Ever since Fat Freddie's Drop we've known that reggae is BIG in New Zealand. A Bob Marley concert in 1979 is said to have been the catalyst for this development. In addition, the Rastafari culture is quite widespread, especially among the Maori - and marijuana is also known to be consumed very generously Down Under. Be that as it may: Reggae is chart-ready in NZ. Interestingly, this is by no means reggae based on the Jamaican model, but rather a very special, typical NZ reggae sound. It's difficult to analyze exactly, but one thing is clear: he's incredibly relaxed. So relaxed that it's sometimes derided on the island as "BBQ reggae" (we would call it "elevator music").
With LAB there is now a new star in the sky of the southern hemisphere. A band whose origins lie in reggae, but which – much like Fat Freddie's Drop – now tend to serve the pop market. But there are enough reggae songs in the oeuvre of five albums to keep the watchful eye of our Hamburger Dub-Label's Echo Beach draw attention. This decided without further ado: Let's put the best songs in Dubs transform, Paolo! What is meant is Paolo Baldini, who carried out a nice commissioned job here. The result is now called "LAB in Dub(Echo Beach). Luckily the tracks are more original than the title. Even if Paolo prefers to produce steppers, he has managed to create an extremely beautiful, gentle and harmonious work here. Perfect sound (the sound of the originals is already beyond any doubt) and above all great mixes! Here you will find the classic Dub-Principle in its purest form and demonstrates its full potential.
Categories
LAB: In Dub
8 Responses to “LAB: In Dub"
Yes, it's a shame that you can make better money with Lenor and other fabric softener stuff than with crisp, magical stuff Dub. Paolo Baldini makes some nice ones here DubEffects and thus the album is also quite nice ;-)
They all want to be nice these days. Just don't say anything wrong or politically incorrect, so that it remains suitable for the masses.
When I read the Fat Freddy's Drop review, I immediately wanted to "switch off". Got the hype about their sagging Dubs never understood. Yes, and now they even officially make radio music. How am I supposed to get there?
No ! I also found the Black Seeds really great at first, but that went in the wrong direction (for my taste, mind you) in no time at all.
If I were into PopMusic (I sometimes am) I wouldn't be here in the Dubblog landed.
And so I have to quote one of my favorite pieces of wisdom from Adrian Sherwood again:
"At first you need a good riddim, before you can make a good Dub"
I think it's exaggerated to whistle a good mood fun reggae band off the stage for a white happy hour, but if things continue like this in general, I'll bring a few glass bottles with me to events like this in the future. You have to distinguish between musicians who abuse reggae music for their pseudo good mood music and musicians, such as Marcus Gad and his band, who still stick to the role models.
And so I find “LAB In Dub"It's nice, but that's all I can do. I prefer "BLACK DUB“!
Does “intangible World Cultural Heritage” mean that anyone can use it, or how do I understand that?
It may be that I was a bit bitchy now, but:
BLACK MUSIC AND BLACK DUB MATTERS!!! ……………………. lemmi
Well, fabric softener or not, Lemmi, I think I know what you mean and yet I firmly disagree.
The album is also too polished for me, without rough edges and definitely has little magic, consciousness or mysticism to offer (the Tune No Roots Dub it almost shakes things up a bit, but it's the only one that stands out positively and I didn't get much further than that)... I dare to doubt whether it'll bring money... simple, I don't really like it, it is Dub in the broadest sense of the genre, but without that certain "bite" (and that's difficult to put into words).
On the other hand, I can see a few things that I'm missing from the Fat Freddys (at least on the first two albums) and actually appreciate them very much... I especially love Joe Dukie's vocals (which I usually like to have gone, which is probably why my preference for the Dub versions).
But to be honest, the fact that you now come up with "intangible World Cultural Heritage" and "use it and blablabla" surprises me and I don't find it congruent, even aloof and enraptured... (it's not meant to be an "attack", it's just my opinion! Full respect and full appreciation).
Yes, in my opinion you can (even should) help yourself, you can be inspired and continue to spin and develop creatively or respectfully and in a similar way in spirit (as long as it's not cheap copying)... I think you even have to and that what makes the real appeal of any culture is that it is simply limitless and lawless, deeply anarchic, unpredictable and labelless!
After all, Babylon System rages globally and everywhere and is not limited to one island or one country.
I dare say that all of ska, reggae, Dub- and Rastafari culture has used other styles of music and philosophies at all times since its and especially its origins, or rather let itself be inspired, adapted or adopted certain things and consciously opposed them and never became this wonderful music just because of isolation would be, which I love so much and feel fully in my deeply European interior. Why shouldn't that be correct? We are all homo sapiens and it doesn't matter what kind of music we make or listen to, what reason we believe, what color someone's eyes or skin is...
I find all these discussions so restrictive, hypocritical and wrong. Do what you feel and do it with maximum passion!
So I can even muster a certain amount of respect for the "Lenor fabric softener sound" (what a wonderful word creation, thank you)... I don't like it for that reason.
Contradictorily, I also think again and again: "Does that have to be? Couldn't they have done something better? Honestly?” But I don't have to listen to it if I don't like it… said done, “LAB in Dub' flies out of my player and the Lone Ark Riddim Force's 'Happiness' pops in, followed by Kingston Echo's 'Submergence'... a single with version and a Dub-Album I'm feeling right now... deep, magical, it just fits...
High Philip!
I come to work here in my Monday morning mood and then I also have to read that you don't agree with me!
What allow?! ….. ;-)
No, basically that's exactly what a comment function is all about. If everyone just writes (if they write anything at all), "I like it", then two buttons - one with "Thumbs Up" and one with "Thumbs Down" - are perfectly sufficient.
To be honest, I'm not exactly sure at the moment whether I might be seeing it a little too narrowly. It's not about looking at or evaluating it rationally and neutrally. I just try again and again to describe my feelings or my perception. And if I'm honest, I also prefer, even enjoy, my enthusiasm for reggae and Dub presented in a detached and remote way. For me, this music is aloof and enraptured and that is exactly what contributes significantly to its magic for me. I have to ask for empathy because I got caught. I have terminal reggae myylitis and am no longer fit for rational discussion. I don't think I've ever been.
Mind you, my following statements are from the point of view of a reggae and Dub Written by enthusiasts and probably only (if at all) really congruent or comprehensible for such.
It may well be that reggae and rastafari were inspired or even influenced from somewhere. Without the massive 400 years of abysmal, inhuman enslavement of the predominantly black population from Africa by the white sadists, the Rastafari movement might never have existed. Reggae is also said to be shaped by various Afro-American and, of course, Caribbean influences. Well, I'm even inclined to accept that, but unlike the many white reggae bands, the Jamaicans have improved any music that inspired them, not watered it down ;-) ……. Mind you, this is also the perspective of an infected person
Reggae fans with no desire for any form of recovery. No pills and certainly no vaccination help against it. And I still think that's a good thing ;-) All versions of the Beatels are lifted off in the truest sense of the word by the "reinterpretation" of the Jamaicans and hover over all horizons. (I don't give a damn how the down-to-earth beatle fans see it.....). I like the reggae versions of the Jamaicans so much better that I'm convinced that these are actually the originals.
The idea of the "immaterial world culture supermarket" and the associated self-service of all subsequent artists and cultural workers may still be a bit of an exaggeration on my part at this point in time and I must and I will certainly have an inner conflict with myself more often. As already mentioned, I can only ask everyone else who probably has a higher capacity for suffering (tolerance) than I do for empathy for a reggae nerd with a penchant for “fanatics” (“..... tired of isms and skisms” ).
At this point, all I can say is that I'm amazed at all those who don't seem to care at all about reggae bands
consist almost entirely of whiteboys. Where have they gone, the “raptured” and “aloof” reggae bands. How come that Dub Spencer and Trance Hill tour here and Creation Rebel doesn't know a damn.
In my opinion, Horace Andy should be on tour with the crisp On .U Sound line-up here. And if that's only possible with subsidies, then we need a culture fund for "out of the ordinary" music. Tim Bendsko and his cronies bring in enough money, since they were and are already being supported enough by the quota (now you kindly listen to more German music).
Yes ok, I'm noticing it myself again. I'm getting weird again. What can Tim do about it, that he's German and almost bores me to death. “Music for philanderers” without upliftment …………………
Quite apart from that, I would be very happy if Dub Spencer and Trance Hill would give a concert here in G-Town. That's also one of the points that I would like to state here, even if it exposes a part of my soul. Everything was better before. Here in Göttingen (for a refresher: "Gött" means "ass" in Turkish, from which I conclude that Göttingen could be something like the UrAss of the world).
Before there was a quota, the culture freaks were still ready, at least here in Göttingen, to present really offbeat music in my HomeTown. Now not even Tim Bendsko is coming …………
So I'm "only" bitter that my time should already be over.
I would have liked to see more bands and artists from Jamaica and Africa here in d-land. Doesn't just have to be reggae, but aloof and enraptured is very, very important to me. But I want the originals and not a German combo trying to interpret African music.
I go into the goal "so long" ……………..lemmi
at least in this point I'm just as "sick" as you... reggae myllitis to the deepest depths of the bones... let's just enjoy the offbeat and the delays... if I feel it and it appeals to me, I don't really care who played the instruments and turned the controls. Then I'll go...
With this in mind, have a nice relaxing Sunday...
“if I feel it and it appeals to me, I don't really care who played the instruments and turned the knobs. Then I'll go..."
Exactly like that, I eat it too!
I always try to explain – also for myself, if it isn't the case. In doing so, I often overshoot the “target” and fall into a kind of polemic.
But polemics are not so bad for the common man to make themselves heard. I caught that this morning. I like it but I have to think about it more often.
Greetings ……………… lemmy
Dear LAB in Dub as LAB without Dub. In this respect grazie mille, Paolo and Echo Beach!
[...] Paolo Baldini Dubfiles: LAB in DUB [...]
[...] Dub Plantation: Beware of the Megamagicmushrooms! […]