Modern Dub

I've been deeply into this sound, although I haven't kept myself up to date the last two years.

You'll probably get far more knowing answers soon from other Dissensians, since this is mainly a British phenomenon that I've only studied from afar, living here in Sweden... although that has never stopped me from writing about grime, so I don't know why I'm trying to be humble all of a sudden

I must say I'm surprised, I thought this was a big scene that you couldn't miss if you live in the UK and are into any kind of dub related music...

Recommended artists:
Bush Chemists are BIG, you must listen to the album "Light Up Your Spliff" which is very very heavy. But there are a lot of others... you should definitely check out Jah Warrior. And of course Vibronics. And Hydroponics! Pretty much everything on labels like Reggae On Top, and Jah Tubbys. More labels: Conscious Sounds (Bush Chemist's label more or less, if I'm correct) and Dubhead which has brought out a lot of good stuff but has the most ugly logotype EVER, that can really make you want to go listen to something else.

Others will probably say that The Disciples are essential listening too, but I'm not too much into them myself.

Jah Shaka is the foundation.

I used to own a few Dubhead releases from the 80s and maybe early 90s... and some conscious sounds compilations from the same time period... was into it for about 2 weeks, but the tracks wore off their charm very quickly, and this material did not have staying power for me.

would be interesting to see what they are doing now, 10+ years later.

I've been meaning to check the Burial Mix stuff (spun off from Basic Channel?). If anyone has suggestions for good starting points (there seems to be a mountain of it) I'd be keen to hear them

autonomicforthepeople said:

Burial Mix

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now you're talking. every Rhythm and Sound release has been quality, start anywhere - the self titled is all instrumental, With the Artists is all vocal, and the most recent one is single riddim with different vocalists.

http://basicchannel.com/

been meaning to get the Mainstreet compilation available on CD... but it's $19.00. anyone heard it? should I pull out my credit card and head straight for Amazon.com right now?

also, a while ago I caught wind that Sahko, home of Pan Sonic, is starting a sub-label focusing on dub-related projects, anyone know what is going on with this ?? ? ? ? ? ???? ?? ? ? ?? ? ?? ? ? ? ???? ? ?

An essential digi-dub record that came out last year was Ladyman aka Badawi's 'Viagra Opus.'
Absolutely original new dub business.

Also you can't go wrong with Twilight Circus Dub Soundsystem, though that's more in a roots style.

Pole and Kode 9 recently played on the same bill somewhere I believe. A b2b set from those two would be somethng to behold - loads of netherspace.

A technical question re: Burial Mix and related, does it tend to be in the same neighbourhood tempo-wise as dubstep (more or less)? Is there much consistency across tracks and artists?

just dubbish stuff
the scape label - pole's label consistently excellent and sadly overlooked .
rhythm and sound/burial mix (more house/techno speed)
false tuned
thomas brinkmanns max ernst label
vladislav delay's humme label.

autonomicforthepeople said:

I've been meaning to check the Burial Mix stuff (spun off from Basic Channel?). If anyone has suggestions for good starting points (there seems to be a mountain of it) I'd be keen to hear them

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There are - I think - two Burial Mix compilation CDs that cover most of output from the 10" releases...one CD of just the dubs and one 'with the artists'. I'd probably go for the artists version first, as many of the vocals are too good to miss out on. Personal favorites are probably the vocal version of 'King In My Empire' (feat. Cornel Campbell) and the dub of 'Never Tell' (which has this beautiful twisting bassline).

I love the Jah Warrior bass sound...whoever masters that stuff is a genuis. Manages to make even a shitty home stereo shake like a proper PA without actually damaging the cones.

One modern dub sound that I'd really love to hear more of is stuff like the IG Culture remix of Hughie Izachaar's 'Jungle Feva'. I've yet to come across anything that has (to my ears) such a perfect mix of dub and deep dance sounds.

kiwis have always been influenced by the jamaican experience more so on the polynesian tip but the effects have been readily assimilated into mainstream thought and music...

...hence the abundance of dub/reggae inspired bands and artists

must be something to do with all the good weed we grow and smoke...

here are a few noteworthies and current releases

dub conspiracy - http://www.smokecds.com/cd/38027
fat freddys drop - http://www.smokecds.com/cd/37865
dub combinations - http://www.smokecds.com/cd/30877

check around the whole site/section and others worth noting are...

Kora
Katchafire
International observer
Pitch black

enjoy and if you ever in NZ around the nu year check out

http://www.kaikourarootsfest.co.nz/

chur

autonomicforthepeople said:

A technical question re: Burial Mix and related, does it tend to be in the same neighbourhood tempo-wise as dubstep (more or less)? Is there much consistency across tracks and artists?

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FYI, the Burial Mix label releases are still by the artist Rhythm & Sound. Not sure why some are on Burial Mix and some on the Rhythm & Sound label. Ah well.

Anyway, to your question, the the first lot of releases, which were collected on CD as 'Showcase', were basically house tracks (in terms of tempo, drum patterns, basslines, etc.) so probably still too slow to fit dubstep speeds.

After that R&S seemed to slow right back, so heaps of the recent stuff might fit with dubstep if you think of dubstep as lingering around 70 rather than 140 bpm... Depends how you want to mix it, I spose.

If people want to check out a whole bunch of different takes on dub-based electronics, you could dig into the aforementioned ~scape labels 'Staedtizism' releases. They don't scream out as being essential or anything, but I somehow ended up buying all 4 and get sudden yearnings to hear tracks off each of them.

I'm not a huge fan of the more roots-emulating modern dub sounds. At least what I guess is called "digidub". I love the more erratic and shambollic sounds of the 70s dub records, plus the fact that they're actually not super heavy. Well, they're plenty huge on a PA, obviously, but not sorta stupefying.

HELL_SD said:

kiwis have always been influenced by the jamaican experience more so on the polynesian tip but the effects have been readily assimilated into mainstream thought and music...

...hence the abundance of dub/reggae inspired bands and artists

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Heh, I was gonna start into the Kiwi stuff too, but wasn't sure how much fitted with the artists already discussed.

One of the few NZ acts in this vein that I really fell for was Unitone Hifi. Much more electronic than most, and not in that shiney trancey direction that heaps of Kiwi electronic dub heads. They were released out of Germany, another country that seem to love reggae sounds as well. Check how they've embraced Fat Freddy's...

TrinityRoots maybe aren't so notable for their dub moments, but have some great choons, I reckon. Both versions of 'Egos' are awesome, first as a little skanking thing (with banjo, no less!!), second album as a sprawling monster jam. < spam alert > I did a remix of one of their tracks, which you can download here if you like.< /spam spam >

Funnily enough (you may well know this, HELL_SD) International Observer is Tom Bailey, the guy who fronted 80s pop act Thompson Twins. From memory his bandmate and partner was a Kiwi?

On a more psychedelic, asian/arabic influenced and live tip, I have to big up the French dub

High Tone Soundsystem is pretty brilliant.
also General Dub, Manutension

confucius said:

been meaning to get the Mainstreet compilation available on CD... but it's $19.00. anyone heard it? should I pull out my credit card and head straight for Amazon.com right now?

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If you have the 'Showcase' Rhythm & Sound CD then you've got a rough idea of what the Mainstreet comp is like. It goes more blatantly house than that, but three of the five vocal tracks have Paul St Hilaire (he who was known as Tikiman) on them.

I wouldn't consider it at all essential, but (redundant statement ahead) that comes down to taste.

yeah michael...

Rakai was part of international observer but I think the last album was a Tom solo effort and he has just moved back to the UK

Unitone hifi wass stinky jim who runs "roundtrip mars' the label international observer comes out on...

...trinity roots is no more cos some of the band have been assimilated into fat freddys and yeah likewise not really feeling the trancey dub stuff like pitch black or the nomad

we been making halfstep and fullstep stuff in a dubstep vein some of which you might like...

Yet another post.. before discogs.com really fired up I considered circonium.de to be a really good source of info about the Basic Channel affiliated labels and other German dub techno related labels.

http://www.circonium.de/music/index.html

Dubquixote said:

An essential digi-dub record that came out last year was Ladyman aka Badawi's 'Viagra Opus.'
Absolutely original new dub business.

Also you can't go wrong with Twilight Circus Dub Soundsystem, though that's more in a roots style.

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Viagra Opus has my curiosity aroused... Badawi is such an original artist. I've liked 5 out 6 things I've heard from him. the cover looks dodgey though... is the entire album quality?

Twilight / Ryan Moore has an amazing sound, perfect echo chambers... but compositionally and melodically he can be a lot mroe inventitve...

isn't it about time for another Staedtizism?

looking for the Sahko dub label, nothing but found this:

http://www.sahkorecordings.com/mix_tg_09112005.php

first track is a sombre dub-jazz thing...

ripley said:

On a more psychedelic, asian/arabic influenced and live tip, I have to big up the French dub

High Tone Soundsystem is pretty brilliant.
also General Dub, Manutension

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ripley, do you want to also bring in al Haca soundsystem at this point? they were unknown to me until you mentioned them this summer...