Non-boring classic dub

I have wanted to get into Dub music for a long time now. I have heard some amazing 'contemporary' dub records, like Nek Sanalet by Kit Clayton (which is almost 20 years old now!) but I am really interested in the late 70s stuff.

People always recommend King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown, Pick-A-Dub, and a few others, but they haven't really grabbed me. I have heard interesting elements in some Augustus Pablo records, Sly & Robbie, and Burning Spear.

I get that Dub is supposed to be minimal, but I'm hoping to find some stuff from that era with electronic elements, a little toasting mixed in, and maybe some melodies to tie it all together. Or, some really innovative, out-ther post-production.

So basically I guess I'm asking for recommendations on especially novel, interesting, ear-catching Dub records.

the search function is your friend

Dub / Reggae: An Idiot's Guide

extraordinary reggae

Three Greatest Dub Albums

also it's 1980 but reading your post I immediately thought of Prince Far I's Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter 3

incredible album

Or if those thread's are TLDR, try Joe Gibbs 'Africa Dub, Almighty, Chapter 3'.

Gibbs is a good suggestion. I noticed you didn't mention Lee Perry--usually I'd assume this was too obvious, but if you haven't heard Super Ape...

I think these links all still work

Blood Gonna Run: Dreader Than Dread Sounds Vol 1
None Shall Escape the Judgment: Dreader Than Dread Sounds Vol 2
Message to the UnGodly: Dreader Than Dread Sounds Vol 3

above mixes are all late 70s, heavy dub productions feat. the guys cited in the original post (Augustus Pablo, Sly & Robbie, Burning Spear) plus Prince Far I, Linval Thompson, Scientist, Yabby You, Big Youth, Johnny Clarke, Prince Alla, Jah Lion, Niney the Observer, Tapper Zukie, Hugh Mundell, tons of others

https://youtu.be/IRxSzJolw4o

My favourite Joe Gibbs dub

lol what is it with UK folks and that Joe Gibbs album? I mean, it is v good and I love it, but I'm not sure what distinguishes it from the other volumes in that series or other Joe Gibbs comps/productions from that era (of which there are *a lot*) But I've noticed that this is often one of *the* dub albums that UK folks (Bobby Gillespie springs to mind) routinely bring up.

like was it just more widely available than others, or did it have a hit on it, or did John Peel love it or something

Well it’s the classic dub album of the punk era (featuring in the Punk Rock movie) of course, but I do gravitate to it more than the other Gibbs albums because I think it’s the most interesting.

Harry Mudie In Dub Conference vols 1-3 is mentioned in 1st post in that "extraordinary reggae" thread.
as is the Vulcans - Star Trek album
The later Scientist stuff like Wins the World Cup is pretty out there at times.

I like that Vulcans album but its basically a novelty record

featuring in the Punk Rock movie

aha! see, I didn't know this.

Mad Professor would prob fit the bill too. No Protection is full dub remix of Massive Attack's Protection. And anything early 80s from him, eg 1-4 of the Dub Me Crazy series.

its basically a novelty record

ok and?

I mean he's saying straight-ahead dub doesn't really do it for him so...

maybe Wackies stuff, such as Nature's Dub. There's also some artist albums from Wackies that include the dubs for all tracks.

but I am really interested in the late 70s stuff.

Actually think early 80s is going to appeal to you more

I don't really have a larger point about the Vulcans record, it's definitely not straight-ahead dub or even really related to the Jamaican reggae/dub scene at all. It does have a lot of goofy synth work on it and that does make it unusual for the time.

Aswad's New Chapter of Dub isn't full of wild mixes but they're dubs of catchy, melodic tunes that still have enough typical roots reggae roughness to them. New Chapter itself is a must-listen imo.

Another UK guy, Dennis Bovell. The Pressure Sounds comp from a few years back is good. Brain Damage isn't a dub album but think you'd like it.
He also worked with Linton Kwesi Johnson. LKJ in Dub.

Joe Gibbs is really great. As well as Africa Dub Chapters, his Majestic Dub album is a corker

good suggestions itt and outic's mixes are the best, have to lol though @ "non-boring classic dub"

obv scratch perrys black ark stuff should appeal. apeology is a good start

i'm not really into classic dub but i really like this bovell track. it's on this great comp: https://www.discogs.com/Various-Lovers-And-Rockers/release/2444020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmkDyY80pEY

the blackbeard is the only dub track on it, though

this is a great dub of a johnny osbourne track

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeWcnxBRqco

oh man i whittled lee perry's Arkology box down to one disc of my favorites and it's so f-in good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2WCdJV0UnA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdinv1c0gCU

Post your tracklisting!

I just picked up the Don Letts Dread Meets Punk Rockers Uptown comp:
https://www.discogs.com/Don-Letts-Social-Classics-Volume-2-Dread-Meets-Punk-Rockers-Uptown/master/195396

here you go, just one human's opinion but these are all beautiful tracks. yes i do love the police and theives/dreadlock in moonlight riddim
The Meditations - Life Is Not Easy
Junior Murvin - Tedious
The Heptones & Jah Lion - Mr. President
Max Romeo - Chase The Devil
Lee Perry - Dreadlocks In Moonlight
Errol Walker - In These Times
Max Romeo & The Upsetters - Norman
Junior Murvin - Police And Thieves
Upsetters - No Peace Dub
The Upsetters - Party Time (Part 2)
Augustus Pablo Meets The Upsetter - Vibrate On
The Upsetters - Vibrator
The Upsetters - Bird In Hand
The Congoes - Congoman
George Faith - To Be A Lover (Have Some Mercy)
Lee Perry - Curly Locks

captain ganja and the space patrol

https://open.spotify.com/user/1153731601/playlist/3xnzs6o5ch6TOVwT4tUNLy

captain ganja and the space patrol

― the late great, Friday, Septem

I didn't know this record before, its really good!

^just started that, it is really good and not what I expected based on the title. So far it sounds like Dennis Bovell (makes sense given the shared English lovers rock context) but with lots of pretty space jazz instrumentation and some weird effects and samples.

I was thinking about this thread last night and while I personally love "boring classic dub," I can sympathize with listening to something like Pick A Dub and finding it pretty dry, especially if you're coming to it with the popular notion that dub is far-out boundary-pushing wizardry. Anyway my partner is also not that into nodding along with totally desiccated drum-and-bass versions, so thinking about something she might like I put on Jimmy Radway & the Fe Me Time All Stars Dub I, which I don't think gets talked about too much but is definitely one of my favorite dub albums. Pressure Sounds reissued it about a decade ago. Remixed by Errol Thompson in 1975 so the dubbing is thoughtful and not too wild: echo and mixing board tricks mostly, a bit of tape manipulation too. There's zero vocals on the original album, but instead you get to hear all these amazing players--Vin Gordon on trombone especially--take turns providing the melody.

Back to Africa:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za2tSB9D1bg

huh never heard of this one

I'd especially recommend it if you're into the Randy's/Impact! soul-influenced stuff. the Rough Guide calls it something like "one of the hardest dub albums" ever, though it's heavy in a funkadelic way not in a Yabby You dread way

will we ever hear from the original poster again

Try ub40's present arms in dub. It's all the dub i ever needed. You are right most of it is dull as fuck. But ub40 nailed it. Great bass, great echoes, great tunes, great everything.

Lots of great responses here. Thanks so much.

Wow @ that Joe Gibbs record. So many archetypal dub elements there. I think I spotted at least 3 90s Jungle samples just from dropping the needle a few times.

I'm still working my way through some of these other suggestions.

I like Bass Culture by Linton Kwesi Johnson because it has the dub part in the second half, and the first half has the spoken word element. So it's dubby, but pretty interesting overall.

Speaking of spoken word, the production on Private Life by Grace Jones is pretty amazing.

if this is our new rolling dub thread I just want to say how wall-to-wall incredible this album is, super-long dub jaammmzzzzz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opUf6L4U8Lw

This Captain Ganja thing... holy shit!

I agree that based on the opening post Wackies is a good recommendation. If I had to reverse engineer the idea of original dub just from millennial techno derivations of same (e.g. Kit Clayton and Rhythm & Sound) I think i’d Imagine something quite close to the Wackies sound.

Try e.g. Horace Andy’s ‘Dance Hall Style’.

Wackie's was a great recommendation. I started listening to African Roots Act 1 by Bullwackies All Stars, and it grabbed me immediately:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gkkkSSdXSQ

Also, from that Dreader Than Dread series posted earlier, "Oil in a Babylon" by General Echo is a perfect reggae record, It has the dub elements, and the toasting, and it all works together wonderfully.

One thing that has always driven me nuts about dancehall/toasting is that they often dont care what key theyre in. The riddim might be in a minor and theyll just toast in D major or something.