| Although I am not going to dive too deeply into an | | | | "Worries In The Dance" from Amazon or the Apple |
| explanation of dub, let me start with a simple definition. | | | | iTunes Store. |
| By dub, I mean the uniquely Jamaican style of remixing | | | | From the UK comes reggae super-group Aswad's |
| music in which the vocals are largely stripped out, | | | | foray into dub- A New Chapter Of Dub is actually dub |
| healthy measures of reverb and delay (echo) are | | | | versions of most of their 1981 CBS album New |
| applied to the drums (especially the hi-hats and snares) | | | | Chapter (clever eh?). This is not the later poppy |
| and rhythm and lead instruments, random sound | | | | Aswad sound that you know well from "On And On", |
| effects are introduced, and overall the song is made to | | | | "Fire" and "Don't Turn Around", rather this is their |
| sound like an outer-space Guiness and high-grade | | | | foundation deep-roots style that rumbled sub-sonically |
| influenced psychedelic interpretation where someone | | | | from Brixton basement flats in defiance of the National |
| accidentally turned the bass to +10. | | | | Front and Maggie's Farm (that of The Specials, not of |
| As an aside, Trinis and Eastern Caribbean folk use the | | | | Dylan). |
| term dub to refer to what we in Jamaica would call | | | | Mixed by Michael "Reuben" Campbell (not to be |
| dancehall... not sure how that got mixed up. | | | | confused with Michael "Mikey Dread" Campbell), this |
| So, without further ado... | | | | album explores much lusher musical soundscapes than |
| The Seducer Dub Wise (Hit Bound) 1982 | | | | the typical Jamaican dub album. The lead track, "Dub |
| What can one say about this record that isn't already | | | | Fire", is a subwoofer-destroying take on Aswad's |
| communicated by the album artwork? A Channel One | | | | "Love Fire", a track which also achieved popularity as |
| production featuring dub engineer extraordinaire | | | | the rhythm behind Dennis Brown's anthemic "Promised |
| Scientist (Hopeton Brown) reworking some | | | | Land" (if you like "Love Fire" you should also check out |
| extra-heavy Roots Radics tracks. The Seducer is a | | | | the live version on Aswad's Live And Direct album as |
| classic example of no-frills roots dub- emphasis on the | | | | well as the psuedo-dub version available on the |
| drum and bass, a short snappy delay on the snare, | | | | Countryman soundtrack as "Mosman Skank", and as |
| and teases of echoed-out snippets of the vocals and | | | | an additional N.B., the "Mosman" referred to in that title |
| rhythm guitar and keyboards. | | | | is actually the older dread who currently sells hubcaps |
| Standout tracks include "Bedtime Rock", a bass-heavy | | | | in Barbican Square in Kingston and also played a |
| inversion of Frankie Paul's "Worries In The Dance" (the | | | | character of the same name in Countryman). |
| original Channel One version, not the later ones), | | | | "Bammie Blow" takes the horn parts featured on the |
| "Midnight Special" (Frankie Paul's "Slave Driver" on the | | | | original track, "Didn't Know At The Time", and |
| "Darker Shade Of Black" riddim), "Rough Rider" | | | | showcases them on a steady drum and bass |
| (possibly Horace Andy) and "Mr. Special" (Don Angelo | | | | foundation, while "Zion I" takes a similar approach with |
| is the vocalist, but don't know the original track). | | | | the flute lead of "Zion" and adds a healthy dose of |
| Alas this album has not made it to the (legal) download | | | | dubbed-out vocals. Two other Aswad hits, "African |
| world yet, but you can still snap it up from Ernie B's | | | | Children" and "Natural Progression", are given more |
| Reggae, eBay or in your indie music store of choice. | | | | traditional dub mixes on "Ghetto In The Sky" and |
| You can, however, buy the standout original version of | | | | "Natural Progression". |