50 Killer Dub Albums: From Proto-Dub to Second Wave
Photo of Linton Kwesi Johnson: ismocritico666, Feature photo: drumecho
By Paul Sullivan & Ben Rimmer
Dub emerged from a studios of Kingston, Jamaica in a 60s as well as went upon to turn a single of a 20th centurys many successful song genres in both form as well as function. Its thread can be discerned in a furious number of song styles, from hip hop, disco, drum & bass, trip hop, dubstep as well as more. And lets not forget without dub, we wouldnt have a remix!In tribute, weve collected together 50 torpedo dub albums. Many of them have been seminal, proto-dub records by JA originators similar to Lee Perry, King Tubby, Prince Jammy as well as others, though weve also included a little classics plucked from a dub diaspora a second call of dub song which emerged in a UK with pioneers similar to Adrian Sherwood (On U Sound), Jah Shaka, Linton Kwesi Johnson as well as Mad Professor, up to complicated electronica/glitch-dub practitioners similar to Berlins Stefan Betke (Pole) as well as Burnt Friedman.
Its not a decisive list, usually a bunch of our personal recommendations. We hope we enjoy them.The Upsetters Super Ape (Island, 1976)The many appropriate of all Lee Scratch Perrys Ape/Kung Fu desirous albums. Each riddim is comprehensive classical Perry as well as has been bitten by lots of alternative reggae artists.
Super Ape in A Good Shape from Super Ape:
The dub chronicle of Horace Andys pleasing In a Light manuscript was created by Prince Jammy. The mix of Andys distinctive high effort over soundscapes put together by Jammy, Leroy Sibbles, as well as Augustus Pablo is usually sublime.
Kode9 & Spaceape Memories of a Future (Hyperdub, 2006)Dubstep writer Kode9 (owner of a much lauded Hyperdub label) teams up with menacing vocalist The Spaceape (aka Massive Attacks Dad! dy G) to unleash a shuddering bass-heavy vision.
Tappa Zukie In Dub (Blood & Fire reissue, 1995)Tappa Zukie released multiform albums of punk-influenced roots reggae prior to concentrating upon prolongation work. This 1979 manuscript is a classical British release, featuring Sly as well as Robbie personification underneath Zukies versatile vocalising.
Lee Scratch Perry & The Upsetters Blackboard Jungle (Upsetter, 1973)Zany genius all a approach through, from a bonkers Black Panta to a minatory Drum Rock. Full of implausible surprises.
Mad Professor Dub Me Crazy (Ariwa, 1982)The initial as well as perhaps many appropriate of a Dub Me Crazy array from a personality of a 80s UK dub movement. The brand new digital receptive to advice as well as expanded layers of receptive to advice have been usually incredible.
Lee Perry & Mad Professor Black Ark Experryments (Ariwa, 1995)Mad Prof as well as Perry did multiform albums together though this a single stands out. Spaced out, digital dub masterpieces featuring Perry upon fine, rambling form.
Heads of Government from Black Ark Experryments:
You may recognise this song from Don Letts (of The Clash fame) film Punk Rock Movie. Produced by Errol Thompson rsther than than Joe Gibbs, yes, though its strong Mighty all a same.
Prince Jammy Kamikaze Dub (Trojan, 1979)Stuffed full of Kingstons many important musicians, a dubs here were cut during Channel One prior to being churned by Prince Jammy during King Tubbys studio. Boom!
Burnt Friedman & The Nu Dub Players Just Landed (~scape, 2000)Cologne-based musician/producer Burnt Friedmann teams up with New Zealand allies a Nu Dub Players to create a fun, diverse as well as impressive digi dub album.
Yabby U King Tubbys Prophecy of Dub (Blood & Fire, 1976)King Tubby puts 14 Yabby U cuts Conquering Lion, Jah Vengeance as well as Rock Vibrat! ion thr ough a dub mangle.
Herman Chin Loy Aquarius Dub (Aquarius, 1973)One of a initial ever dub recordings. Includes Jah Jah Dub (1), which preceded a some-more important King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown version.
Jah Rock from Aquarius Dub:
Arguably a single of a many successful UK dub albums this partnership in between dub writer Lintn Kwesi Johnson as well as Dennis Bovell facilities heavyweight smashes similar to Victorious Dub as well as a appositely titled Brain Smashing Dub.
Lee Perry Upsetter In Dub (Heartbeat, 1997)An glorious collection of late Randys as well as early Black Ark dub versions which includes a previously unreleased mix of a Congos classical Solid Foundation as well as rare dub mixes of Junior Murvins Roots Train as well as Max Romeos War in a Babylon.
Solid Foundation from Upsetter in Dub:
Heavy dub cuts of important songs from a Freedom Sounds label, featuring artists similar to Prince Alla, Rod Taylor, Earl Zero as well as more. A must.
Augustus Pablo King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown (Shanachie, 1976)Regarded by many as a single of a biggest dub albums of all time interjection to a status of a particular talents concerned as well as a subtle mood shifts as well as formidable playing. Two true dub legends Augustus Pablo as well as King Tubby combine upon this mythical record.
Lee Perry Revolution Dub (Lagoon, 1975)This concise take upon dub from a master is super-stripped down though simply facilities a little of a many appropriate work he ever did.
Keith Hudson Pick a Dub (Klik/ Atra, 1974)One of a beginning purveyors of dub, Hudsons worldly as well as rhythmic character eschews receptive to advice effects. Here a drum as well as drum rhythms propelled by a Wailers stroke section collide with spectral vocals from Horace Andy, Big Youth as well as Hudson.
Satia from Pick a Du! b:
Massive Attack v. Mad Professor No Protection (Circa / Virgin, 1995)
The dub remix of Massive Attacks second manuscript Protection could have been some-more irritable though still stands tall as an example of dubs energy to refract alternative song genres.
King Tubby as well as Friends Dub Like Dirt (1975-77) (Blood & Fire, 1994)16 dubs from a vaults of veteran writer Bunny Striker Lee, churned by a likes of King Tubby as well as Prince Jammy as well as featuring musicians similar to Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare as well as Jackie Mittoo. Beautiful.
The Congos Heart of a Congos (Black Art, 1977)This is a usually partnership in between Lee Perry as well as The Congos, though what an implausible album. Perrys darkest prolongation nonetheless suited to a Congos spiritual / biblical imagery. A deep as well as fulfilling journey.
Open up a Gate from Heart of a Congos:
The riddims for this were recorded during Channel One as well as churned by Scientist during King Tubbys studio. Several marks from a manuscript were featured in a soundtrack to a renouned video diversion Grand Theft Auto III.
Augustus Pablo East of a River Nile (Message / Shanachie, 1977)One of a highlights of Pablos endless catalog, East of a River Nile is an all time classical from a master of a melodica.
African Head Charge My Life in a Hole in a Ground (On-U Sound, 1981)With a pretension desirous by Brian Eno as well as David Byrnes My Life in a Bush of Ghosts, this is a single of AHCs some-more initial as well as unusual takes upon dub. Unique as well as worth checking.
Creation Rebel Dub from Creation (Hitrun, 1977)This 1977 recording was Adrians Sherwoods initial production. Mixed by Dennis Bovell it facilities nascent examples of a massively successful On-U Sound vision.
Aswad A New Chapter Of Dub (Island, 1982)This recover was a single of a initial UK Dub releases to h! ave use of tape as well as digital relate upon a horn section as well as a predecessor of a subsequent explosion of electronic dub.
Prince Far we Voice of Thunder (Trojan, 1981)Perfect pretension for Michael James Williams (Prince Far Is) booming, gravelly vocals, which have been churned with hypnotic, fathoms-deep basslines.
Hold a Fort from Voice of Thunder:
An misconception for outspoken organisation Black Uhuru, these ten riddims, laid down by Sly & Robbie for assorted Black Uhuru albums, were churned to soundness by Paul Groucho Smykle.
Phase Selector Sound Disassemble Dub (ROIR, 1999)Phase Selector Sound have been dual former punks who create a singular dub receptive to advice which spans a classical as well as a modern. A debate de force.
Jah Shaka meets Mad Professor At Ariwa Sounds (Ariwa, 1984)This manuscript is testament to South Londons mythological Ariwa Studios. It facilities 5 dubs from Mad Professor as well as 5 from Jah Shaka.
U-Roy Dread in a Babylon (Virgin, 1975)U-Roys Dread in Babylon s individualist vocalisations as well as symphonic reggae-style wanderings have it an essential proto-rap record.
Scientist Dub in a Roots Tradition (Blood as well as Fire)Producer Don Mais enlists a talents of a then-17-year aged Scientist to mix a dub versions for his Roots Tradition labels B-sides. Its a fascinating insight into a young dub maestros early efforts as well as contains a little proto-dancehall riddims too.
Dub Bible from Dub in a Roots Tradition:
King Tubby meets a (re-formed) Skatalites via Lee Perry with a further of musicians similar to Augustus Pablo, Ras Michael, as well as Earl Chinna Smith with mesmerizing results.
Twilight Circus In Dub Volume 1 (M Records, 1995)Multi-instrumentalist Ryan Moore who played drum for a Legendary Pink Dots deploys a radical take upon a Tubby/Perry pla! ns with this entrance all slimey basslines as well as deep, pulsating textures as well as no electronics.
Linton Kwesi Johnson Forces Of Victory (Mango, 1989)Forces of Victory was a jot down which confirmed LKJ as a major talent. Produced by Dennis Bovell its a relentlessly dramatic as well as heated jot down as well as all a some-more memorable for it.
Want Fi Goh Rave from Forces of Victory:
This Bill Laswell plan involves Sly Dunbar upon drums (programmed), Gabe Katz (bass) as well as DJ Spooky upon scratches. Sparse as well as deep with ghosts of voices as well as electronic bleeps it has a modern, meditative vibe.
Pole 2 (Kiff SM/PIAS/Matador, 1999)Stefan Betkes follow-up to his crackly minimalist 1 is melodically as well as rhythmically engaging, floating through tingling static as well as vinyl pops. A excellent introduction to glitch-dub.
King Tubby Dub From The Roots (Moll Selekta, 2003)This reissue facilities dual of King Tubbys beginning as well as many successful albums Dub From a Roots as well as The Roots of Dub. Both constructed by Bunny Lee, as well as both feature great blending work by a King.
Roots of Dub from The Roots of Dub:
Originally a singular 1979 pressing a lovely fluidity of Far Is music, as delivered by his drum genius Flabba Holt, is here rendered with machine-like pointing by Style Scott upon drums. This drum as well as drum assembly laid a foundation for definitive80s reggae organisation Roots Radics.
Lee Perry & The Upsetters Sound System Scratch (Pressure Sounds, 2010)The mythical Lee Perry Holy Grail. 20 dubs from his mid-70s rise which were usually ever pulpy in little one-off white tag specials for a Kingston soundsystems. An essential hour.
Rhythm as well as Sound See Mi Yah (Burial Mix, 2005)Berlin based writer team Mark Ernestus as well as Moritz von Oswald have confirmed a serious dub e! thic und erneath their R&S moniker as well as elsewhere. Tikiman, Rod Of Iron, Jah Cotton as well as Sugar Minott all deliver glorious vocals over a See Mi Yah rhythm.
See Mi Yah Riddim Mix:
Originally released upon Londons Grove song in 1977, this facilities a little pithy dubs, created to sentinel off a threat of Obeah magic. Get lost in marks similar to Judgement time Amlak as well as Pick a beam.
Michael Campbell African Anthem Dubwise (Cruise, 1979)Mikey Dreads groundbreaking magnum opus was churned during Tubbys college of song as well as comes drenched in glorious receptive to advice effects.
Kit Clayton Nek Salanet (Scape, 1999)Claytons initial full-length for Stefan Betkes (aka Pole) Scape tag is a magnum opus of initial dub. Drawing upon a work of Berlins Basic Channel as well as Chain Reaction crews this is dubbed out, nude down electronic dub during its best.
Lee Perry Black Ark In Dub (Lagoon, 1991)Up to one side Perrys many appropriate work this heavy dub set is full of dark as well as formidable masterpieces. The Black Ark college of song hosted Aisha Morrison dubbing his harsh creations. Scratch was approach ahead of his time.
G Corp Dub Plates From The Elephant House (Different Drummer, 1999)Dense, thick grooves full of reverb as well as churned with breaks as well as jazz from a Groove Corporation. Covers all a a dub plates.
Rock Steady from Dub Plates From a Elephant House:
Niney is a writer here, with we Roy, Big Youth, Dillinger as well as Trinity featured as toasters. A slick manuscript full of implausible grooves as well as amazing outspoken performances.
Various Raiders Of The Lost Dub (Island/Mango, 1981)Bubbling dubs from producers Sly & Robbie of renouned reggae tunes from vital artists together with Black Uhuru, Burning Spear, Wailing Souls. The outspoken mixes of a tunes! upon th is manuscript in their original form have been available upon Island Records.
Disrupt (2) Foundation Bit (Werk Discs, 2007)Disrupter Jan Gleichmars elementary though shining digidub prophesy is presented beautifully here. A teenager classic.
Forward The Bass Dub From Randys 1972-1975 (Blood&Fire, 1998)Randys Studio seventeen was often used by Perry prior to Black Ark though is often forgotten. Chins son Clive constructed these subtler than usual 70s dubs, where musicianship reigns over effects.
From Forward a Bass Dub From Randys:
Paul is now essay a book about a Dub Diaspora for Reaktion.
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