From the seemingly bottomless vaults of Trojan Records comes this very fine collection of dub from the '70s: reggae's classical period and the high point of dub as a producer's art form. One in a series of limited-edition box sets, this set features 50 tracks on three discs at three-for-two pricing with attractive, no-frills packaging. The bands featured include such eminencies as the Upsetters, Soul Syndicate, the Aggrovators, and the Revolutionaries, all of them at various times the house bands for the best studios in Jamaica. The producers responsible for the dub mixes presented here are primarily the grand masters of the genre: King Tubby, Scientist, Prince Jammy, and Lee "Scratch" Perry. Highlight tracks include the seriously twisted "Casanova Dub" (by the Observer All Stars), "Strictly Dub" (one of many versions of Rupie Edwards' hugely popular "Everyday Wandering" rhythm), and King Tubby's bracingly minimalist "Dancing Version." If you only feel you need one dub collection, this one should be it.
Liner Notes:
Following the enormous popularity of the previous Dub collection, we have great pleasure in presenting this second volume classic recordings from the Trojan archives. As with the previous set, the 50 tracks included all date from the early seventies, when Dub was still very much in it's infancy, through to the 1980's, when a new generation of mixers mastered the genre. From King Tubby to Prince Jammy, the sounds are deep and heavy throughout and always of the very highest quality. For those already familiar with the development of Dub, read on no more, but if as yet you are unaware of how it first came into being, a brief musical history lesson for your benefit now follows...
The origins of Dub can be traced back to around 1969, when a number of Kingston-based producers began issuing singles with instrumental 'versions' on the flip side of vocal releases. Initially, the vocal track featured on the A-side of the single was simply removed, leaving the basic rhythm track, onto which further instrumentation or DJ accompaniment could be added. Within a year, putting versions on B-sides of singles was common practice among the majority of the island's record producers, although by now, there had been another notable development. With the vocals completely or partially removed, additional embellishment of the recording was more often than not deemed unnecessary, and increasingly 'versions' became little more than basic rhythm track.
This practice continued for the next year or so, but in 1971, the first real Dub recordings began to appear. While 'Voo Doo' by the Hippy Boys is now widely acknowledged as being the first recording in the genre, it was pioneering sound engineer and sound system operator, Osbourne Ruddock who did more than any other to popularise and develop the sound. Ruddock, who had received an education in electronics and had operated a successful TV and radio repair shop since the late fifties, first made his name in the music industry with his Home Town Hi-Fi sound system, which operated around his local neighbourhood of Waterhouse. The enormous popularity of Home Town was due in no small part to his innovative approach and technical wizardry. Not only had he succeeded in creating an amplifier capable of reproducing sound louder and with more clarity than any of those possessed by his rivals, he was also the first operator to introduce separate tweeter boxes and a reverb unit to his sound. In the late sixties, Home Town achieved even greater success following the enlistment of U Roy as the resident deejay and by the close of the sixties, Ruddock had acquired the mantle 'King Tubby'.
During this period, Tubby continued to explore the possibilities of sound from his small studio, located at the back of his home, at 18 Drumalie Avenue, Kingston 11. From here, he was able to create new mixes of popular recordings over which U Roy could toast at sound system dances. Early in 1970, the idea was put into commercial practice when, inspired by Tubby's mixes, Duke Reid recorded the deejay toasting over a number of his best known Rocksteady rhythms. Reid subsequently issued the tracks and their incredible success led to the style being widely copies by producers throughout the island, with deejays such as Dennis Alcapone, I Roy and Big Youth all going on to make their mark as recording artistes.
Throughout 1970 and into the following year, Tubby continued to experiment with recordings, dropping sections of the rhythm and vocal track in and out of the mix, using slide faders, echo delay and phasing to create radically new sounds. By 1972, he had acquired the old four-track desk from Dynamic's Studio and his skills as an engineer were becoming increasingly in demand from producers, who started releasing his mixes as 'Dubs'. During this time, other engineers were also experimenting with the limitations of sound, with Errol Thompson and Sylvan Morris notable figures in the development of Dub.
As the seventies progressed, Dub recordings became increasingly popular among Reggae fans and soon made the progression from 45s to albums. To maintain credibility, even the most traditional of producers were forced to embrace the style and by the close of the decade, Dub was firmly established as one of the most popular forms of Reggae. By this time, a new generation of engineers were pushing the boundaries of Dub to it's furthest limits, with Hopeton Brown (aka Scientist), Lloyd James (aka Prince Jammy) and 'Prince' Philip Smart among the most innovative. But eventually, as the bubble burst and by the mid-eighties, the popularity of Dub recordings had taken a dramatic downturn. Reggae moved on and there seemed little place for what was increasingly regarded as an out-dated style. For the next few years, it's future as a relevant form of music was in doubt, but eventually salvation came in the early nineties, when a number of young musicians and producers resurrected the genre. In the years since, Dub has continued to attract new fans around the world, and the genre has once again resumed it's position as one of the most favoured styles of Jamaican music.
This second volume of classic Dub sounds from the Trojan archives features 50 superb examples of the genre, dating from the seventies and eighties. Included are mixes by such great Dub masters as King Tubby, Scientist, Prince Jammy and Lee 'Scratch' Perry, and as with Trojan's previous Dub box set, the selection of material is second to none. So prepare to embark on a musical journey to some of the heaviest places your mind will go. You have been warned.