4/5
reviewed by Sarah Curry
“DnB King Tubby’s innovation. He experimented with versions: bringing In certain reverbs, started to add echo…
And this became exciting and, thus, dub was born.”
From time to time, there are moments of significant importance that deserve to be documented, spread across the brainscape, and honoured for generations. In Dub Echoes, Bruno Natal (writer/director) does a wonderful job of documenting the story of dub: How it was found amidst the competitive sound systems and scratched labels era of reggae and dance hall, how it brought about a newfound artistry in the mixing board engineer, and how it paved the way for the electronic genre, specifically the DJ.
Without question, dub has been the most prevalent influence in popular music since its humble beginnings in the 1940s. Sneaking onto B-sides and hypnotizing the entire island of Jamaica, dub restored power to the people and acted as the catalyst to the musical liberation of the ’50-’60s.
Riding the increasingly powerful momentum of customized sound systems and massive block parties, dub emerged into the mainstream with “beats so sick, made with real bits o’ panther” to quote El-P, rapper and cardboard artist. With mainstream interest came the evolution of the DJ and the relocation of dub to the UK.
“Bass is brain for listen. Drum for heartbeat. Bass and drum is early human being from the start it make you wanna dance.”
– “Scratch” Lee Perry
Dub Echoes is a necessary watch and re-watch for anyone who considers themselves a music enthusiast. Expertly produced and lovingly edited with ambient dub over the entire documentary, Dub Echoes provides all the knowledge our drum hearts and our bass minds crave.
Interviews with the legends, leaders, and followers of the dub movement, including: Lee “Scratch” Perry, Scientist, Bunny Lee, Kode 9, Adam Freeland, Switch, Basement Jax, Black Alien, and many, many mo
re…
“Once the music hits you, you feel no pain.”
-Bob Marley
Kode 9 recorded a BBC One Essentials Mix 2011-03-12 that demonstrates progressive, dubbby dubstep, and we have a link to its download page on the blog.
SARAH CURRY
