Juno Recommends Dub April 2020

Review: By the time they recorded "Songs of Praise" in 1990, African Head Charge had gone from being an Adrian Sherwood solo project to a fully-fledged band helmed by percussionist Bonjo Ivabinghi Noah. Here reissued to mark the album's 20th birthday, the set remains arguably the group's greatest single work. While rooted in the twin attractions of heavy dub and dense African percussion, the album makes extensive use of a dizzying array of influences, from gospel, steppers reggae and yacht rock, to traditional Arabic music, blues, disco, religious chants and even industrial music. This edition features a handful of decent bonus tracks, but they're unnecessary: the original album is little less than a masterpiece and should reside in every discerning listener's record collection.

Review: Originally released in 1975 and now successfully excavated by the good people at Horus, this stone cold roots cut by Star The Marshall is more than deserving of a reissue. It's a sparse and moody cut that gets brought into sharp relief with the version on the flip. It's here that the Rupie Edwards All Stars drop their stark skank over four minutes of head-nodding perfection - one to lose your head in the smoke to. But Star's vocal on the original cut is the perfect garnish to this killer riddim, freewheeling and ever-so-slightly spooky.

Review: Crown Dubplate have turned plenty of heads and rattled plenty of ribs with their first few tunes, and this third one keeps up that early head of steam. It sold out in quick time on the label's bandcamp so move fast to secure a slice of 7" power: Mighty Prophet comes correct with the warrior style leads and insistent swagger of the drums and bass, which mesh perfectly and will have you puffing out your chest and ready to go to war in no time. The dub on the flip slows things down a bit, and stutters in its step to make for a reflective vibe that is less confrontational but no less excellent.

Review: Mysterious Canadian dub abstractionists Seekersinternational will always keep you guessing - such is their provocative charm whether stirring up trouble on Bokeh Versions, Boomarm Nation or ICS Library. Now they make a welcome surprise drop on Max D's Future Times label, and sound right at home amongst the label's penchant for bizarro genre-agnostic mutations. There's soul, audacious sound design and luscious synths aplenty - all hallmarks of other FT releases. Of course there's a strong bedrock of Jamaican music culture informing everything, but once again the crew have delivered something distinct from their previous work. No one does it quite like Seekers, not even Seekers themselves.

Review: Swiss roots reggae label Fruits has been on fire of late, consistently offering up seven-inch singles that combine quality "riddims" with smoky, soulful vocals. They're at it again here, too, with an attractive single that sees ex Raging Fyah lead singer Kumar add his smooth, soulful lilt to a sunny, melodious and weighty backing track provided by The 18th Parallel. Their musical contribution is given the dub-wise "version" treatment on side B by Jamaica-based mixer Gregory Morris. He does a terrific job in ratcheting up the delay and reverb, wrapping echoing snippets of Kumar's vocal and sweet synth melodies around an extra-heavy re-arrangement of the band's backing track.

Review: The Vibronics are a cult reggae collective who have played an important part on the evolution of the sound over the years, and now their Dub Cupboard Studio in Leicester serves up more goodness. Nia Songbird opens with "Hard Living", an upbeat and catchy dub with shimmering metallic vibes and plenty of catchy vocal work for big dance crowds, while the flipside dub is a much more heads down and serious viber. Madu Messenger then steps up for the empowering "Never Lie Down", a straight dub that is unrelenting in its futuristic dub loops. "Never Lie Dub" on the reverse closes out with slick studio effects and flabby bottom ends.

Review: Culture Dub continue to celebrate 20 years of big tunes with this latest 12". The A side houses UK dub outfit Vibronics who serves up a cut imbued with the spirit of proper sound systems in 2 parts. Part 1 is all shiny chords and swaggering bottom end, while the second is darker and drenched in more reverb before reggae and dub sound system crew O.B.F add a "Deep & Spiritual" touch to their remix. High Tone oversees the B side and brings his French dub touch via "Dub Culture" before handing over the reins to Zion Train who brings plenty of weight to his remix.

Review: Belgian producer Crucial Alphonso is next to team up with the good folk at Dub Up. The Roots Resolute Records label head has been cooking up his own riddims for years now. "High Meditation" is a rough and tough tune with clean chords and crisp percussion. Kenny Knots serves up a deeply soothing vocal over it all before passing it over to Alphonso whose beat work is laid bare on the dub. It's a driving, drilling tune with sci-fi effects and long tails of reverb that melt the mind.

Review: The annual Riddim and Dub series from Ariwa serves up another essential volume. This time once more, all tracks were recorded on the Studer A800 2-inch 24 track via a customized SSL 4000. There are bottomless dubs to sink right into next to more upbeat steppers, all with that roomy feel and lived-in analogue aesthetic. "Well Done" is detailed with subtle horns that drift like wispy clouds, while "Motherland Calling" has tumbling toms that ripple forever. "Theme From Maghreb" is a real fat bottomed wobbler while "Running Around" is silkier and funkier thans to the nicely vamping chords.

Review: The latest missive on Mad Professor's long-running Ariwa Sounds imprint comes courtesy of Dubheart, a seven-piece roots reggae band who have already self-released a number of rock solid albums. It's something of a collaborative affair, with the South West-based outfit recording - and re-recording - a swathe of their own riddims and those from classic Ariwa cuts with the help of producer Mad Professor and his sons Joe and Kamal. The result is a fresh dub album with a classic Ariwa feel - think bold, sub-heavy basslines, echoing keyboard parts, delay-laden percussion hits and guitar parts that drift back and forth across the soundspace. If you're a fan of Mad Professor's work - and let's face it, who isn't - you'll love it.

Review: J:Kenzo's Lion Charge label is a surefire authority in the realm of contemporary roots-minded dubstep, and so it goes with this new bombshell from Bukkha and Dubbing Sun. "Beat Sound" is a massive stepper with a malevolent bassline to get totally consumed by, embellished by Teacha Dee toasting and singing perfectly over the top. It's the first 12" from Lion Charge this year, and sets them off in the kind of heavyweight dread direction that will hopefully give rise to more of these devastatingly effective soundsystem smashers. The true spirit of dubstep is alive and well in records like this, where the legacy of Jamaican music can be felt pulsating across the frequency range.