Germany's reggae impresario No. 1 knows its genre. Accurately makes use of Dr. Ring thing Always anew in the large pool of Jamaican music history, mixes what he has found with his brilliant songwriting talent and thus produces himself at the top of German ska and reggae. Also with "Dr. Ring-Ding & The Senior Allstars Meet Victor Rice (Pick Up The Pieces) " (Grover) attacks Dr. Ring thing up a nice, old reggae tradition by having one Dub-Version of his last album "Big Up" presented. GedubThe tracks by Victor Rice, producer, mixer and busy musician behind countless US ska, reggae and jazz greats such as the New York ska jazz ensemble, the Stubborn Allstars or the current formation of the Skatalites became bt. For four days and four nights the master mixed everything vigorously until an album with powerful thumping bass and endlessly reverberating echoes was created. A brave experiment, because Dub- Versions of ska pieces are not exactly the order of the day. But the experiment was a success: Even post-modern scruffy ska pieces are successful here thanks to the Dub-Wolf has been turned and now sound like a Skatalites concert on the moon. Absolutely old-school style - a work of real handcraft.
Another little one Dub-Masterpiece off the beaten track is the 2nd album of one Dub-Duo from Spain: Loud & Lone. Your album "Better Collie and Loud & Lone 1998-2001" (Oidos Sordos / Import) could almost pass as an early work by Lee Perry. Produced on a 4-track device in a tiny studio in Santander, it sounds almost as atmospheric as a Black Ark recording. The two Spanish Dub-Frickler Roberto Sanchez and Borja Juanco, like Master Lee, know how to create a fascinating sound structure with the simplest of means. They use both classic riddims and their own compositions, from which they develop pulsating, strongly syncopated rhythm tracks. Occasionally the whole thing is garnished with a little singing - which, however, would not have been absolutely necessary. The older the tracks, the more they sound like “classic” Perry productions, until finally Perry pieces actually sound like cover versions. Should this be criticized as eclecticism? No, you'd better understand the message: There is great reggae in Spain.
But there is also something new about the in other European countries Dub-Front: So is z. B. the third edition of the Hi-fidelity Dub Sessions (Guidance / EFA) published in the usual quality: deep, slow and warm. The sixth track of the sampler is particularly interesting, which is labeled “Moments in Dub“By Nick Holder - but actually a Linval Thompson Channel One production from the early 80s. Did Holder meticulously recreate the track from original samples, or what is his name doing there? Can someone explain this to me?
That one Dub- The template (originally nothing more than a “remix” of the original version) can now remix again is not new. That Alpha & Omega however theirs Dub-Track "Show Me A Purpose" several times from different Dub- Let producers remix these remixes on an (!) Album with the title "Show Me A Purpose" (Hammerbass / Import) is - although successful - really heavy. But the two also have a very "normal" Dub-Album outside: "Serious Joke" (Import). The sound is unchanged, but the rhythm has become faster, which somehow doesn't seem to really fit.
The French, on the other hand, is very experimental Dub-Scene. The new album "Combat Dub" (Hammerbass / Import) by Bangarang is a good example of this: tricky sound games and electronic influences intersect here with massive reggae basslines. Here NuRoots veterans like The Disciples, Zion Train or Alpha & Omega made their way over the Bangarang tracks. But Wordsound's Crooklin faction also delivered some noise tracks. It's starting to seem like you are Dub- Enthusiasts can no longer avoid the French Hammerbass label. Time for them to get proper German distribution!
In order to emphasize this demand, a hammer bass album should be discussed here: Dub Wiser, “A New Millennium of Dub" (Hammer bass / import). Unfortunately, it doesn't match the quality of the two Hammerbass releases discussed above. Dub Wiser is too much of the Mid-90s New-Dub-Sound arrests, which - with all due respect - is no longer really fun. The Turkish intro of the first track, however, is fun ...
Also from Mad Professor there is something new: a duet with Lee Perry on "Techno Dub" (Ariwa / Zomba) and one with Scientist on "At The Sound Table With LSP" (Ariwa / Zomba). If Dub-Legenden Treffen sounds like very exciting albums, but unfortunately this is not the case in this case. Boring and uninspired is the mildest judgment I would like to announce here. What's wrong with the mad professor? Has he forgotten how good Dub works? Or is he simply lacking the ideas? In this case it is of course not helpful to invite colleagues who also suffer from a chronic lack of ideas. His remixes were more interesting Rut's DC, which is now on the Hamburg label Selected Cuts as a double CD including the remixes of Zion Train under the title: "Rhythm Collision Vol. 1 & Remix Versions " are new out.
That also applies to things in Hamburg Dub there is a lot going on, as the Hamburg producer proves Matthew Halfman with his Turtle Bay Country Club: "Dub Decade " (Iceland / Mercury). This is where the former head of the castrated philosophers gathers Dub-Versions of his productions for Patrice, Absolute Beginners, Jan Delay, Di Iries and others. Beautifully and absolutely open-minded, he demonstrates how the principle "Dub“Can be applied to different genres and that it also confidently withstands the proximity to pop. However, this does not mean that there is no reggaeDub would be heard. On the contrary: with “Castrated Dub"Or" Di Iries - Dub"He has bone-dry, minimalist neo-Dub-Tracks in their luggage that will make every mainstream record buyer look the far. The joy of experimentation, breaking genre barriers and perfect production skills result in a great one Dub-Album from Germany. Nice that there is such a thing.
The new remix album is also pretty open minded Groove Corporation from Birmingham: "G-Corp Presents Remixes From the Elephant House" (Guidance / EFA) The “Chemical Brothers des Dub“Present their remixes of tracks by Dillinger, Bob Marley, Rockers HiFi, The Congos, UB40, Luciano, Bobby Womack, Ennio Morricone and others. The typical Birmingham sound, as you know it from Rockers HiFi or Smith & Mighty, can be heard from every byte, and it is not uncommon for the pieces to be closer to the post-house dance floor than to reggae - which helps clear your ears. Again, it's fascinating to see how much that Dub leaves his home genre and exerts his influence on associated musical styles.
And since we're at the crossover: The Berlin minimal technologists Mark Ernestus and Maurice von Oswald released their second album a few weeks ago on the Rhythm & Sound label, which brings together tracks from the past four years: "Rhythm & Sound" (Rhythm & Sound / EFA). As usual, abstract electronics merge with reggaeDub under the great principle of minimalism. Actually, the two Berliners only consistently continue what is in the Dub per se is: downright autistic monotony. But that's by no means boring. On the contrary, minimalism creates a peculiarly fascinating impression of the musical present. The noise that is intentionally placed under the tracks increases this even further, as one involuntarily perceives oneself as "hearing people". Extreme sounds for extreme listeners.
The product of the collaboration between the two bassists is similarly experimental, if not nearly as extreme YeaWobble and Bill Laswell: "Radio Axiom" (Palm / Mercury) In the broadest sense of the reggae context, the album is a great sound experiment on a low-frequency level. The bass swells violently and booming, dipping everything into a lake of warm frequencies and dark sounds, from which the bright sound of a jazz trumpet or the fine singing of African singers rises now and then. Very meditative, very relaxed and yet highly exciting. Here is the one Dub in itself: pure sound with no material reference.