Since my Barnabas review, I've been listening more frequently to work from the legendary Channel One Studio of the Hoo Kim brothers in Kingston, Jamaica. My main focus is on the recordings made there. Dub-Albums that were once simply included with the original album. The best example: The Mighty Diamonds: Deeper Roots – Back To The Channel. For me, almost every album from that era is like coming home – everything is familiar and exudes a pleasant warmth. The Revolutionaries' albums were always relatively easy to find, partly because some were released on the English Burning Sounds label or its subsidiary Burning Vibrations. And so, "The Revolutionaries: Dutch Man" accompanies me. Dub“Since 1979/80. Unavailable for many years (47!), the “Dutch Man” is now considered Dub“as one of the great, long overlooked masterpieces of Dub-era. Okay, I've never felt it that way before, although I've always liked the album's pleasant, deep heaviness and the hypnotic basslines that combine with crashing snares to float away in echoes and reverb. The sound really does have something meditative about it. I didn't recognize it back then, of course; you only see things like that in retrospect. "Dutch Man" Dub“Today, it is considered a key work of the Channel One sound, albeit in a much more reduced form. We are listening to an album that is less about “acoustic excesses” and more about atmosphere, rich bass pressure, and plenty of space and time.”
In conclusion, I can only state: With "Dutch Man" Dub“Lowell ‘Sly’ Dunbar (RIP) and the other, unfortunately unnamed, Revolutionaries deliver an impressive masterclass in minimalism. Whoever sat at the mixing desk and was responsible for this stripped-down, focused sound…” DubWho is responsible will likely remain a mystery forever. Unfortunately, there will soon be no one left among the protagonists we could ask. Even the Burning Sounds re-release remains silent on the matter. Who knows, perhaps Barnabas?
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The Revolutionaries: Dutch Man Dub
8 replies to “The Revolutionaries: Dutch Man” Dub"
Actually, my initial overall impression of the album, like that of many from the Channel 1 studio, was: "This isn't my favorite yet."Dub".
However, I failed miserably in my attempt to explain this in detail. DubThe mix was too simple and too tame for me, to put it mildly. The riddims, especially the bass lines, were "too German" for my taste. Sly Dunbar's drumming, once again, didn't quite work as a foundation for... DubHe's overdoing it a bit for my taste. Less is more. Dub ! But when considering each one individually DubI couldn't identify either the bassline or Sly's drumming as the reason for my somewhat lukewarm enthusiasm. Yes, there are probably a few basslines that don't really grab me, but there are far fewer than I initially thought.
The drumming is actually perfectly fine, and the DubThe mix isn't so boring that I could swear it was contributed by Ernest Hoo Kim himself. One of my "favorite instruments"—the tambourine with the thousand cymbal plates on or in the rim—isn't pushed to the forefront here as obnoxiously as I usually hate. So I've come to the conclusion that the album is considerably better than I initially thought. The DubThe track "Dutchman" is – for me – almost reason enough to buy the whole album. Wonderful!
"Dub Be Good To Me” …………………. lemmi
I like exactly that kind of thing. DubThe bass is loud enough, it sounds analog and organic. Good basslines, and plenty of dynamics in the mix.
The minimalism is definitely noticeable; at least my edition is pressed in mono…
dear Dubblog team
I'm a little worried: It's mid-April, and only 5 reviews have been published since the beginning of the year. Are you lacking topics? Or rather, resources?
What can we, as readers, contribute?
Please enlighten us. Because, let's face it, eventually you stop checking a blog if nothing ever happens. And how are we supposed to imagine the next year's best-of list...?
You remain one of my favorite online resources for music. Please keep it that way.
Mit herzlichen Grüssen
Hans
Total commitment!
Hmm, well, to be honest, I don't know which album from 2026 would still deserve a review. Who wants to go to the trouble of writing a review for an album that's merely okay? The incentive or motivation is simply lacking.
I find it far more regrettable that so much "random" material has been released so far in 2026. There are too many who are preoccupied with... Dub try.
People who previously had little to do with reggae are suddenly also involved. DubThis doesn't always have to end in a trivial way, but it may be a cause of increasing alienation and a de-escalation of... Dub.
This may sound a bit too dramatic in detail, but it's my overall impression, especially for the first quarter of 2026.
I personally have often wondered why it is now also DubThere was a lot of David Bowie music and other mainstream hits, but they lacked a crucial element from the start: a groove! I'm not saying I think it's all completely ridiculous, but it's just nice enough, and it can't be or become anything more than that. The foundation of delicious Chinese food is, after all, primarily Chinese ingredients and, above all, spices.
It's pointless to pour soy sauce on a pot roast and then think that makes it Chinese. If you know what I mean.
So, for me, it's quite understandable that reviews are becoming less common. Even Adrian Sherwood wasted his time on music that, in my opinion, could have remained entirely private. I think we're increasingly sliding into an era of quantity over quality. And well, I also find it impossible that Dub We're completely barking up the wrong tree with a pseudo-intelligent search engine called AI.
Dub It needs stoned musicians and engineers with the imagination of Albert Einstein. Nothing more, nothing less. And the musicians should at least have a bit of African heritage, because only they possess the true magic and the necessary dose of voodoo. If you know what I mean.
One could perhaps also argue about why, for example, Xana Romeo is associated with the "Divine" Dub"hasn't received any reviews. Perhaps that's because..." Dub It doesn't seem spectacular enough, but I think it has everything that's really good. Dub It needs (and needs). First and foremost, of course, the BassLines. They really groove and plow the ground, pushing the plow and oxen before them. In addition, all the effects are truly magical, and no instrument just goes "whoosh." I found the DubThey were outstanding right from the start, and now I find them even better.
And yes, if I think that at least a review of the album could have been written, then of course I must also grant that opinion to others.
But:
As far as I know, this isn't a professional site, even though the content is presented very professionally. The blogger has a private life and has to earn a living through honest work. Therefore, reviews for ordinary products aren't always appropriate. DubDiscs can lose priority.
We have to live with it. Today's musicians are too bland. Perhaps we, all of us, have had it a little too easy over the last 60 years, and therefore we probably lack that certain something, that passion needed to create music so dramatic and full of emotion. No offense, but I have to write it. I don't know if Xana Romeo also had it too easy. But I find the vocal versions of "Divine" Dub“They’re just too ordinary. There aren’t any special melodies that move me in any way. It seems to be all about the message, but the message is basically always the same anyway, and it doesn’t create the feeling from the time when Rastafarians also produced really good melodies in addition to the message. Perhaps the ‘spoken word’ style that has dominated for many years is responsible for the fact that the artists are running out of beautiful and captivating melodies.”
And even in "spoken word" music, the Jamaicans of yesteryear were quite different. U-Roy, I-Roy, Big Youth, Prince Jazzbo, and so many more have shaped the genre. Dub They used to ride, while for a long time now, even in Jamaica, they've just been trying to walk alongside the horse. If you know what I mean. Very often, you can't even ride the horse anymore because it's also lame by now and has too much foreign DNA.
It's been replaced, and probably will be. It just feels odd when the message isn't delivered through reggae grooves and a musical flow anymore, but instead you're chasing after every trend. Some of the riddims drag on like old chewing gum stuck to your shoe and are more reminiscent of grunge, garage, and other rhythmic monstrosities. There, I said it.
If anyone is wondering how I know all this so precisely, I can only say that I have been inhaling it for over 40 years and have gotten exactly the impression I have described here.
Should the almost impossible scenario occur that I'm completely wrong about all of this, I guess I'll have to step in. Ultimately, these are just my thoughts, which have developed over time. Only time will tell if they're facts.
“I'm gonna put on an iron shirt and chase the devil out of Earth” … lemmi
Hi Hans, thanks for your feedback. I already feel a bit guilty, and I think my two colleagues in the editorial department feel the same way. We really do publish far too little. Except... Ras VorbeiWith our reviews, we barely manage to keep the release radar up and running. (Only Lemmi is keeping the flag flying here. A thousand thanks for that!) Personally, I would love to see more for the DubI want to write a blog, but I increasingly lack the time (not the interest!).
Therefore, I'm responding with a call for submissions: We are looking for authors who would be interested in writing reviews for the Dubto write a blog. The DubThis blog gets thousands of hits every month. So, the effort of writing a post is worthwhile – you reach a lot of readers and inspire them to discover new and exciting music. Who'd like to contribute? We'd be delighted! Just write to us. info@dubblog.de.
There may be other reasons why I don't write reviews, but the main reason for me is that the DubBlog is my source for new Dub It's a recurring issue. So when I look here for new inspiration, the review is often already written. I don't know how or where you find all the new releases. I used to find them in the record box at the record store. When that became less common, or rather, was discontinued by Babylon, I was completely lost for so long until I finally stumbled upon the DubI found this blog. Since then, I feel really well taken care of. Yes, at times it's almost been too much with all the new releases. But I didn't buy the whole box at the record store either, just the things that really excited me right away. The Release Radar is a huge help for me, but also often a source of frustration. I always get grumpy when the album isn't available in physical form, or only with great difficulty or hassle. If Sir Pinkerteon's album isn't available on vinyl or at least CD at my local store soon, I'll probably forget about it completely. I don't want to get bogged down in the internet and register everywhere just to maybe occasionally buy a physical copy. I wonder why the small labels that somehow managed to produce a vinyl record don't offer their records centrally at well-known retailers. It worked wonderfully with Ranking Barnabas's "Cold Crusher." There too, it seemed to me, the label probably expected people to somehow get the item from their website. Well, I probably never would have gotten it that way, but they had it sold through one of their original Reggae Ambassadors, and so it's now right at the top of my list of new releases. The beautiful, large cover alone, with Ranking Barnabas in his element and the presentation of something particularly... DubFans – this very popular indulgence makes the listening experience even more enjoyable. Just like with food, "the eye" here not only serves the purpose of sight and eating, but also takes on a small part of the listening experience and listens along ;-)
Okay. "A man's word is his bond" doesn't seem to work for me, so I've gone into a bit of a digression again. Actually, I just wanted to explain why I personally don't write reviews. And frankly, I think a review of an album that only exists as a data package is superfluous. Whether that's really the case, though, is something I need to "reflect on" a little longer. It really does seem to be the case that all of humanity, and also the DubFans worldwide are coping wonderfully with the development and the ever-increasing dependence on the internet. I often feel like the wrong-way driver on the highway, complaining that everyone else is going in the wrong direction. But what can I do if all the signs are upside down? Simply following the rules isn't really my style anyway.
Okay, that's enough now! Best regards from the flag bearer... lemmi
"We are looking for authors who would like to write reviews for the Dubto write a blog."
That clearly sounds like a "skills shortage" …………………. lemmi