Dub Echoes: Sonic Excursions In Dub And Beyond

Dub Echoes: Sonic Excursions in Dub and Beyond
Reviewed by Sadie O., 5/13/09
From classic roots Dub to modern Dubstep and Junglism, in honor of 40 year history of Dub, and the 20th anniversary of Dub pioneer King Tubby. Fortunately, it’s not put together chronologically or thematically, so you get to really feel the diversity – if you play it all the way through… Much of the newer stuff is from UK and Europe, since Jamaica seems determined to get its ass on BET and nothing else…
No FCCs detected – very few (recognizable) vocals. All tracks are really good, but I like 9, 15 and 17 best. Your mileage very well may differ…
1. 3:55 **downtempo bass-heavy skank with electronic squeeps, video game noises.
2. 3:58 **deep dub with bits of Jamaican vocals, tons of reverb. Switches riddim to a swingy jungle with lots of percussion.
3. 3:19 ***slow video game skank with “record” static. Sweet little tune, too. Resistance is futile! And anyway, all of your base is belong to us.
4. 4:19 **very slow dub skank with chimes and evocative sounds. Bits of pretty singing.
5. 4:26 **shazam! Slow, ultra-fuzzy grime. Video games noises, but EVIL video games.
6. 2:56 ***midtempo roots dub, quite jaunty after that last bit of horror show soundtrack! Lots of hand drum and bass.
7. 5:21 *throbs and emphatic electronics. Deep and perterbating spoken vocals. This guy’s VERY weird…
8. 3:37 ***squeebly little tune, then clicks and beats and crickets, all making a groovy little hip-wiggler riddim.
9. 5:16 ****cool midtempo crawl with lots of layers of sound, and bits of U-Roy’s philosophizing.
10. 3:33 ***roots dub skank with bits of vocals and lots of gunfire.
11. 5:34 ***pulses and throbs, very low-key. Turns into quite a cool song with vocal harmonies.
12. 6:25 **sparse riddim that builds quite slowly, pretty falsetto vocals.
13. 3:27 ***swingy midtempo bubble that builds slowly, bits of vocal chorus, thick minor-key roots dub.
14. 3:44 **swingy midtempo roots dub bubble with melodica.
15. 6:19 ****uptempo, rather Afro-jazzy groove with lots of original vocal harmonies. Nice stuff.
16. 5:03 ***slow, throbby, boopy skank, quite groovy.
17. 3:12 ****midtempo roots bubble with bits of backing vocals, great classic dub sound.