Roots of Dub Funk

Dub has its roots in early-'70s Jamaica, where reggae producers and sound system operators made the happy discovery that they could both thrill the dancehall crowds and save money by recycling used instrumental tracks, drastically remixing them and applying generous doses of reverb, echo, and delay to individual instrumental and vocal parts within the mix. Dub reggae is the single most important influence on modern remix culture, but has also remained a significant subgenre of reggae throughout the years. Hosted by England's Dub Funk Association, this multinational party of a record explores the current state of the art in modern dub. The contents range from such traditional fare as the Technician's "East of Bacchus Marsh" and Alpha & Omega's "Pure & Clean" to more breakbeat and hip-hop-inflected material like "Burn the Dub Down" by Cabal and the Interruptor's update of the legendary Sleng Teng rhythm. All of it is well worth hearing, and at a budget price the album is a solid bargain as well.