Quarterlifeparty

My post on Sugar Minott yesterday put me right back into my fascination with Dub, Reggae, Dance Hall, etc.  So i figured i would post on some of the albums/compilations i’ve gotten into over the past year or two of exploration of the genre. One thing i’ve found to be true when you mention Dub/Reggae to people is that it’s as polarizing as mentioning Disco.  Eye rolls more often than not ensue;  the over-saturation of bands like the Bee Gees and Bob Marley surely don’t help.

But like every popular genre, there are always corners of experimentation and general crazy cool shit happening once you dig a little deeper. For example, there seems to have been a recent explosion of “Space/italo Disco” within the indie dance scene, and this in itself is an example said “deep corner” of the genre:  taking the style of disco and manipulating the hell out of it until it’s a psychedelic dance, “what the hell is this” adventure (laser beams included).  I’m certainly no expert, but I would almost say that dub has a similar parallel within the reggae genre: taking reggae or any other songs, and re-constructing them into journeys filled with all kinds of crazy sounds, echo’s, effects, and psychedelic vibes.

Adding to the intrigue of Dub is the list of modern (and popular) bands that were said to be heavily influenced by the genre: The Clash, The Police, Beastie Boys, Gorillaz, No Doubt, Bad Brains, Radiohead,  to name a few. Anyways, i digress.

This is by no means a thorough list of “essentials”, more a list of compilations and albums i’ve enjoyed based on recommendations from friends and The Soundgarden record store (seriously, if you dig any of this, go in and ask them for more and they always have great recommendations).  Also, please feel free to add your contributions to the comments.  It’s a large world to delve into and any recommendations are always appreciated.

Jonny Greenwood – Jonny Greenwood Is The Controller

Lee Scratch Perry & the Upsetters – Black Panta (MP3)

Early in 2007, the same year In Rainbows came out, the radiohead guitarist spent some time exploring Trojan Records’ vaults, and put together this compilation of Reggae and Dub for the labels 40th anniversary.  If you saw Radiohead tour during Hail to the Thief you may have noticed their intro music being heavily Reggae.  This is as good a starting place as any, as it includes all different kind of styles of Reggae from various well known bands/producers.  As Jonny said in the liner notes:

Jamaican reggae is the style of music I always reach for when ranting to my friends about there being so many great recordings in the world, and how you could listen to one style of music exclusively for the rest of your life, and it all be great, and varied, and worth hearing.  So, explore this music.  This isn’t a ‘best of…’ by any means:  it’s just the surface, and if you hear a voice or style that you like, then you’ll find hours more of great recordings out there. Happy Digging!

Scientist – Scientist Rids The World of the Curse of the Evil Vampires

Scientist – Dance Of The Vampires (MP3)

While Scientist isn’t considered the godfather of dub (that’s usually reserved for the likes of King Tubby and Lee Scratch Perry), he is widely regarded as one of the most prominent in the genre, and this album is largely considered his most influential (and some say one of the more sampled albums of all-time).  Scientists albums always have some crazy theme: vampires, pac-man, world cup, etc.  which i find to not only create a general vibe to the albums, but also give it a touch of humor, even if not intentional.  When you hear crazy dubbed out guys yell “i waaaaaant BLOOD!!!!” you can’t help but laugh a bit.

sidenote: tracks from this album were actually used in the game Grand Theft Auto III but Scientist didn’t receive any royalties because in dub the main creator is usually the studio mixer, but the courts didn’t consider the mixer to be an author.

Jimmy Radway and the Fe Me Time All Stars – Dub I

Fe Me Time All Stars – Mother Liza

This was one of those great recommendations i spoke of that i got at The Soundgarden. Pressure Sounds unearthed this rare Dub gem, which was originally released as a single pressing in the mid 70′s, and re-mastered and re-released it in 2008.  It’s mainly instrumentals and comes with awesome liner notes telling the story about the difficulty putting it out as well as the lack of critical acclaim until much later.

“…one of the hardest dub albums ever released”  - Reggae The Rough Guide

The Clash – Super Black Market Clash

The Clash – Justice Tonight/Kick It Over (MP3)

Specifically the last song “Justice Tonight/Kick It Over” on this compilation of b-sides from The Clash.  This song was the original b-side on the 1980 12″ of “London Calling” (thanks wiki)  and shows some of the heavy dub the clash experimented with on their non-album recordings.  This is just as crazy as some of the above songs, and equally enjoyable.

Tags: , fe me time all stars , jimmy radway , jonny greenwood , lee scratch perry , scientist , the clash