Osbourne Ruddock, aka King Tubby, was a true craftsman-as-artist. A TV and radio repairman turned audio engineer and studio owner, Tubby changed the course of music history by accident. While cutting a single for Duke Reid, Tubbs forgot to mute the vocal channel for the instrumental B, or “version”, side. Having the vocal cut in and out seemed like a pretty big mistake and Tubby was ready to recut the single but Reid said he’d take it as-is. When the record was played at the next big dance the B-side received a grand ovation. It is said to have been played several times in a row that night, garnering a “pull up”, “rewind” or “forward” after every play. A new kind of tune had been born and the genre of “Dub’ had subsequently been born. This subtractive mode of composition would go on to influence every mode of electronics-based music production in the future.
Here is a much later example of King Tubby’s dub work. Not only do the vocals of the original single come in and out, but wartime sound effects bombard the listener while everything in the mix has been heavily effected. This is heavy-duty dub, not some weakheart business!
Here is the original production, before the devastation:
And a bonus DJ cut by the man like Jah Stitch riding a much more stripped back version of the dub:
Salute to the KING!
Dread out!
Echo & The Bunnymen are a seminal post-punk band from Liverpool, UK. Fronted by the tremendous guitar work from Will Sergeant and the haunting lyrics and vocals of Ian McCulloch their sound had all the mania and doom and gloom of your standard post-punk band. Their not-so-secret weapon was their drummer, Pete de Freitas. De Freitas’ patterns and fills were always inventive and physical, no matter the tempo. Not half bad for a band that started out with a drum machine for a time keeper! Galloping rhythms and expertly timed rolls are on display here, as well as a wicked guitar solo section that blurs the lines between the strings of a violin and guitar. All of that leads us to an ovation-worthy climax. Makes you think what they were thinking of when they dreamt THAT up.
Wordsound was a record label run by Skiz Fernando out of Brooklyn, NY in the mid 90s to early 00s. in very New York form, they specialized in producing an underground hybrid of dub reggae and hiphop. Musical shape shifter Bill Laswell served as mentor and his Orange Music Sound Studios served as a meeting ground of the minds. Fernando’s Roots Control alias sets the tone for the whole scene extremely well: heavy bass lines, melodica and dusty hiphop beats. It creates perfect soundtrack for brushing off the dust and sidling up to the bar to roll and light one up. Dread out.
Digital Mystikz is a dubstep production and DJ duo from Croydon, UK. They have helped define the dubstep sound and experience through their influential club night, DMZ. They coexist as yin and yang type halves: Mala producing more meditative and grooving tunes while Coki focuses his energy into more frenetic, up-beat productions. They have released songs as their individual songs under their own monikers but on occasion will put out tunes as Digital Mystikz. One 12”, released around Christmas-time 2010 on their own DMZ label, perfectly illustrates the two sides of the Mystikz coin:
Mala’s tune “Education” utilizes his distinct shuffling rhythms with cinematic synths straight out of the Blade Runner soundtrack. Add on top of that what sounds like Wailing Souls sample and you have an epic Mala Mystikz production.
Now, flip the record over:
An ominous, funhouse type organ sound intros a song featuring Coki’s signature crazed oscillating synth tones, hard beats and ruffneck dancehall samples. This style has been imitated to death, serving as something of a template for a lot of what people traditionally refer to as “dubstep” but is also known as “brostep”. However, no one makes tunes like Coki. His method of mangling synthesizer sounds and banging beats always gets a dubstep crowd moving and yelling for more.
The Digital Mystikz paradigm may not make the most logical sense, but they cover all of the necessary bases to insure that the dubstep levels remain at 100% at all times. Salute!
Luke Vibert is a electronic musician jack-of-all-trades. Since 1993 he has been consistently releasing music in a myriad of styles under mulitiple monikers. As Plug and Amen Andrews he makes drum and bass/jungle music. As Wagon Christ he releases trip hop. As Kerrier District he creates house music. As Ace of Clubs he focuses on acid house. What is prevalent across all of these differing works is a palpable sense of personality and a great degree of humor. This track is taken from his 1997 album “Big Soup”, the first released under his actual name. It serves as a kind of concept album devoted to the concept of the future circa the 1960s. It’s the perfect example of Luke’s mastery of sample manipulation and collage. Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em and vibe(rt) out!
Eugene McDaniels was an incidiary singer-songwriter of the turbulent 60s and 70s. This song comes from his second of two albums he cut for Atlantic records which focus on social inequality. “Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse” was apparently heard by then US Vice President Spiro Agnew who called Atlantic and asked them not to release it. Unfortunately, this song still remains socio-politically relevant. It was also prominently sampled in the 90s by The Beastie Boys. Listen up and stay vigilant!
Revolting Cocks is an industrial music super group consisting of members of such acts as Front 242, Ministry, Fini Tribe, Skinny Puppy and Nine Inch Nails. Like most of Al Jourgensen’s projects RevCo devolved in more dumb-rock territory over the years, but their initial tracks are still pretty magical. Alongside Richard23’s vocals and Luc Van Acker’s bass is the sound of the Fairlight CMI sampler. Apparently no one could figure out how to get a sequence of anything over four measures going on the extraordinarlly expensive synth but the results create a hypnotizing drone that keeps you locked in for over ten minutes. Additionally, the three men’s heads used to represent the band are relatives of one of the owners of the label Wax Trax!
Autrechre is a UK electronic music act consisting of Rob Brown and Sean Booth. Alongside Aphex Twin they are considered the posterchildren for the IDM genre. Inspired by acid house, electro and hiphop, the duo create skittering beats and abstract soundscapes. Their music can be hectic, serene, moody and uplifting- sometimes all within one composition. Here is their first official music video and the directorial debut of visual arts master Chris Cunningham. Get your freak on!
808 State are an electronic music act from Manchester, UK. They cross the lines between Chicago acid house, rave music and hiphop. They have collaborated with Bjork, Ian McCullough and Bernard Sumner. Fans of theirs include Morrissey and Aphex Twin. While they had breakout success with their single “Pacific”, this tune incapsulates their peak era very well. Rave on!
Junior Delgado was Kingston, Jamaica based singer-songwriter. Despite having created songs among the elite of JA’s producers (Lee “Scratch” Perry, Niney The Observer, King Jammy) Delgado is significantly under represented in the history of popular Jamaican music. Here is a song of his produced by dub pioneer and melodica maestro Augustus Pablo. Created in 1978, a year of great political violence on the island, Delgado uses his voice and words to send a message of justice and freedom. These ideas echo in the streets around the world in 2020. Our hearts cry out once again, “Give us some freedom. Give us some justice.”
Hip Hop is from the Bronx. End of conversation. Here’s a great example from early hardcore/gangster MC Just-Ice and beats by the legendary Mantronix. Booming bass, street smart lyrics and Jamaican influence are all on display. Many years later, Madlib lifted this wicked beat for his own ode to marijuana. Get stuck off the realness!
Here’s a funky number by Traffic. Having started his professional music career at 14, this was Steve Winwood’s third band. Reflecting the open-mindedness of the music scene in the late 60s and early 70s, Traffic songs ran the gamut between prog and pysch rock to more jazz-oriented tunes. It’s hard to think of many songs that can embody the term “Jazz Rock” better than this. Get up and shake your moneymaker!
Ennio Morricone passed away today. He was one of the most distinct composers of all time. He scored more than 400 films and shows as well as over 100 orchestral works. His work with filmmaker Sergio Leone is legendary. Here he composes for mouth harp, whistle, electric guitar, chants and orchestra. He expanded the idea of what music could sound like. Salute to a true sound visionary!
After the funeral of Ian Curtis the remaining members of Joy Division agreed to still meet for band practice. And so, New Order was born. Following their mournful first album, their second Power, Corruption & Lies is the closest they ever came to creating what could have possibly been the future Joy Division sound. “Closer” had seen the band delving further into the digital world, incorporating more synthesizer and drum machine tones alongside the traditional rock band mix of guitar/bass/drums/vocals. Released in 1983, “Power…” stands the test of time as perhaps the best album to mix analog and digital textures together. It also features some of Bernard Sumner’s most emotiveand honest lyrics and vocal performances. Take a listen to this tune and let the synth pads whisk you away into another world where oil paintings and digital code co-exist in harmony. Or are you already there…?
Summer 2020 is here suddenly. Let’s bask in its somewhat faded glory this year with a fantastic interpretation of the George Gershwin penned standard “Summertime”. The term “standard” seems like a massvie understatement when there are a reported 25,000 versions of this song! Here bassist/composer Charles Mingus and pianist/composer Hampton Hawes give it a funky and exotic flavor. Mingus’ dedicated drummer Danny Richmond adds his own spice to the mix, making for a unique rendition. If you want to hear more versions of this classic here’s an hour of them provided by blues DJ legend Steve Kushing. Continue to strive for some easy living in these uncertain times!
Killing Joke are a post-punk band from London that mixes apocalyptic themes, proto-industrial tones and overtly political lyrics. While their tribal, syncopated drums and sinewy guitar licks are obvious precursors to 90s acts such as Nine Inch Nails and Helmet, they have also been covered by Metallica and sited as inspiration for bands such as Jane’s Addiction, My Bloody Valentine and Nirvana.
Their 1983 full length, “Fire Dances”, serves as a soundtrack to a violent, tribal dystopia filled with packs of frustrated, anxious masses worshiping fire, destruction and dance. In these times of great civil unrest, Killing Joke’s 80s output seems all too fitting. This song in particular fits the current era of protest very well. Stay safe out there and fight the power!
Continuing on from last week’s post we now focus on the 21st century poet The Spaceape. The works he created with producer Kode9 reflect dark, distopian themes that connect past science fiction concepts with contemporary socio-political situations. Amidst worldwide social upheaval this song from their second LP, “Black Sun”, comes across as all too pertinent. Long live Spaceape!
Mutabaruka is a Jamaican poet and musician who came to prominence in the early 80s, an era known for political violence and social upheaval on the island. He has gone on to be a popular radio host and has often engaged in heated debates about organized religion and it’s oppressive practices. Here he perfoms his politically charged anthem “De System”, which seems all too relevant in 2020. Stay safe and steady and strong out there!
