Dub, as one of Jamaican sound nexus, is indeed a part of music and culture from Jamaica that still grows in various parts of the world.
Dub began as a journey of exploration as well as a natural efforts to keep the music interesting in Jamaica in the 1960s. Osbourne Ruddock, or better known as King Tubby ignited the flames of this dub. Lee “Scratch” Perry, the living legend, also has a big role in this nexus of Jamaican sound.
Lots of formulas in dub transforms it to become one of the diverse types of music. Various musicians around the world are involved to bring their own works with many musical infusions with dub. From the live mixing with heavy use of the modulation and ambience effects consoles such as delay, echo and reverb, until now, with various digital audio workstations to support music production, dub is increasingly spreading with all its diversity. Likewise with the musical ideas, from a low tempo, to fast pace tunes with the power to make people dance. The evolution of music in dub is something that certainly comes from this natural dialectic.
Here is a little note from kultur about dub. A journey from one of Jamaican music nucleus which is now spreading and becoming the world’s cultural identity. A collection of dub tracks for this edition.
(Text: Keyko, Editor & Translation:Sam)
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1. Augustus Pablo - “Java”
Horace Swaby, better known as Augustus Pablo, greatly influenced the development of dub music through his mystical melody. He invented the foundation of the "Far East" melody progression. Phenomenal and historical song from a legend. With his melodica.
2. The Revolutionaries - “Kunta Kinte Dub”
The Revolutionaries are a Jamaican band formed in the legendary studio, Channel One. A number of qualified line-ups have inhabited this group, from the likes of Sly Dunbar, Bertram McLean, Robbie Shakespeare, Tommy Cook, Vin Gordon and others. They have created more than 10 dub albums, and “Kunta Kinte Dub” is the most recognizable song of all time.
3. Mad Professor - “Jail House Dub”
Neil Joseph Stephen Fraser is the real name of the famous sound engineer Mad Professor. This Guyana-born artits, is known as one of the second generation in the world of dub music, which began his journey since 1979. He has a very long list of discography for more than two decades of his dedication in dub music. The single “Jail House Dub” is one of the highlights from this maestro.
4. Asian Dub Foundation - “Stand Up”
This group was born in the 90's. They started as an interracial collective from England which later succeeded in injecting other colors into world dub music, also always carries high social awareness message thru their music. One of the other crucial elements in Jamaican music. The variety of modern beats from jungle and breakbeats combined with the local wisdom from Asia is their signature. A charm and a power indeed. “Stand Up” is a dubbiest song from the Asian Dub Foundation we can highlight.
5. Gentleman’s Dub Club ft. Gardna - “Night Shift”
This is one of the dub acts from England who loves to bring energetic compositions. With a production approach through various dubby effects and his british touch, Gardna brings another color to dub. We can trace this through the song "Night Shift" produced by Gentleman's Dub Club.
6. Mungo’s Hi Fi - “Time Traveller”
This sound system culture unit from Glasgow - Scotland is quite prolific in producing dub works that are wrapped in various elements. By continuing to inject various elements into the Jamaican music nexus, they are at the forefront of this path, and are widely recognized by the world's dub collectives around the world for the colors they bring. “Time Traveler”, the single from Mungo's Hi Fi's “Antidote” album, is one of the releases that contains a very thick dubwise formula.
7. O.B.F - “Asian Night”
O.B.F, a unit of sound system culture from France, is synonymous with steppers style who came with the thick bass lines in many of their repertoires. One of their powerful uniqueness can be heard in the song "Asian Night".
8. Paolo Baldini DubFiles, Imperial Sound Army & Dan I - “We Rasta”
Producer, sound engineer and a handy bass player from Italy, Paolo Baldini, is one of the most proficient acts because of his dub releases. His experimental touch through Alambic Conspiracy Studio, sounds like a work with an ear pleasure guarantee. “We Rasta,” a collaboration with his compatriots Imperial Sound Army and Dan I, is one of Paolo's releases that deserves our attention.
9. Iseo & Dodosound - “Arigato”
This charming duo from Spain is noted for their freshy kind of works in dub. One of their formulas is, the variety of the sound that they always infused in their tracks. “Arigato” is a single released by Iseo & Dodosound in June 2021 with the above formula.
10. GA-PI & Pinn Ball - “Pinn Ball Rockers”
From the Southeast Asia region, there’s one of Thailand's most famous producers and sound engineers, GA-PI. He is known as one of the preferred tandem for the charismatic figure in the world Jamaican sound scene, Prince Fatty. GA-PI has spread his musical touch to many musicians. “Pinn Ball Rockers”, is his latest release in collaboration with Pinn Ball, a musician who plays traditional Thai musical instruments. An infusion in dub music with a lot of variety.
11. Red-I ft. King Spade - “Sound System”
Red-I is one of the dub acts in the Southeast Asia region known with his dub steppers formula. This Manila - Philippines based producer, is synonymous with combining mystical nuances with a fine bassline. The song “Sound System”, his collaboration with MC from Cebu - Philippines, King Spade, is a powerful experimental work from Red-I.
12. Dubyouth - “Bomb Da Town”
From Indonesia, it seems that this dignified duo from Yogyakarta has succeeded in bringing together the repertoire of Jamaican sound through their dub release. By combining various beats, such as jungle, dancehall, breakbeat and so on, they have become a role model dub unit in this country. “Bomb Da Town” is Dubyouth's first work since 2005.
13. Anjing Dub - “Gembira”
Anjing Dub, a dub act from Bandung, also gives a touch to the variety of dubs in the country. From the low to medium tempo beats and melodic composition and sultry vocals from Dnl FX & Terranova are one of the fresh and charming mixes from this duo. The single "Gembira" has become one of the notes they have written for Indonesian dub, a work that has received positive attention from the public.
14. Roadblock Dub Collective ft. Lady I - “Vibe Up”
This dub unit from Lampung city, is a duo who loves to bring unique patterns. As in the single "Vibe Up", a song they collaborated with a female soloist from the Philippines, Lady I, Roadblock Dub Collective nicely bringing a dub composition with a fairly thick funk’s infusion. The touch from Lampung Rebana’s tradition is another a special note in this song.
15. King Masmus x Magixriddim - “Vegan Vegetarian”
“Vegan Vegetarian” is a song that has caught the attention of dub aficionados in Indonesia. A collaboration between Magixriddim, a talented producer with a ska background, and fruitarian soloist, King Masmus. We put this track here because it also brings diversity to the dub in the country.
16. High Therapy - “Put Me To uR friENDlist”
This powerful duet of a drummer and bass player from the city of Tangerang is an example of the regeneration in Indonesian’s Jamaican music scene. High Therapy is noted for their bold effort to bring something fresh. They have succeeded in bringing dub in Indonesia to young people. The song “Put Me To uR friENDlist” is their narrative kind of work which adds color to the dub scene in this country.
17. Yella Sky Sound System ft. King I - “Inna Rub A Dub Style”
One of the sound system culture units from Jakarta, brings other colors to the dub in Indonesia. From rub a dub to steppers. One thing we noted was the touch of Yella Sky Sound System and King I through the song “Inna Rub A Dub Style”, a collaboration of this unit with an MC from Malaysia. A very solid rub a dub foundation.
18. Rub Of Rub - “Ruang Waktu”
This band from Bandung is also very interesting to watch. Rub Of Rub brings a unique formula in their composition. They could bring us into an atmosphere between the wisdom of modern dub a la skunk records and the ambience of a shoegaze. We put them in this note for a color these youths bring with their “Space Time”.
19. Radit Echoman ft. Conrad Good Vibration - “Underestimate Me”
Identical to the sweet melodies he often creates, this producer and soloist contributes another color to his dub releases in Indonesia. Radit Echoman, put them in the dubby kind of work he produced. This formula can be found in the song “Underestimate Me” which he collaborates with the charming soloist from the country, Conrad Good Vibration.
20. Baxlaxboy - “Mr. Deejay”
This dub act from the city of Cirebon, Baxlaxboy, brings a dub composition with joyful ambience in the style of Pantura sound. With the simple repetitive melodic and rhythm and his magic spell, he became one of a dancefloor rocker in this country. Public ranks him with high enthusiasm. His "Mr. Deejay” is something we could add in this note, as another colour of dub in Nusantara.
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