“Raw & Remixed” (Reverb & Delay) by Dub Healer is an album that not only openly displays its own imperfections, but actually celebrates them. The punk-inspired cover alone signals: This isn't ironing, this is burning! The tracks on this album are – in the best sense – half-finished sketches, rough drafts that come straight from the workshop to the Dubplate. That these Dubs often come from final drafts and were recorded in one take, gives them an urgency that sets them apart from perfectionistically overworked productions. "Prayer Dub“ opens the album with a piece Dub-History: The legendary samples of Alpha & Omega and Jonah Dan, hidden in the digital dustbin since 2007, receive a belated but all the more worthy revival here. Dial-up modem noises and bird calls blend into the raw soundscape, which is as spiritual as it is uncouth. "Better To Make" Dub“ is a tribute to Dub Judah's "Better To Be Good" – without attempting to outdo the original. Instead, there's a respectful, energetic reinterpretation that deserves its right to exist, especially on the dance floor. With "Sing Jah Dub“ delivers Dub Healer delivers exactly what a sound system needs: a simple yet effective banger that gets the crowd singing and jumping along. Minimalism at its finest – a bass line, a striking vocal sample, and enough space for collective ecstasy in front of the speaker towers. "M1 Dub" is a declaration of love to the legendary Korg M1 synthesizer, whose digital sounds sound surprisingly warm and organic. It is a tongue-in-cheek statement against analog purism: Yes, even a digital dinosaur can swing properly in the right hands. In short: "Raw & Remixed" is not a flawless work of art – nor does it want to be. It is a manifesto of the moment, a raw sound diary for DubConnoisseurs and sound system activists. Every reverb effect may not be perfect, every bassline may be a bit too dominant or too lean—but that's precisely what makes it so appealing.
And yes, I know, I often hold the flag of the complex, multi-layered DubCompositions. Music beyond pure dancefloor use, intellectual sound architecture best enjoyed in a comfortable armchair with a glass of good wine. But let's be honest: once the bassline starts rolling and the crowd collectively takes off, there's no need for well-aged wine. You could say: I, too, have become a victim of my own principles – and it feels pretty good. Because in the end, only one thing counts: Anything that's fun is allowed. Dub has never been a place for dogmas, but always a field of experimentation between spiritual search and unbridled sound system excess.
3 replies to “Dub Healer: Raw & Remixed"
And here I am again overcome by very mixed feelings.
On the one hand, yes, it is DubMusic! On the other hand, the spark doesn't quite jump over. The kind of spontaneous enthusiasm that I get with the last album by, for example, Al Breadwinner and the Breadwinners just doesn't come across to me. I have no idea about musical ability, but I can't shake the suspicion that this ability is exactly what the BreadWinners have here at Dub Healer is not so prominent. I still like the album somehow, but maybe only because I'm in such a good mood today. But I also found an example of an "insult." On the one hand, it offends me when reggae and/or Dub jams in some way or when it just doesn't groove. And on the other hand, it inspires me to really rant about it. I mean "M 1 Dub + Version". Probably "everyone" perceives it differently, but to me this rhythm seems so strangely choppy. As if you were riding a bike with triangular wheels. Or as if you've drunk (er, enjoyed) too much (red wine ;-) ) and always fall over after three bars. You've barely managed to get back on your feet when you stumble over the gap that has appeared, more or less hidden, in the groove. If that was even intentional, I have to doubt the programmers' sense of music. Normally I often doubt myself, but here I "doubt" the rhythm.
Greetings from Thomas, the doubter …………………………. lemmi
Greetings everyone! Just found out this page and am I really happy about it. First of all, thank you very much Rene for taking time to listen to the album, really its feeling vibe and writing this awesome review. It is actually the first time ever someone I don't personally know wrote a review if my work. Small step for humanity, but a big step for me personally as a beginner in music! I personally considered this release as a Demo or DIY Release. Something that 20-30 years ago people burned on CD-R's and spread among friends and DJ's. Never thought it would get attention outside the small local scene. Thanks to the internet! So I really appreciate the fact that you treated it as a proper release!
And Thomas, thank you for taking time to listen, write an honest and review, and having mixed feelings. Time is the most valuable resource we have, so I truly appreciate your feedback. I honestly just love the fact that you've been “insulted” (and sorry for that, nothing intentional and personal :) Indifference would really upset me!
And thank you for not being brutally honest as you should. You are totally right concerning my musical abilities. And even though this particular release is probably the most minimalist and dreadfully simple in terms of music composition, that I've recorded. And I can do better, but it doesn't change the fact that I am a monkey with a stick compared to the fine musicians from The Breadwinners :)
I will advocate a bit for M1. I totally understand what you are talking about, because basically this rhythm is not a reggae rhythm, at least not something usual for reggae, although the snare and chop may confuse. And I totally understand it may be hard to resonate and vibe with it in the context of reggae music. Music is energy and music is a vibe, so I always consider the way I am moving along the thing I am doing. And yes, this particular tune is not something I would be able to dance to as I usually dance to a reggae tune. But I found a way to vibe along it, it's just a more complex movement, than a stepper or one drop. And I wasn't drunk! Lol But once again, I can totally understand the confusion. I am trying to keep myself open to experiments, hoping for a happy accident that would lead to something new and creative. And actually the last tune, Finger Burn, is also an experimental rhythm, now I am interested how did you feel about that one? In any case thanks again for taking care to listen and write a review, love it!
Oh yeah!
“I say hello to all the people in the universe, lets have teatime in this greatness space.”
Well its no problem to be a monkey. All monkeys are better than humans. And if you make DubMusic you are the highest creature of the creation! You are a SpaceMonkey! That is something like a universal king to me. You see, I am completely on the reggae and Dub Trip and there is now way out! But this is also no problem, because I like it very much, here in my small, little, perfect world. It's sad that not every human being can feel the same. The governments and the so-called leaders are absolutely ill. They act like aliens who hate all homo sapiens especially the children. But this is another topic.
You asked me how I feel about “Finger burn”. OK ?! Well Finger burn feels even more “insane” (sorry for the hard word) than M1 + Dub.
Maybe I didn't want to be as brutally honest as I could. So I didn't mention it. The truth is, I forgot it. But please don't worry. My enthusiasm for ReggaeRhythm feels much more intense than a simple Reggaemylitis. And I love it! It's complete
not necessary to search another Rhythm! “That’s why I don’t sniff the coke, I only smoke Sinsemilla”. If I tried to be cool, I would say, that it sounds like nonsense, but to me it is serious. “I don’t like reggae, I love it!!!” When reggae is coming with a jazzy bassline, I get angry. When Dub is not grooving in my body, I get angry! And so on and so on. You are not alone. If you look at some comments of the past, when I spread out my opinion about “Reggae” inna different jazzy style, you will see, that I never had so much enthusiasm for this style of music. Exceptions are always possible.
And I understand you and all your colleagues very much when you look for something new. A new style, a new groove or a new DubEffect. I would like to complete, that I am not a musician and I have no plan to make music. I am just a fan and so you don't have to take so much significance for my opinion. But it would be nice if you don't ignore me completely ;-) ……… This is DubBlog and it is a great pleasure for me to be here.
Ok, your album is a real DubAlbum, if I have the right to say that.
I love DubMusic and you have some good Dubs on your album. I like it, when you make experiments, but every experiment includes the risk that it comes to an explosion or something else.
That's not my problem! Its yours and all of your musical ideals and heroes of the past, in the present and in the future. Ok, may be “in the future it a go terrible”, like Pablo Moses was singing in a very good ReggaeTune and the music is just a production of an on-off, zero-one, AI – chewing gum studio. I hate chewing gum. Not in the first 20 seconds but if I chew it too long, it feels very bad and its the same like "Dubs” which come out of this ideological stupid error of computer freaks and it feels not only as a “fart of bass”, but even more than a running shitstorm out of the ass of the ill humans. I am not Pato Banton but this is my opinion.
If no one has “the eggs” to make experiments and if no one is trying out new options, I would still listen to Heino and the German
national anthem or something like that. May be Reggae should be still in the cosmos and no one has found out this healing Rhythm. This should be a disaster for me and some more people on earth.
So keep on trying and searching and “may the bong be with you”
………… lemmi
( Sorry for my style of English. I don't have so much vocabulary and its a long time, when I had to learn it. But I did not use the AI program, because this is a question of honor, if you know what I mean ..... )