Category: Review

Be careful! This music is quite awkward, you could even say atypical. But think what you will, that's exactly why I still listen to Keith Hudson's albums with growing enthusiasm. The "Dark Prince of Reggae", who died of lung cancer in 1984 at the age of just 38, had his own sound from the very beginning, which I'm not the only one who finds hypnotic.

The “Keith Hudson: Playing It Cool & Playing It Right“ (Week–End Records) exemplifies his vision of Dub-Reggae with slow riddims, complex backing vocals and pure groove. It is said that the showcase album, first released in 1981, is Keith Hudson's most admired and best work because of its wide range of variations. Hudson's singing, which is understandably not to everyone's taste, varies from gentle to driving beats and occasional rap interludes. A special feature of the album is that after moving to New York in 1976, Hudson came into contact again with Lloyd 'Bullwackie' Barnes, Prince Buster's former protégé. They already knew each other from Jamaica. However, they did not start working together until 1981. This time Lloyd Barnes acted as executive producer.
But let's start from the beginning: Keith Hudson used the Bullwackies studio for "Playing It Cool & Playing It Right". Lloyd Barnes handled Keith Hudson's song material very carefully, because Keith had his own sound and Barnes had his typical Wackies studio sound, which always brought back memories of Perry's Black Ark. So 'Bullwackies' contribution to the 1981 album should be understood more as an exchange of ideas, advice and possible decisions. On the album, which unfortunately was to be his penultimate release, Keith Hudson reinterpreted six of his old rhythms with creative support from Lloyd Barnes.
The “Depth Charge” riddim from “Pick A Dub“ is found here in the form of “Trust & Believe” and its Dubpendant “In I Dud” again. At the latest with “California”/“By Night Dub“ the album takes a dark turn, the drive changes noticeably. Two female singers, The Love Joys, provide the backing vocals, while Hudson sings/speaks of the “darkest night on the wet-looking road” that envelops both his head and his road trip. Distorted guitars and dark, crumbling drum beats stir a dense Dub-Mud, which obscures all signposts. Even at a slow pace, the landscape remains diffuse.
In “Not Good for Us”/“Formula Dub“ we get double and triple play of oppressively out-of-tune babble and crazy croaking. Hudson screams “too much formula ain't good for my head, ain't good for the dread”. The piano stumbles behind, the distorted guitars threaten to come off the tape, while the beat flickers out of consciousness again and again.
In “Be What You Want to Be”/“Be Good Dub“ Hudson lets percussion and guitars resonate and resonate endlessly.
I find the last piece, “I Can't Do Without You,” to be the most emotional. The lyrics alone show impressively how much American soul, funk and rock flowed into Hudson's productions at that time. In the following Dub "Still Need You Dub“ you can clearly hear the Barrett brothers – I think I can definitely hear Carly’s unmistakable drums.

The album is only a little over half an hour long, but has a noticeable vibe that reminds me vaguely of Lee 'Scratch' Perry's "Super Ape". As a whole, I always enjoy Keith Hudson's albums because they show the (dark) side of reggae that you hardly ever find on many popular reggae albums. In any case, I am happy that on the 40th anniversary of the death of a unique artist, a real classic - a psycho-acoustic journey into the depths of being - has been re-released on LP. The uniqueness of this album would get full marks, but because of the somewhat bumpy transitions from song to Dub Unfortunately there is one star deduction.

John Coltrane's "Love Supreme“ has been considered one of the best jazz albums of all time since its release in 1965. In fact, there is probably no jazz piece that is as comprehensible, intense and attractively characterized by spiritual feelings as this 33-minute suite in four movements: “Acknowledgement,” “Resolution,” “Pursuance” and “Psalm.” This album is the greatest proof of the genius of a composer whose virtuosity is only surpassed by the fascination of his music.
Especially in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the album opened up new paths and perspectives for many rock musicians. In 1973, for example, I first came across an adaptation of “Love Supreme“ by Carlos Santana & John McLaughlin and was thrilled. Only then did I start to study the original in depth. If Mick Dick's adaptation has the same effect on some interested people - all the better.

The director, producer, bassist, sound designer and Dub-Artist Michael "Mick" Dick began studying jazz and double bass at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne in 1984. He became a member of the MIA (Melbourne Improvisers Association) and developed into a professional musician and sound artist. For more than 30 years he has performed, toured and played with a variety of artists from a wide range of genres, including (free) jazz, blues, reggae, Afro, Latin and experimental music. His double album ID of RA – a tribute to Sun Ra – received a nomination in Australia for the ARIA Award for Best World Music Album 2023.
Almost 60 years later, the Australian multi-instrumentalist almost single-handedly set about transforming the jazz classic into DubAlbum "Mick Dick: A Dub Supreme” He kept the four parts of the original. As with the original, each part has its own mood and meaning. “Acknowledgement” becomes “Dubknowledgement" and the opening cadence, a simple melody that also consists of just four notes in the original, is played through in different variations, keys and sound manipulations. The theme runs through the entire track, which, like the original, is kept in African or Latin American rhythms. At times the guitar also sounds like Juju music from Nigeria, the best known representatives of which are King Sunny Adé and Ebenezer Obey.
In "Dubolition" uses the melodica where in the original "Trane's" saxophone can be heard. Overall, I find the driving track exciting, even if the drum loops from Prince Fatty's buddy Horseman seem a bit unimaginative at times. "Dubonance”. The drum solo of the original is replaced by percussion and mbira (kalimba). Mick Dick creates sounds here by constructing and deconstructing them and allowing the moment to create a narrative through vibration and resonance. A soundscape that is most similar to the Jamaican model. With the mystical sounding “DubWith “Ness”, this highly exciting album ends with a foray into the trip-hop genre of the early 1990s.

This nearly 30-minute album can be summed up in the words of Mick Dick: “A four-part cross-cultural journey in which reggae, jazz, Duband trip-hop grooves into a cinematic palette. It blends Jamaican riddims, Celtic Sufi beats, African percussion and ethnic instruments such as dholak and kalimba in an analogue live mix that Dub-style.“ His very personal world musicDub-Homage to John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme". That's exactly how it is! After a long time, another "Dubios Dub-Album".

Over 44 years ago I released my very first Scientist album “Heavyweight Dub Champion“ on the turntable at home – a »blind purchase«. After the first few bars I loved this album. I had never heard anything like it before. Scientist conjured up Barrington Levy’s song album “Robin Hood" one Dub-album that couldn't have been more radical at the time. Together with the dream team Henry 'Junjo' Lawes as producer, the Roots Radics and Scientist on the mixing desk, a rich, dry sound was created that had never been heard before. It just occurred to me that Scientist also appeared on the cover of the Dub Conference book. Why? Scientists contribution to the Dub In my opinion, his achievements cannot be weighed against gold, he has simply developed it radically and taken it to a new level. Many years and, as you can read, around 60.000 recordings later, Hopeton Overton Brown alias Scientist has proven that he is still one of the most influential personalities of the Dub I am all the more excited to hear something new from the grandmaster. Surrounded by vintage analogue equipment, “Scientist: Direct-To-Dub“ (Night Dreamer) in a way that recalls his early days as a sixteen-year-old with King Tubby, where it all began. For the Night Dreamer session, Scientist brought together musicians from the London reggae scene, including the rhythm section Mafia (bass) and Fluxy (drums) from The Instigators, guitarist Tony Ruffcut from Creation Rebel, singjay Donovan Kingjay, keyboardist Greg Assing from Jah Shaka and the Twinkle Brothers, and saxophonist Finn Peters. The crew was reinforced by Salvoandrea Lucifora, a trombonist from Amsterdam and head of the Dutch Zebra Street Band, as well as background singers Alyssa Harrigan and Peace Oluwatobi. For the recordings, Scientist took almost the entire studio apart and rebuilt it according to his ideas. He spent hours on the kick drum alone. The high-pass filter of the mixer was rewired and two 18-inch subwoofers were installed. Apart from Fluxy on drums, Scientist gathered all the musicians in the control room and made the whole room shake with the rich bass. This is how he immerses himself in his new album “Direct-To-Dub“ into those bygone times. For the album, six tracks were initially recorded with the top musicians. Scientist then mixed the tracks in real time, with the mix being recorded directly onto a lacquer record, from which the vinyl LPs were then pressed. The production process itself is actually a trip back to the 70s, because the rather complex lacquer cutting process was only used to produce records until the 80s. In an interview, Scientist describes this experience as “back in time”. The master at the mixer plays his “instrument” and knows exactly when to take something out of the mix or keep it, extend it or repeat it. There are thunderous brass sections with lots of reverb, snare cracks that still echo in space and time, while bass and drum kicks give you a punch in the solar plexus. We all know that Dub in the wrong hands it can become an indefinable mush, as if someone had thrown all the effects into a washing machine and hoped for the best. But under the care of a master like Scientist, you think you know when only a stream of effects flows from the speakers and when the Dub-flood is coming. Each of the six tracks is presented as an extended “disco mix”. There are four showcase-style songs and two cool Dubs. As mentioned above, vocals are provided by veteran singjay Donovan Kingjay, who has been around since the early 90s and here re-records some of his favourite songs, all written about a decade ago. "Missing You" is a gentle love song, enhanced by backing vocalists Alyssa Harrigan and Peace Oluwatobi. Originally produced by Dougie Wardrop of Conscious Sounds, "Be Thankful" is a heartfelt Rasta song, with Scientist's sound effects reflecting the lyrics' imagery of thunder, lightning and retribution. "Jailhouse" deals with the subject of crime and particularly punishment. It is a critique of the increasingly poor prison conditions which in turn increase the profits and dividends of those who run and own these overcrowded facilities. "Higher Meditation" is a classic ganja anthem, with "a whiff of an Ital spliff". Both tracks first appeared on Kingjay's 2014 album, which also features Crucial Tony and Mafia & Fluxy.

Scientist cut the new Dubs in a single live take on Night Dreamer's custom-made Neumann cutting machine straight to the record. Where others feel pressured, Scientist is in his element. Seemingly effortless and skilful, Scientist strips things back, creating galaxies of space and time between each splash of sound. The bass rumbles and is omnipresent, the organ flashes and bubbles. The brass is omnipresent, turning into distress sirens at times. Rich and sophisticated, with unexpected and unpredictable bursts of wildness and radicalism, the result is reminiscent of the heyday of Dub and the well-deserved meteoric rise of a brilliant sound engineer.

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

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

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

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.