It's that time again: We serve you ours Dub-Top 5 of the year ending. As you can see, diversity counts for us. How could it be otherwise with such a diverse genre? We look forward to your comments.
Top 5 from René
Maybe the best Zion Train album ever. Everything is right here: composition, production, mix. Even the message fits.
Appeared at the last meters of the year and immediately became my highlight of 2023. Runs on a loop over the Christmas holidays.
Finest instrumental roots reggae with fantastic brass sections, soulfully mixed and gently presented.
It's hard to believe what the fat prince gets out of the Bunny Lee productions he's heard thousands of times.
A mystical and mysterious album from Belize, from a musician about whom hardly anything is known. It doesn't have to, because the music speaks for itself.
Top 5 of Ras Vorbei
Tracks that have exactly this expansive, profound attitude, this feeling of constant invention.
Jah Myhrakle is an electrifying reggae performer who presents a mental and spiritual challenge in a positive sense.
Handmade Dub-Chocolate at its finest with a jazzy touch from the Swiss capital.
After more than 40 years of absence from the stage, Reggae/Dub-Legend back with a brilliant new album.
Head Music: These strange sounds are remarkably bizarre yet exciting to listen to.
Top 5 from gtk
Just between us: 2023 was not a good year for that Dubgenre, especially in the area of roots. Of course, a “merely good” album could have been placed here, but that wouldn’t have been deserved. That's why no No. this time. 1 – unfortunately!
Even at No. 2, you have to fall back on the tried and tested: The “Acres of Space” album, originally released in 2023, is also available in 2001 Dub Syndicates is a wonderful work refined by Adrian Sherwood. A long-awaited re-release!
About the quality of the Dub-Counterparts from Mellow Mood’s “Mañana” album only require two words: Paolo Baldini.
“The finest instrumental roots reggae with elaborate brass sections and not so subtle ones Dub-Effects” – that’s what it says in the album review and you really can’t put it better.
The debut of Dub Plantage sounds like a lost album mixed by acoustic wizard Paul Smykle that could have been released in his heyday - around '84. Wonderful!
10 replies to "Dubblog annual charts 2023"
Whether it's a good or bad year for DUB It's hard for me to judge because I would still describe myself as a rookie.
I had hoped for more from the Zion Train, so I'm still more attached to the old releases.
What I have done in 2023 is to continue to stock up on reissued old discs. There was a lot there for me.
So thank you again for your consistently great work here (and in the Riddim). Have a healthy new year everyone.
The 2023 vintage turned out okay for me... although I'm mostly singles or... dubtypical mini-evenings that I discovered to be above average DubThere is no mention of blog, more on that later… my album selection reflects the diversity referred to at the beginning. I'm not going to put any ranking in order, I'm just going to throw five albums into the mix:
– “Andru Branch & Halfway Tree – Weather the Dub“: Very coherent, good riddims, good instrumentalists, good mixes.
– “Fikir Amlak meets Brizion – Medhane Alem”: The digital side of this year’s Dub this year for me, but I listened to it a lot with the single “Holy Grail” and the extra versions.
– “The Inn House Crew” Dub From The Sky”: If I saved it correctly, the Dub-version of Joseph Cotton's album "New fashion way" from the UK label Room In The Sky... there are some irresistible ones Dubs on it.
– “Mafia & Fluxy meets Jah Shaka feat. “Megumi Mesaku”: A posthumously released LP that I, as an original Shaka fan, couldn’t miss and that probably wouldn’t appear in this list if Jah Shaka hadn’t moved on this year. For me, as the last musical co-production by the great sound system wizard, it is indispensable in a list like this for 2023.
– “The Fakir – Javier Vicalo Presents the Fakir’s Trip Through Northwest Africa in Dub“: The whole sound design suits me and I listen to this album more often than many others, that's why it was chosen.
For once my album of the year isn't one Dubalbum but Stephen “Ragga” Marley’s “Old Soul”… he definitely hit my nerve with this very acoustic release and it has every other one in 2023, too Dubalbums, overshadowed... I'm still waiting for the colored double vinyl...
Also the freshly mixed and mastered roots Dubs from Bavaria by Urkraut/Magic Music appeal to me, but haven't left enough of a deep mark on my ears... is currently playing every now and then and is pleasing, the refreshing was good.
Now to a few heavyweights that were not released as an album and are under the radar Dubblog (unfortunately) sailed through (I'll let the music speak for itself):
- "Dub Judah & Kibir La Amlak – Best Foot Forward”
– “Da Lion Music – Fala a Jah”
– “Dj Dibba – ULURU 012”
- "DubJuggler – Jazzy Roots – Alijo + Dub"
– “The Inn House Crew – Afgan Riddim Series”
– “King Stanley – Run Sacred Riddim”
– “Macka B – If It Wasn’t For Rasta”
– “M’Festa & Free Meditation – World / Snowing” (the B-side kills me)
– “Mighty Massa & Ska Revolutionaries – Breaking Down The Barrier”
– “Piya Zawa & Jah Works – True Motive”
– “Watt A Gwan – Who Says”
– “Zulu Vibes – Prince Chamba meets Zulu Vibes” (especially the B-side)
I'm done... wish everyone a good end to the year and the turn of the year, if anyone makes it to French-speaking Switzerland at the beginning of 2024, we'll see you... https://www.rootsfoundationfest.com/
I spontaneously thought, oh, the Red Cross has one too DubDisc released but the fact that there is no number 1 is also a kind of innovation ;-)
I can even understand it a little bit, because I also had a somewhat uneasy feeling that my enthusiasm for DubMusic may slow down a bit. I just found too much to be really nice or OK, so to speak. I've had the best album "Acres Of Space" for so long and so I couldn't see it as a new release. But it still made me very happy that we were able to talk about this fantastic music Dubblog again.
In contrast to René, my enthusiasm for Zion Train is very limited. But the data from Tropical Dub I also have very fond memories of Connection. Unfortunately, my RAM “inna me Brain” is chronically full, so the data has now been automatically deleted. I simply forgot. The Guiding Star Orchestra is here DubBlog is quite rightly very popular. Just recently I came across it again and asked myself what I actually have against it. The sound, the riddims, that DubEffects, everything perfect but the brass sounds too “jazzy” for me. Too “elaborate” for me.
I much prefer it when brass only appears briefly and then fades away again in the echo chamber. Basically the same as with the vocals.
I actually “see” a lot of parallels between blowers and singing in context DubMusic. In the “right” dosage (in my opinion) and if the sounds do not reach into the afterlife during your lifetime, it can be magical. Unfortunately, many people play, especially their saxophone, as if they wanted to outdo Mariah Carry, which Dean Fraser manages to do again and again without any problems.
Long story short. I have the greatest overlap with them
Top 5 again Ras Vorbei. Only the order is different and since the Swiss now also muddle palm oil into their chocolate, I can do without it completely. Jazz in Dub For me it's similar to palm oil in Nutella. It just doesn't work for me. I even have to call palm oil in Nutella a crime against humanity. Jazz is that bad Dub
then not again. I'm always a bit skeptical as to whether we commentators should also present our top 5 here. But it's only a very small step for me to act stupid. Plus, it's fun to let the whole world know which ones DubFor almost the past year, slices have made many evenings at home and also during the day here at work sweeter or tingling.
For a long time Jah Myhrakle was my clear number one this year. There is no need to look for new words because René described it perfectly. “Mystical” and “mysterious”, as well as from Belize. So it's nice and far away and peppered with impressions from another culture. That alone usually creates a lot of magic.
After that I would listen to the albums by The Thugs and The Grapes Of Dub place third and fourth. Especially “Combat DubI think “head music” describes it very well. Dub For me, it's always been the version of reggae that doesn't necessarily require me to dance. It was always mainly there for my head and therefore also for my intestines, as well as for my overall inner well-being. The Thugs are probably not Steppa eitherDubFans – thing, I can imagine. But I particularly like the bass lines - especially in the second half of the album - as well as the extremely well reverberated and restrained vocal snippets, which for me are the greatest magic of this album. In 5th place for me is SOME DUB STORIES. Racy, crisp and beautifully colorful. Plus a good pinch of aggressiveness. The whole thing is then accompanied by wonderful videos, so that even people who don't have any Dubnerds also find it fun, at least occasionally.
Yes, that would probably take places 2 to 5. And since you've known me here for a while now, I don't need to write down what my now undisputed number 1 in 2023 was or is. If anyone is confused or can't understand it, I'll write it here because it just gives me so much joy.
1st place :
CREATION REBEL “Hostile Environment”
On the one hand, because I never in my wildest dreams would have expected to be able to hear a new album from Creation Rebel again and on the other hand, because On .U sound for me in terms of things Dub is the measure of all things anyway. What's more, they play reggae the way I like it best. Powerful and accentuated. And the BiassLines have exactly the magic that always captivates me.
At first I didn't want to list the record because it almost qualifies as a roots album for me, but almost half of it is instrumentalDubs and they are also highly psychedelic.
On the other hand, Gaudi's too loud keyboard is still a psychological shock. Once I get through this moment, then that's all DubFeeling announced. Ok, admittedly, the melodica on “Stonebridge Warrior” is pretty annoying, but I just think the riddim is too cool. That's the power I need. I'm not going to discuss every tune, but whenever that bias line from "Under Pressure" starts rolling in and that slightly smoky voice joins in, I'm completely convinced. Of course, that’s how I always feel when Prince Far I “drops by” again.
If I now consider that this is by far the album I played the most and enjoyed most, then I can't help but put “Hostile Environment” at number 1. Especially since I always like individual pieces in a “set” with others Dubs put on by other musicians.
But now I have to go again, because Philipp's charts show me that I am in matters Dub have no plan at all.
There are huge gaps opening up for me. There's still a lot to do, so I'll get to it.
Oh, I would like to mention one more thing. As far as I know, I wasn't the only one who liked The Red Eyes' great double album "Higher Ground" so much. If there was a top ten here, it would definitely appear in my list too. I like both the vocals and the Dubs very successful and also “that Dubbing” is sometimes nice and crisp and cheeky. It's a German band, if I understood that correctly. I almost can't believe it because we Germans suffer from the “overcorrectness syndrome”. And we are then supposed to “soil” music with reverb and echo. Where can you find something like that?!
I think they could really give a concert here in Göttingen.
I am not wanted in Münster. They only want very rich people to stay in their hotels……………..
Well, I can understand if they don't want to or can't come, because who wants to have a rootsy in front of 5 to 10 people where there are only two to three reggae fans there dubmake a big appearance.
Speaking of lying down, I'll be off.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, as the saying goes.
Stay healthy and keep it DubEars clean so that it continues to groove well.
Until ………………… .. lemmi
Wonderful. I would like to thank you all for the interesting musical tips and for the fine comments, I would like to read more of them. May 2024 be a good one Dub-year - until then, happy holidays and a happy new year to all readers!
Out of all the great records dubblog has brought to my attention this year, there’s only one that I really missed on the year-end lists: that beautiful Youthie/Kino Doscun album, “Sahar”. It is such a stunningly rich dub/world music fusion. It’s also a path I’d love to see taken more frequently by dub acts. Anyway, thanks for all the precious guidance, dubblog! There's not enough gratitude for all the knowledge you keep sharing with us year after year. Congratulations for the excellent job, always!!!
Unfortunately, our charts only have five places to award, and so the album “Sahar” by Youthie/Kino Doscun had to be relegated to one of the lower places. Which I also think is a great kindness, Renys. Thank you very much for your appreciation, which will be an incentive for me to continue in this style.
I can totally understand what happened with the mini albums, I felt the same way.
Hence my list of mini albums/showcase/Dub on Bside
1. Ines Pardo – My Time (Roberto Sanchez)
2. Roots Inspiration Meets Al Breadwinner - Can't Stop the Times
3. Joseph Cotton – History Of The Dancehall
4. Muscle Voice – Bingi Bongo (Roberto Sanchez)
5. Emanuel & The Bionites – Roots Of Noah (ok from 2022 but so brilliant… otherwise I choose The Breadwinners meets Marcus I – Lost Tapes Showcase ;) )
LPS:
1. Kino Doscun, Youthie -Sahar
2. Magnana (Baldini)
It gets difficult underneath... Possibly Pinnacle Sound – In Dub, because I think the label is very cool, but haven't had much time to listen carefully, Dub Ancestral (Roberto Sanchez) and a Tropical Dub Foundation...
Top list… Thanks!
To all loyal readers of the Dubblogs:
For the New Year, I wish you with all my heart 12 happy months, 52 happy weeks, 365 enchanting days, 8.760 unique hours, 525.600 unforgettable minutes and 31.536.000 breathtaking seconds!
Stay healthy!
Ras Vorbei, Thank you. I wish that for you too... there will be 366 enchanting days this YEAR...
Kind regards