Time Warp Dub Clash

VARIOUS ARTISTS “Time Warp Dub Clash” (Mango)

SUBTITLED Old School vs. New School, this album contrasts ten cuts from 1981, originally released as Raiders of the Lost Dub with more recent tracks from the last couple of years by artists such as Dub Syndicate and Alpha & Omega.

What is immediately apparent is the contrast between voice and melody on the earlier collection and the use of pure sound and effects on the latter. The cut-up sound collages that utilise the studio and specifically the mixing desk as an instrument are common to both, as is the distinctive reggae beat and ultra-heavy bass lines.

Where this works is ‘Smiling Dub’ by Jah Shaka or ‘Rastafari’ by Alpha 8 Omega, which itself picks up and distorts elements from the earlier days of Dub, with its echoes of Agustus Pablo melodica.

However, in terms of long-term listenability the old school wins hands down. There is a great sense of song and structure at play, often because these are dubs of existing tracks as opposed to being created from scratch. Particularly good are The Paragons’ ‘Indiana James’, ‘Pit Of Snakes’ from Burning Spear or the Viceroys’ ‘The Dub Of Gold’.

With the absorption of Dub techniques into all areas of dance and techno music comes a natural interest in its origins, and this collection gives you the best of an invigorating musical genre.

• Stephen Rapid