Back catalogue: Dub

Review: Legendary UK dub pioneers Alpha & Omega have put out several classic cuts that are now hugely sought after. Their timeless reggae album Overstanding from back in 1991 is one of them and they followed it up just a year later with Almighty Jah alongside Dub Judah. It now gets reissued as part of an ongoing series and is record that fetches eye-watering prices. It has been meticulously re-mastered here and is presented in its original sleeve. It is truly one of the most definitive UK dub albums ever so do not sleep on this reissue.

Review: Clash, first released in 1977, was one of a series of definitive reggae albums to highlight the eminence of the soundclash, in which two reggae or dancehall crews rig up opposing soundsystems in a face-to-face musical standoff. Fashioning this album after the competitive form, Dillinger's sparring partner in this case is 'Trinity' aka Wade Brammer, who was active during the 1970s and 80s. Trinity as Dillinger is best known for deejaying over reggae and dancehall numbers; Clash albums became very popular at the tail-end of the 1970s and into the next decade, with singers and deejays alike competing for status, track by track.

Review: For the fifth volume of The Encyclopedia of Civilizations, Abstrakce's collection of split LPs - in which selected artists offer insight into fascinating ancient cultures - hears them focus this time on the enigmatic Babylon, visited by two of the label's favourite electronic bands currently active. Berlin-based duo Driftmachine take us on a journey between the ancient cities of Akkad, Uruk and Ashur. Bringing together astonishing electronics with a superb and precise sound - floating somewhere between modular ambient, leftfield, abstract dub - every detail has been carefully crafted to produce a complex architecture. Unconventional tribal rhythms recall obscure rituals, while warm, dynamic pulses contract and expand, interacting on their journey along the sandy roads of the Mesopotamian basin. Afterwards, Glasgow-based project Komodo Kolektif delves into the Babylonian vision of magic through the figures of the Kassaptu (witches and wizards), and the use of Mandragora. A blend of both tribal primitivism and a futuristic vision is provided by their vast arsenal of vintage synths and effects units, Eastern metallophones and traditional hand percussion. This is deep, psychedelic electronics that capture the spirit of ancient Babylonian sacred ceremonies and their vision of the cosmos.

Review: The ninth album from Barry Ashworth's Dub Pistols crew sees them teaming up with an amazing array of guests, ranging from Lindy Layton of Beats International fame, to rave heroes Ragga Twins and breakbeaters Freesylers, complete with UK reggae MC Top Cat in tow. The sound is the usual genre-bending combination of reggae and dub fused with punk, two tone ska, jungle, breaks and a whole lot more. No huge surprise the, but there's no denying it sounds as fresh as ever here, if not fresher.

Review: A quarter of a century young and still a masterful slice of 90s dub, Fear Of A Green Planet gets an expanded reissue treatment courtesy of Echo Beach. Dub Syndicate could be considered On-U Sound's centrifugal force, comprised of the players which powered so many of Adrian Sherwood's projects from Style Scott on drums to Errol Holt on bass, Skip McDonald on lead guitar and many more besides. On this particular album Bill Laswell also popped up to lend some low end, and overall the assembled crew laid down one of their strongest statements in a catalogue fit to burst with dubwise perfection. Loaded with unreleased extras, this is the definitive edition for those who want to lose themselves in a deep well of riddims.

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.