against the eardrum, stomach and chest. But then there are the non-reggae sound elements, which come from the spheres of electronic club music, but fit in perfectly with the reggae foundation. They are formed into small melodies, sometimes tiny phrases, which are repeated endlessly and finally come together to form a complex, polyrhythmic whole with incredible meditative power. Precise, powerful, dynamic and incredibly beautiful. Would I have to explain to someone what is more modern Dub is - I would audition this EP - in the hope that my audience will evangelize spontaneously and into the camp of Dub-To lure enthusiasts. The two Vibration Lab guys are planning an album with Linval Thompson next. I'm more than excited about that.

With the "Signs & Wonders" of the LA-based Dub Clubs that were created under the direction of club organizer, old-school reggae fanatic and hobby producer Tom Chasteen, I didn't warm up two years ago. They offered beautifully reproduced Rub-A-Dub-Sound, but remained so close to the original that the question inevitably arose: Why a copy when you already have the original? Now Chasteen presents his new album "In Dub" (Stones Throw) under also a new artist name: Natural Numbers. That makes it clear that he is taking a different path here. Of course, he stays true to the old school, but what the natural numbers bring to the attention here is far from just trying to be a copy of the Jamaican original. No, Chasteen went to work more ambitiously and produced ten tracks that are independent and unique. In a wonderfully relaxed, warm sound, just bursting with musical ideas, atmosphere and lively melodies sparkle here Dubs from the speakers. Since Mr. Dub Club delivered a really nice album, which is the classic, Jamaican Dub pays homage without cloning him. The album was recorded in 2013 with a real Los Angeles "All Stars" studio band around bassist Fully Fullwood. This beautiful, classic, hand-played, warm reggae sound comes from them, the Chasteen then live-mix in - well, how should I put it - simply grandiose Dubs has transformed. Garnished with vocal sprinkles that give the impression that song originals exist (which may even be the case - who knows?), Accompanied by many a guitar solo that could have come straight from a western and contrasted by charming organ Parts that Mr. Mittoo couldn't have delivered more beautifully. In my ears the perfect fusion of old-style and modern Dub-Understanding. In an interview Tom Chasteen says: "I've realized that I'm not Jamaican and I never will be." Perhaps that was the decisive realization that led to this beautiful new album.

Here I have an ambivalent one Dub-Album opened: "Sexy Jamaicans" (Candy Beats) from the Detroit Boys. What a stupid title and also the artist name is for you Dub-Act quite absurd. In sharp contrast: the music. Of the Dub-Albums that are currently rotating in my playlist, I click on "Sexy Jamaicans" the most - and that's certainly not because of the cover (which keeps the level of name and title relaxed). No, I have to admit: despite my bias, I like the one presented here Dub quite extraordinary. With the first few bars you can already hear that the Detroit Boys do not come from the reggae scene. Techno, pop and house socialization is unmistakably the basis here - and the Candy Beats label actually seems to come from this context (the information on the web is sparse). In any case, the unorthodox behavior of the Detroit Boys brings along Dub a damn fresh and crunchy one Dub-Sound out. Clean, precise, powerful - but also warm and organic, interspersed with beautiful brass parts and grounded in solid bass lines. Either the Detroit Boys are real naturals, or they've been practicing in secret. They steer us extremely pleasantly through different moods, from the rather melancholy "England is too Cold for Me" to the joyful, lively "Key & Locks" and intonate pretty little melodies of real catchy tune. So: give the guys a chance - and don't judge a dub-album by it's cover.

Neil Perch is one of the few, tireless sound system operators and producers who started the UK in the late 1980s.Dub and are still active today. Under the motto "Dubwise - No Compromise ", he has the rise of the UKDub and experienced its decline with his project Zion Train stood at the forefront of the movement, a major deal in hand and the fortunes of the Dub had in hand. A true veteran and Dub-Activist who is now with "Land of the Blind" (Universal Egg) presents its fourteenth Zion Train album. Just another Zion Train album? Not at all! Even if you don't think it's possible after thirteen predecessors: I think it's one of the best. And that's not because Zion Train reinvented itself. On the contrary! What I used to criticize as stubborn, I now appreciate a proud, venerable style: The sound of Zion Train is a brand. Decades of fleeting musical fashions and genres have passed without a trace. He stands like a rock in the bass wave surf. No, what makes the new Zion Train album so unique is the 25 years of musical experience it has put into it. Neil Perch has simply developed an unmistakable feeling for strong melodies, irresistible grooves and perfect arrangements, which here, in the "Land of the Blind", unfolds to the full. With an almost dreamlike certainty, he places one hit after the other - if there is something like "hits" in the world of Dub because there would. Every single one of the thirteen tracks gathered here is a strong statement, unique and unmistakable. Be it through an exciting arrangement, through a beautiful, melancholy brass phrase, through an irresistible rhythm, through an ingenious bass melody or through the melodious song of one of the guest vocalists cleverly placed in the playlist. Especially Jazzmin Tutum's strict Dub-Poetry offers an attractive contrast to the driving march of the beats. Neil did everything right here and presented an album that is full of new, hip Dub- Can easily record productions - by contrasting fancy effects and booming bass thunderstorms with something very simple: style. Zion train style! Did I mention that I like the album a lot?

The Dub- A whole lot of obscure characters cavort in the scene. Sound nerds who spend their nights in front of the laptop or in the studio, tweaking their music for the sheer pleasure of doing their own thing, without the slightest economic perspective. These guys are my favorite. Because among them you can always make great discoveries. Like right now z. B. near Imhotep. The Egyptian pharaoh is actually called Pascal Perez, comes from Algiers and today has a studio in Marseille where he mainly produces electronic music. In 2012 his album "Kheper" was released, stylistically somewhere between electro, trip-hop and Dub changes. Now he has one Dub-Version distilled from it: "Kheper Dub" (Imhotep), which - unlike the source material - is one hundred percent in reggaeDub is located. Powerful beats, dark atmosphere and - what makes it particularly attractive - all sorts of influences from Arabic music. How good Arabic music and Dub can walk together already has us The Spy From Cairo shown. Imhotep doesn't go as far as he does, however. The Pharaoh "spices" his Dubs with Arabic ingredients rather than building them on complete Arabic melodies and arrangements. But it is precisely this sensitive use that makes Kheper so attractive Dubs off. It is just the right dose of exoticism and mystery that gives his music this intense and magical atmosphere.

When I came across this album on my forays through the worldwide web, I was spontaneously enthusiastic: "10DUBB " (Dog Earr) by 16FLIP. The people behind them are just as cryptic as the names. There is hardly any information about them, and when they do, they are in Japanese. So much seems to me to be certain: 16FLIP are three Japanese youngsters with a history of hip hop. At 10DUBB now put a really crazy, one hundred percent eclectic one Dub-Album that uses more primitivistic sampling technology than classic Dub has to do, but is still - or precisely because of it - an acoustic sensation. The guys here (copied from worn-out vinyl) cut out set pieces of different genres roughly with scissors and stapled them together to create loops and rhythms - the hairs of the necks of every seasoned studio engineer should stand up. But if you emancipate yourself from all prejudices and just listen with an innocent ear, then the result is simply brilliant. The rough samples combine to create acoustically unbelievably rich rhythms that are completely abstract and yet completely representational in detail, which deny order and precision and yet generate fantastic dynamics that are so simple and yet trigger a complex listening experience in the head of the listener. The principle and the sound remind me of Steve Reich's early loop experiments - only fifty years apart from pop music history.

I'm always amazed at what a beautiful one Dub-Productions are made here in Germany. Many of them exist far below the radar of the local reggae community. Such as: "Back to Westmoreland" from Tea balancer, published on bandcamp.com. 71 minutes, divided into only eight tracks built close to minimal electronics. None of the pieces run less than eight minutes. Each is a fascinating, hypnotic listening experience, an acoustic journey through infinite space and relative time, warped by sluggish beats. The pieces always begin very inconspicuously, then develop into a minimalist beat, which at first seems less exciting, but then develops increasingly greater hypnotic pull until the listening mind is completely in the space-time continuum of the Dubs immerses and forgets himself. If you just listen quickly and storm through the tracks with Fast Forward, you won't even begin to guess the appeal of the album. The album reaches its climax - and at the same time cathartic finale - with the last track "To be Pretty Sucks". 16 minutes the liveDub, surrounded by samples, sounds, reverb and echo. A gigantic one Dubwhich remotely brings back memories of Basic Channel. Superb.

After “Seen” and “Felt” the International Observer (behind which the British producer Tom Baily is hiding, who led the pop band "The Thomson Twins" in the 1980s) is now his third album: "Touched" (Dubmission). Although the name only seems to continue the logic of the series, it was chosen with care, because the tracks on the new album are a collection of remixes - foreign tracks that he has worked on. The collection spans the last 15 years and contains pieces from Black Seeds, the Bombay Dub Orchestra, Banco De Gaia, Pitch Black or Warp Technique - just to name the best known. But despite the heterogeneous origins of the tracks, the album sounds very closed and completely typical of International Observer. Melodic, warm, comfortable beats are his trademark, carefully arranged and balanced down to the last detail. His pieces have an irresistible flow. They flow completely relaxed and yet anything but tension-free. Be it the samples of Indian music in the piece of Bombay Dub Orchestras, the gentle brass sections and accordions in the Pitch Black remix or the vocal samples in the WarpTechniqueDubIt is always these details that accentuate a piece, shape it and guide the listener's attention through the beats. Often it is also tiny scraps of melody from the large reggae fund that provide pleasant déjà vus here (only to leave behind the nagging question: "How do I know this brass section, this vocal fragment?"). In my opinion Tom Baily is one of the most exciting contemporary ones DubProducers. I could definitely use more of his music. On average, an album every three years is simply not enough.

It was that Dub Syndicate, which brought me on the trail of for the first time in 1982 with the album "Pounding System" produced by Adrian Sherwood Dub sat. The house band of On-U-Sound, with Style Scott on drums and Flabba Holt on bass. Two outstanding musicians who also formed the backbone of the legendary Roots Radics. Scott recorded over 20 albums on behalf of the Syndicate (the Roots Radics recordings are uncounted), recorded the tracks with Flabba in Jamaica, then added Over in London in collaboration with Sherwooddubs and finally left the same Dubs mix. Now lies "Hard food“(Echo Beach) proposed the final album of the Dub Syndicate. There won't be another one because Scott was murdered two months ago in his home in Jamaica. A tragic event that makes a sober review of his last work impossible. So it doesn't surprise me that the first track already makes me feel sad because “Sound Collision” sounds one hundred percent Dub Syndicate trademark sound, as if there were no unbelievable 32 years between “Pounding System” and “Hard Food”. At position 4, “Love Addis Ababa” is a melancholy instrumental with gentle winds and a beautiful cello playing. A wonderful one and thanks to its instrumentation for Dub Also a very unusual piece that shows that Scott was still full of musical ideas and would have offered us a lot more exciting music in the future. “Gipsy Magic” is equally beautiful, contrasting the powerful reggae beat with the wistful melodies of a violin. I am very moved by the emotional power of this music. Style, the stylist, has asked a few very select singing guests to join in: Lee Perry (okay, the singing is to be understood relatively), Bunny Wailer, U-Roy, who is here on a version of the "Police in Helicopter" -Riddims toasted and a guy named Magma adding some dancehall vibes. As a bonus there are three more high-class ones Dubs. The crowning glory of a very nice album that is a lot of fun and yet sad.