King Tubby Presents: Niney the Observer - Dubbing with the Observer (Attack, 1975 / Greensleeves, 2014)

If you're like me, every time there is an Osbourne Rudduck reissue, your reaction is "yeah yeah yada yada, more of the same". Well, give this one a shot. It's a nice mix of all the nuances that make his work so important. There are many moods and tempos represented here.

Originally released on the Attack label in England in 1975, and reissued by Greensleeves a few months back, this stand-alone dub album features heavy and stark one-drop rhythms as well as some bouncy Bunny Lee. Most of the tracks are from songs by Dennis Brown. This is a fun one. Atonal dissonance in parts, some really uptempo joints and even a killer tom-based funk jam. It's quite refreshing. This is definitely going to be a staple of my summer repertoire.

BASS: Fully Fullwood, Flabba Holt,Familyman Barrett
DRUMS: Santa Davis, Carlton Barrett
GUITAR: Chinna Smith, Tony Smith, Bingy Bunny
LEAD GUITAR: Hux Brown
KEYBOARDS: Keith Sterling, Gladdy Anderson
HORNS: Bobby Ellis, Tommy McCook, Vin Gordon
PERCUSSION: Skully Production for Niney The Observer - Dubbing With The Observer
PRODUCED BY: Niney
RECORDED AT: Dynamic, Channel One, Federal, Randys, Joe Gibbs, Harry J
MIXED BY: King Tubby

HTRK - Psychic 9-5 Club (Ghostly International, 2014)

So I'm a longtime fan of this band. I adore them. I can't praise them enough except to say that their new record exceeds my expectations. The aesthetic hasn't changed much but the drum programming and overall recording techniques have drastically improved. This is a seductive, sensual, and gnarly record of bass, synth, guitar and beats, mixed with equal parts heartache and longing. I absolutely love it.

You can read my review of a previous album as well as my in depth description of them HERE  and stream a playlist of this record here:

R.I.P. Wayne Smith

Recently I've been obsessed with Reggae that was produced at the beginning of the digital age. Enamored with those Casio beats, I've been researching many different riddims. In 1984, while working with King Jammy, Wayne Smith stumbled across a pattern in a Casio MT-40 home keyboard. In their capable hands, the pattern became 'Under Mi Sleng Teng', and wasa huge hit across Jamaican soundsystems, thus launching the digital dancehall revolution.

Today, Wayne Smith has passed away. His manipulation of the artistic 'accident' will not be forgotten. I can't get enough of it. This late 80's sound just continues to blow my mind. For the unfamiliar, I've cited some examples below:





Here's a latter version of the riddim by Cocoa Tea that happens to be my favorite:



And a killer 45 / 12" dj mix of digital riddims recently performed by Raime:

We Like Cats - Proper Eats (Marriage, 2010)

Winter got you down? Need a little pick me up? Maybe some dub music for cats will soothe you. Yes, a record of dub entirely dedicated to and about cats. The most ridiculous part of this is the artists who made it. It's the brainchild of the Kranky Records hazy blazey dance droner Adam Forkner (White Rainbow, All things pizza-related), alongside the lovely Honey Owens (Valet) and Eva Salens (Inca Ore).

I'm not gonna lie...its not good. Generic tape delay, misplaced samples of air horns, random samples of some guy saying "rastafari", and off kilter edits... ok, yeah, its just bad, but guaranteed to make you laugh. With lyrics like "I like cats that can slam dunk" and song titles like "Ruff-a-lution Dub", it's no doubt tongue in cheek. Plus, it bombed.

I applaud you if you can make it through the whole recording. This is not purrfect dub but I enjoy the fact that they got high enough to sit around and jam on this. Then they thought it was an even better idea to let others hear it. Wow.

HTRK - Work (Ghostly International, 2011)

One of my favorite musical scenes was created by the Mancunian crew of the 90's in Bristol UK. "The Wild Bunch", consisting most importantly of Massive Attack and Tricky, were highly influential with their groovy 80 bpm breaks and blunted rock meets dub aesthetic. Tricky took things down an increasingly darker path with his albums 'Maxinquaye' and one of my favorite albums, 'Pre-Millenium Tension'. The vibe is so spliffed on the latter that paranoia gets the best of the protagonist. Hallucinations or even actual acts of aggression and fear ensue, charting territory that, given his particular musical production, was unparalleled in pitch black narrative.

HTRK is similar to Tricky in many ways. Their delivery system just happens to be narcotic in nature. The dub basslines are there, backed by tastefully subtle 808 beats, various synthesizers and swirling ambient guitar. The concept is an original pastiche of Lynchian imagery, proto-punk and post-industrial.

The now duo (bassist Sean Stewart having committed suicide in 2010), intentionally blur all lines. Jonnine Standish's vocals are subdued, to the point of lyrical irrelevance (which I admire). The music itself is an existential road to nowhere. There aren't even really songs, merely moods of doubt and doom, sensually shared by a deceptively charming junkie siren.

To be quite frank, albums don't matter here. Any place is a good place to start. Again, its all a seductive coldwave psychosis. I'd gladly follow her down into the sea.

Sun Araw - Ancient Romans Drag City / Sun Ark, 2011)

So I'm having this dream. I eventually reach that desirable lucid state only to find myself wondering "Is this primordial ooze or bongwater or a cocktail of both?" I'm not sure what Cameron Stallones is going for with this project but he's light years further into the cosmos than any of his fellow travellers. The undulating organs, warbly keyboards and noodly guitars are only bested by the far out vocal tracks and dubby bass. Much of this record feels like the middle of a wormhole. I say middle because it feels like you're warping but you have no idea if its forward or back. Listening to Sun Araw feels like being deep underwater and losing track of which way is up only to discover that it doesn't frighten you.

Alice and John Coltrane didn't die, they just started working for SETI.

Get it Here

Scientist - Dub Landing (Starlight, 1981)

Scientist is the protege of King Tubby and this is the last great dub album of its classical period. Soon after, computer-aided music and dancehall dub killed analog. This album truly showcases his masterful skills of deconstruction and reconstruction.

Recorded at Channel One, mixed by Scientist, produced by Linval Thompson and performed by a band to die for, this is a tasty classic.

Get Some Deep Dub

Or:

Forest Swords - Dagger Paths (2010, Olde English Spelling Bee)

Matthew Barnes lives and works in the Wooded and coastal environment of Wirral, just outside of Liverpool, UK. This makes for an interesting canvas as he creates organic pastoral landscapes meshed with grooves inspired by the nearby urban backdrop. His minimal R’n’B influenced beats and psychedelic dub pastiche meld with ghostly melodies from guitar reverb and scattered samples.

This is a phenomenal album that fits alongside Burial, Demdike Stare and Shackleton but one that also pairs with Eno, Morricone, Mogwai or Fennesz. There's even an Aaliyah cover. Keep your eye on this kid.

Get It Here

Or:

Muslimgauze - Return of Black September (1996, Ars Nova / Staalplat)

Manchester born Bryn Jones is my favorite electronic producer of the 90's. He quickly carved a niche for himself with a cerebral brand of Dub, Minimal and Electro beats that were awash with heavy Drone. Each piece also included samples from Middle Eastern sourced audio.

Jones music was sympathetic to the P.L.O. and much of the album art contained generally militant Islamic imagery. Recordings had titles such as Hamas Arc, Azzazin, Gun Aramaic, Fatah Guerilla and Zuriff Moussa. Also of note is that it seems as if his music was actually its own entity. Jones never visited the Middle East nor did he speak indepth on the topic.

His tragic death in 1999 was untimely but kept him from inevitably being targeted and harassed by U.S. authorities post-9/11.

Return of Black September is his piece de resistance in a most prolific body of work that included a library of over one hundred albums. September is also his most beautiful achievement. One hour long track begins with dark experimental ambient textures, becomes dotted with Middle Eastern audio samples and builds into a tense wall of Tribal, Industrial and Eastern percussion. The result is a vivid trip through the desolate landscapes of an endless warzone.

Muslimgauze material is like nothing else. An impressive catalog of some of the best, most intellectually and emotionally profound electronic music ever made.

Also tacked on the end is a very creepy extended remix of Gun Aramaic's "Opiate and Mullah".

Get It Here

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