episode three :: dub...

...yes, i had a poster of bob marley in my res room at university: a colorized black and white of the man and his dreads with trails of smoke dancing around him. and i've been lucky enough to see culture, one of the best reggae bands in history, live at a small college venue. reggae brings back fond memories of my university years, sitting on summer porches and basking in the groove - what's not to love about that?
...well dub, in fact, has been around almost as long as reggae itself. early masters like lee 'scratch' perry and king tubby were remixing tracks, infusing them with reverb and echos, upping the bass and resampling vocals before i was even born. dub has never reached the heights of popularity of it's cousin; it has, however, continued to evolve and influence artists around the world...
...my first experience with electronically produced dub was bill laswell :: dreams of freedom. this album, released in '97, was accurately subtitled ambient translations of bob marley in dub, and introduced me to a sound that changed the way i thought about music. i could hear how he had deconstructed and reconstructed the originals, making something done, redone; renewed, reworked; given a different life. the sound: textured, complex, full of depth; familiar to a point, yet pleasing in its surprise...
...dub isn't just a form of remixing though - elements of dub production can be found everywhere. i got hooked on the sounds of massive attack and leftfield back in the day, and they led me on to artists like kruder & dorfmeister and thievery corporation. there are still the traditionalists (like mad professor), but now there are more bands who incorporate it into their sound and artists who have taken it well beyond the dark side of the moon. i was lucky enough to have access to an auzzie with a comprehensive library of the genre, and it has taken me over a year to go through his collection. a bit overwhelming - like sitting at a table with thousands of gourmet dishes to choose from - but now that i've had some time to digest it all i know what i like and where i'll be looking for my next meal. this episode is an appetizer: a sampling of the dub (r)evolution made with certified organic roots, a sprinkle of herb, some chopped dreads, and just a few drops of leary's psychedelic juice...

peace - smoke 'em if you got 'em...


:::tracklist:::

bob marley :: lively up yourself (bombay dub orch. remix)
easy star all stars :: any colour you like
up, bustle & out :: city breakers
salmonella dub :: push on thru
katchafire :: collie dub
pitch black feat. KP :: rude mechanicals
the black seeds :: almost home
desmond williams :: dread a the roughest
ott :: somersettler
massive attack :: karmacoma



...on deck - episode four :: nu-jazz...

episode two :: funk...

...with the last episode being of the more serious vein, a little dose of the happy vibes seemed in order - and there's nothing like a funky bassline and a wah-chicka-wah-wah to bring a smile to your face and a bump to your rump. funk influences much of the music we listen to these days. check out iconscious for a little lesson on its roots...
...for me, my relationship with funk began in the 80s. for anything of merit to have survived that decade is a miralce. i wasn't yet a teen when the opening bass notes of cameo :: word up were filling up the airwaves, and i was hooked; love at first sound, as it were. now you may be saying to yourself that cameo aren't the definition of funk - they don't sound like mr james brown after all. but that's one of the great things about this style of music: anything can be funky. (*as a side note: the bass line for outkast :: ms jackson was played by the guy from cameo. it's true; i read it on wikipedia) ...
...one thing about funk: it's best heard live. but clubs still want you shakin' to that funky beat, so djs and producers have been remixing classics, collaborating with musicians, and bringing the funk to new generations of dancefloor dwellers. one of the hottest acts of this recent trend has been the fort knox five, whose signature brand of party-rockin' funk can be heard in original tracks and remixes of louis armstrong, bob marley, and pretty much everything in between...
...this episode, then, is all about the future of funk. all the tracks are from the last couple of years, and if you get a chance to see any of these artists at a club or a fest - do so; they are ridiculously talented...

peace, and get out your happy feet.

::tracklist::
ed royal & enne :: gift of funk
flow dynamics :: live in the mix
plantlife :: appreciate
chris joss :: a part in that show (basement freaks remix)
a skillz vs. beat vandals :: blowin' up
wicked lester :: redo funk
katalyst :: may have been james brown
unklejam :: love ya (agfa mix)
nickodemus :: give the drummer some (fort knox five remix)
all good funk alliance :: top brass
maelstrom & napz :: spell it



...up next - episode three :: dub...

episode one :: hip hop...

... this journey begins in an old character home in Victoria in 2001. i was asked by a friend to mix a compilation of some quintessential hip hop tracks. i wasn't really into hip hop at the time; most of my knowledge of the genre was mainstream and i had my preconceptions...
... hours spent in headphones; concentrating on the beats; following the story. tribe. quannum. j5. it was then i learned the qualities that make hip hop a true art form: poetry, rhythm, soul. these songs had piqued my interest. the first real hip hop album i purchased was blackalicious :: blazing arrow. this isn't just a gift of gab album, it is also a collaboration with some other talented artists: lyrics born, lateef, dilated peoples, saul williams, chali 2na, cut chemist. i was beginning to learn there was more to this music, and needless to say it wasn't long before my hip hop collection began to grow...
... i'm lucky enough to be surrounded by people who know more hip hop than i do. maybe all my digging will pay off and i'll get to return the favour. until then, i'll leave you with a mix of tracks i've collected along the way - in chronological order of course. this episode's theme: change - time passes but how much is really different from before? most of the audio samples come from the cold war / vietnam era; talk about resonance...
... clicking on the artist name will take you to their website or myspace page. remember: they need support and promotion in order to grow and survive. with that, make sure you also check out these artists: murs, rjd2, atmosphere, latyrx, lifesavas, danger mouse, mf doom

peace.

::tracklist::
Blackalicious :: First in Flight
J Boogie :: La Sengre
Fdel :: A Fuller Culture
Common feat. the Last Poets & Kanye West :: The Corner
The Likwit Junkies :: One Day Away
Zion I :: Borderline
Guru feat. Common & Bob James :: State of Clarity
Brother Ali :: The Puzzle
Akrobatik feat. Chuck D & Brenna Gethers :: Kindred
The Roots feat. Mos Def & Styles P :: Rising Down



...coming soon - episode two :: funk...