As everyone familiar with this mess I do should know by now, I love me my Dub. I often times, while listening to some 70s Dub gem, muse on the current state of Dub. Hmmmm.
Things changed radically about the time most everything shifted from analog to digital. The true Dub sound drifted out of primitive analog devices, away from the expansive wave of sound that is 70s Dub, so with digital came a slickness that was somehow just not "Dub".
Twenty-first Century hailed a marked upswing in all interest in Dub. I'm glad to say there is much good in 21st Century Dubwise. I have praised the sounds of Ryan Moore & Twilight Circus Dub Sound System as well as Dougie 'Conscious' Wardrop of Conscious Sounds. I have shared Dubblestandart, Easy Star All Stars, Bush Chemists, Manasseh, & others following the course of Dub through these beginning decades of 21st Century. The true digital innovators have learned to harness the technology to reclaim 70s glory while other 21st Century proponents of Dub have reverted to analog glory to capture the feel of the Real. & there are still stars from the Dub heavens still going strong like Lee Perry & Mad Professor.
The past few weeks while culling through myriad 45s for my Some Singles post I would cleanse my aural palate with doses of 21st Century Dubfulness. Decided to whip up a mix of what I love about the entire spectrum...digital to analog & all things in between.
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Notes as the Mix Unfolds...
First let's start with Pachy 'Pachyman' Garcia's first ever release, way back in the days of 2019.
The music of Pachyman has roots from his native Puerto Rico, strong influence from Jamaican reggae, & some of the breezy ease of where he currently lives in Southern California. Garcia plays bass, drums, keyboards, & guitar.
Pachy grew up in San Juan P.R., collecting old, scratchy records by the likes of King Tubby, Prince Jammy, Lee 'Scratch' Perry, & Scientist (the last two are still active & are greatly represented in this mix.
Pachy, however, moved to L.A. where he quickly co-founded the destructo synth punk band Prettiest Eyes. That band had no traces of García's reggae background. No chill there.
But then, while hanging around Echo Park, Pachyman fell in with the Club Dub scene. He reunited with his first love — Dub.
Saved this post for Saturday just to honor this song. His first track back to The Brotherhood of Dub. (& of course I had to include a stoner Dub classic).
From At 333 House we gotta have "333 House" just 'cuz. But I have ta admit, I'm a sucker for Babylon Falling, so...that , too. But the best of Pachy is yet to come.
Well...
Suddenly this year we have the Return of...Pachyman. Didn't even realize he was gone, but bruthas & sistas, he's back with "Big Enegy". But he's out to Destroy the Empire & he does it like nobody's business. Then suddenly we're in a Sunset Sound. This sucka is sue-eeeeet.. The rest is out there for one & all. As he says: It's a Dub Fellow('n' Gal)ship. A ship for one & all.
Near the opposite pole from Pachyman is Om Unit.
Jim Coles seems to be finding comfort in Dub. Over the last few years, Dub has become the primary influence in his music. Dub now ushers in a new Brotherhood of Dub member.
Disrupt's gotta background in breakcore, weirdo electronic music & a love for video game soundtracks. Disrupt & a trashy laptop set out on a mission to unite bits w/ bytes all in the fullness, the goodness of DUB. He started the Jahtari imprint as an outlet for those humble but fun experiments.
But praise all things that have felt the touch of the divine Buddha or Bob. The Rub or the Dub.
Then there are these, the Old Guard of Dubness still doing it.
Sly & Robbie still slay it. We always knew they were Dub-ble Agents. Hell, they're Double O Dub-ble Agents of DUB . They're still doing it with whatever tricks keeps it fresh...
Lee Perry is the story of all stories. He's kinda the Keith Richards of Dub, only more Godhead. He just keeps getting greater & greater. He just won't sit down. On Rainford, Lee 'Scratch' Perry has once again teamed up with Adrian Sherwood.
This is Lee sounding might-tee fine..& Denise is another of my favorite Sherwoods. "Makumba Rock" with Skip & another friend o' Adrian's: Samia Farah.. Last but only because that's somehow the way the lists come about, drummers are mentioned last. They say (you know,...they...) it's because they're the balls of all bands. I don't know. All I do know that Style Scott was never last but definitely one of the best.
Then the Rain gets Heavy. Now Adrian just takes over. Skip & Doug & all just in love with Dub. Here come the warm dreads, muthas & bruthas.
Mad Pofessor meets Jah9 - In the Midst of the Storm. Listen ta this shit. Damn straight Dub Revolution!
Then still working the sound systems is the man who should be King...Scientist.
At the forefront of the Euro-Dub scene, Ondubground is a French dub project born in 2004 by two brothers from Tours. They celebrate the heritage of Old Skool Dub music while at the same time experimenting with 21st Century new developments. They also built their own netlabel named ODGProd (basically Original Dub Gathering Productions). The label started in 2005 with some compilations specializing in Dub gathered from other French & European groups. Now after more than 15 years the label offers over 300 albums/EPs free & legal from many artists around the world.
Aside from their own releases as Ondubground they host great groups like Art-X, who remind us of our un(in)alienable right. Freedom, one & all.. Also these Italian bruthas Tu Shung Peng want to "Turn on a New Dub" & they do it in spades. Very nice.
Another outfit, Subatomic Sound System, caught my ear with some of their nu-Dub sounds
Spearheaded by producer, DJ, & multi-instrumentalist Emch, NYC's Subatomic Sound System lead the mission to re-establish the bass heavy, spacious soundscapes, & live improvisational remixing of traditional Jamaican dub music that's at the forefront of today's independent, producer-fueled, beat & bass driven electronic music. Along with Noah, Tha Riddim Doktor, Subatomic Sound System co-founder, producer, & top rankin' NYC bass player, the team has revitalized the NY Dub scene.
Guess they caught Lee Perry's ear as well. Subatomic Sound System recently topped both reggae & electronic charts with their Super Ape Returns to Conquer album, a 21st century re-imagining of Perry's visionary 1976 album ( Lee 'Scratch' Perry & the Upsetters - Super Ape). Reminding us that it's "Zion's Blood". Lee fuckin' rules. Tell me all: "War ina Babylon" is fan-f*ing-tastic. I could post up the whole album here but this is a mix. But now that I mentioned it...stay tuned, dear listener.
Paolo Baldini does his part to represent the Italian Dub front. "Dub of a War" is hard-digital Dub with analog melodica. Beauty to mine ears, Jah. I've featured Baldini before as Alambic Conspiracy. Some of my favorite 21st Century Dub. Here he mixes it up totally digital & he is a wizard. I love his stuff.
Well, enough blah-blah-blah. Strap on those headphones or wedge your head between some humongous speakers & crank up this mix. You'll be elevated to new heights of Dubness, 21st Century style.
Saturday - Pachyman
Bristol Theme - Om Unit
Makumba Rock - Lee 'Scratch' Perry
Dub of War - Paolo Baldini meets Mellow Mood
Bring the Herb - Pachyman
War Zone - Sly & Robbie
Freedom - Art-X & the Ligerians
Jah Red Gold & Green - Disrupt
Here Come the Warm Dreads - Lee 'Scratch' Perry
333 House - Pachyman
W.A.R. in Dub - Ondubground
The I of the Storm / Selassie I Dub - Mad Professor meets Jah9
Our Father, Our King (Middle East Dub) - Subatomic Sound System
Goodhearted Dub - Scientist & Dubiterian
Babylon Will Fall - Pachyman
Dictionary - Sly & Robbie
Turn on a New Dub - Tu Shung Peng
Zion's Blood - Lee 'Scratch' Perry & Subatomic Sound System
Big Energy - Pachyman
One Dub - Ondubground
Dub Revolution - Mad Professor & Prince Fatty
Breakin' Down the Barriers (Repatriation Dub) - Subatomic Sound System
Sunset Sound - Pachyman
War Ina Babylon vs Black Vest Yard - Lee 'Scratch' Perry & Subatomic Sound System
Dub-Ble Agent - Sly & Robbie
Enjoy,
NØ
This sounds like exactly what I need right now. Drums and bass to clear the space between the earholes.
ReplyDeleteAnother share of yours that recaptures the greatness of the analog dub days is the series of Hi-Fidelity Dub Sessions. I have pointed a few folks toward those links on your blog.
Since blogging is such a 21st Century trip, the only other thing I can do to promote The Brotherhood of Dub aside from keeping 70s JA style in people's faces ("earholes")is to make folks aware of the continued Greatness of Dub.
ReplyDeleteHi-Fidelity Dub Sessions ushered in the 21st Century sounds & now some nearly twenty years later,I was simply musing on the State of Dub. Seems damn fine to these old ears.