A choice selection of records that have graced the Dubwise Vinyl shelves over the last month.
Denise Ogbeide | Resist 12"
Released on John Rubie's London based reggae label Virgo Stomach in 1994 this is one of those records that feels important not only because of the quality of music it contains but also as a historical document that captures a specific musical and cultural moment when things were a bit of a cross roads, which are always the kind or records I personally find particularly interesting.
It feels like a classic London melting pot record that absorbs influences from several different sources - reggae, soul, hip hop and the early 90's dance scene. The result is a sound that sits somewhere in the realms of what Soul II Soul were producing (and in fact it feels like it would have been a perfect fit for their Funki Dreds label in that it is indeed both funky and dread) but I would say it has heavier reggae influences than a lot of their output. The super heavy bassline for example is pure dub and really puts it in a league of its own. Denise's beautifully soulful vocals also capture the resistance and defiance of roots reggae and these reggae and dub influences bring it closer to the Bristol sound that Smith & Mighty and Massive Attack were also pioneering at the time.
Copies of the original press 12" available here.
Aisha | The Creator 12" & 7"
Pure magic from Mad Professor's Ariwa label here. Aisha's majestic The Creator as sampled by The Orb on their epic Blue Room (and a few other dance records over the years) gets the reissue treatment in both 7" and 12" formats both of which include the vocal and dub versions in slightly different mixes.
Elijah Minnelli | Gradually 7"
Elijah Minnelli's debut on the ZamZam Sounds label is a link up that makes total sense. "Gradually" is also a bit of landmark release representing Elijah's first proper full vocal track, taking his sound in interesting new directions both musically and in terms of adding new narrative elements to it.
And off course, as you would expect, there is a killer dub on the flip that represents Elijah's unique take on the steppers sound which he deftly combines with his trademark outernational influences. Another record that's in a league of its own from one of the most exciting producers currently pushing the dubwise sound into previously unchartered territories. Also well worth checking this video taken from a performance at Cafe Oto earlier this year which showcases Elijah's live dubbing skills in action.
Copies of the 7" available here.
Prince Fatty | Expansions 7"
Reggae version of Lonnie Liston Smith's Expansions? Yes please!
Prince Fatty does the honours here bringing his very welcome and expertly executed version of the Lonnie Liston Smith's psychedelic soul classic with Shniece on vocals proclaiming a message of peace and harmony that seems more relevant right now than ever.
As you'd expect with Mr Fatty at the controls there's also a superb dub on the flip which would have felt right at home in that Balearic Dubwise mix I did a few months back when the sun was still shining.
Copies of the 7" available here.
Om Unit | Acid Dub Versions II LP
The latest instalment in Om Unit's ever evolving and ever fruitful exploration into the happy musical marriage between the acid 303 squiggle and the dub bassline. Here he invites an enviable line up of the finest cutting edge electronic producers to, in true dub fashion, reversion tracks selected from the first two volumes of his excellent Acid Dub Studies LPs.
Helpfully delivered in an uncluttered and lovely sounding fashion across two slabs of vinyl each of the ten tracks included here represent a different vision for the acid dub concept as re-imagined by each of the selected remixers. The result is a beautifully diverse album of dub informed electronic music that ranges from dancefloor bangers to full on horizontal ambience.
Special mention should also be given to the welcome appearance of Tubby's 80's digi killer Tempo rhythm that forms the basis of three tracks here, not only creating a direct link back to the original dub master himself but also continuing the long standing tradition in reggae and dub to recycle and reinterpret rhythms. In this case we have an 80's rhythm from Tubby that's been reinterpreted in an acid dub style by Om Unit 40 years later which has then, in turn, gone on to be transformed once again on this record into something new and wondrous by three new producers. Which is kind of amazing when you think about it.
Copies of the LP available here.
Deep Fried Dub & Italiks | Crown 7"
Great collaboration here between Italiks and Deep Fried Dub on Dubmission Records. Deep, deep vibes on the vocal cut that delivers an interesting twist on the classic roots sound that's both melancholy yet soulful.
You also really have to check the dub on this one which is a bit of a masterpiece combining some supremely heavy bass with haunting melodica and snippets of the vocal. A proper deep journey into dub...
Copies of 7" available here.
Nairobi Sisters | Promised Land 7"
Off the scale amazing funky reggae from the Nairobi Sisters with a killer drum break that's just calling out to be grabbed as a hip hop sample (which Q Tip already did for A Tribe Called Quests "Whateva Will Be").
Knock out dub on the flip too.
Copies of the 7" available here.
Benedikt Frey | She's Lost Control 12"
It's a brave man who takes on a Joy Division classic but Benedikt Frey 100% delivers here. With the help of Carla Koller on vocals he flips the original into a dubbed out pschedelic secret weapon for the more adventurous dancefloors, upping the groove but without losing any of the space and eeriness of the original.
As with much of Joy Divisions output it lends itself perfectly to the dub treatment which it gets in two doses on the flip in the shape of Lucas Croon's remix which ups the dub factor and slows down the pace but without losing sight of the dancefloor and then a final dub (I'm guessing from Benedikt himself) which is properly deep, dark and wild with no holding back on the FX and bass and (maybe no surprise) is my personal favourite.
Yet another strikingly successful example of what a powerful musical partnership post-punk and dub make.
Copies of 12" available here.
Jah Schulz | Dub Over Science Chapter II LP
I was a big fan of the first Dub Over Science LP that Jah Schulz put out a couple of years ago so I'm very pleased to see it's sequel land on excellent the basscomesaveme label out of Germany. I'm also pleased to report that it equals, or possibly even surpasses, the high standard set by that first edition. Six high quality dubs that get the balance just right between adventurous experimentalism and sound system focused bassweight.
As with the first record there are influences here from the world of techno, ambient and dubstep as well as a welcome dark industrial edge to all the productions but they never stray into the realm of abstract home listening. These are dubs that are 100% sound system ready and built to be played out on a big rig. The bass on them is immense!
Copies of LP available here.
O$VMV$M | Beach Road 12"
A beautiful and varied collection of six deep, dark and dubwise cuts from Bristols' O$VMV$M that range from the cold wave post-punk influenced opener 'B Forest' to the beautifully fragile yet supremely weighty intergalactic dancehall of closer 'Follow.'
Another great record from these guys that pushes the dub informed Bristol sound in all sorts of interesting new directions.
Copies of 12" available here.
