Various Artists - Dub Gone Crazy: The Evolution of Dub at King Tubby's (1995)[v0]


Happy November, y'all.
I've been listening to a whole lot of dub in relation to my thesis (remind me to talk about that sometime, it's pretty relevant to this blog), and then I realized that there's not nearly as much old-school Jamaican dub on this blog as there should be. So I'm taking matters into my own hands.

Dub music is quintessentially Jamaican, though the impact of the music was felt world-wide. During the 1960s and 1970s, mobile sound-systems were the primary places music was heard.
"King Tubby's Hometown Hi Fi" was one of these sound-systems.

Bobby Vicious: "Nothing compared to Tubby's. Tubby's was the legend, you know. And I"ve seen a lot of sound systems, man. Even today, with all the technology we have today, you still don't hear any sound system like Tubby's. They're big, and they're huge, and they're heavy, but nothin' compares to that sound Tubby had"

"The sound system context in turn influenced King Tubby's studio work: after witnessing the crowd's response in the dancehall, he would then elaborate upon these effects in the laboratory setting of his studio, and eventually use them to craft records", says Michael Veal in his vital book "Dub".

One thing that led to the success of his sound system was the pressing of special records--dub plates--that were popular reggae and ska singles, stripped down of vocals and spaced out with delay and reverb. These were used for MCs to toast over, talkin' shit about other sound systems, and getting the crowd hyped up and dancing. These dub-versions gave each sound system a unique sound, and Tubby's was know far and wide for being the best.

This album is a compilation of tracks made for and by King Tubby. Including a lot of work by his protégés Scientist, Philip Smart, and Prince Jammy, this is a great introduction to one of my favorite styles of music.

If people seem to be particularly into this one, I've got a ton of good Jamaican dub I'd love to throw up here.

4 Responses so far.

  1. Hell yes you should post that dub!
    This is one hell of a blog, I've gotten a lot of good sounds from here, but good dub is something that I don't have enough of.

  2. duif says:

    Good stuff! You wouldn't happend to have 'Dub Trilogy: A History of Dub' by any chance?

  3. Peeter says:

    Thanks! The cover notes are available at B&F:s site: http://www.bloodandfire.co.uk/album_detail.php?id=bafcd002
    More dub is alwasy welcome! And your thesis sounds interesting. Looking forward to updates.

  4. Will says:

    @duif: not finding it; unless this is what you mean:
    http://www.discogs.com/Various-A-History-Of-Dub-The-Golden-Age/release/506528
    I'll keep an eye out.

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