Juno Recommends Dub June 2020

Review: Melodica maestro Augustus Pablo released a number of influential albums during a golden period in the 1970s, though little quite as ground-breaking and far-sighted as 1976's "King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown". Mixed by King Tubby, it was one of the first great dub albums and is still one of the finest examples of the stripped-back, rhythm-heavy style around. If you don't already own a copy, we'd heartily recommend picking up this reissue. Musically, the tracks sound as warm, weighty and spacious as ever - all heavy Robbie Shakespear/Family Man Barrett bass, idiosyncratic drumming and killer melodica/Clavinet/organ action from Pablo - while the screen-printed artwork is a delight.

Review: For their latest release, Jah Fingers has dipped into the digital catalogue of long-running Abi Shanti and Iration Steppas favourite TNT Roots. Both tracks showcased here were first featured on the British producer's "Raw Dubplate Warrior Style" CD-R way back in 2010. A-side "Elohim" is a particularly cosmic and spiritual take on digi-dub, with spacey electronic motifs and exotic synth sounds echoing away atop a slow and low bassline and head-nodding drums. Over on the flip, "Verse II" is a heavier and more dubbed-out affair where delay-laden keyboard riffs and similarly sci-fi sounds echo across another killer bassline and hypnotic beat.

Review: While Nat Birchall is naturally best known for his jazz work, he's no stranger to the world of dub and reggae. In fact, "Tradition Disc In Dub" is his second full-length collaboration with roots reggae musician, producer and mixer Al Breadwinner (the first, "Sounds Almighty", dropped in 2018). It's a little more spaced-out than its predecessor, with both Birchall and Breadwinner emphasizing weighty riddims, echoing instrumentation (sax, flute, organ etc.) and the kind of analogue effects that marked out the golden age of dub. In fact, the "golden age" reference is particularly relevant, because while there's plenty of subtle variety on show throughout, it's closer in tone to King Tubby and Lee 'Scratch' Perry's 1970s work than, say, Mad Professor or Iration Steppas. More importantly, it's also superb.

Review: This expansive EP gathers together some archival tracks - some previously unreleased - from a trio of UK dub and reggae stalwarts. The A-side is all about Tena Stelin's 1992 collaboration with dub mixer Centry, "Clean Up The World" - a soulful digital reggae workout that was first featured on the pair's 1992 album "Sun & Moon". Here the original comes accompanied by two previously unheard Centry reworks, including the wonderfully heavy and delay laden "Dubplate Mix". Over on side B we're treated to three versions of Chazbo's attractive dub number "Lightning & Thunder". While the solo-laden original is cool, it's the two supremely deep and weighty dub mixes that really float our boat.

Review: Eastern Roots have built up a small but well formed discography since debuting 2012. It was in 2018 that this particular wax first landed and is now made available again during these red hot days of summer 2020. "Signs Of The Times" is a playful and mysterious jam which is in no hurry to go anywhere, instead looping the same flute lines up top and natty chords over hot-stepping drums. A meandering lead does eventually join the party and only serves to heighten to the trip. On the flip, two different versions strip things back in brain frying and dubbed out ways.