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...