The Reggae Thread

King Tubby - "Herb Dub-Collie Dub" (1976)

A collection of instrumental dub remixes of tracks by The Skatalites. I quite like it too, particularly the more minimal, stripped back material which is druggy as fuck.

For fans of Augustus Pablo, Scientist & Prince Jammy.

3.5/5

Calamalka - "Shredders Dub" (2004)

The debut album from this Canadian producer is one of my favourite dub records ever. I picked it up on CD shortly after release & it subsequently received many plays at stoned come-down gatherings at my unit when I was going through the height of my clubbing/DJing period through the mid-2000's. The drums & basslines are nothing short of spectacular here & you'll rarely find a release that can put you into a more blissful state of numbness.

For fans of Burnt Friedman & the Nu Dub Players, Rhythm & Sound & Massive Attack.

4.5/5

Massive Attack v Mad Professor - "No Protection" (1995)

Stoners should look no further than this wonderful remix album that contains eight stripped-back takes on tracks taken from Bristol trip hop kings Massive Attack's brilliant 1994 sophomore album "Protection". Guyana dub legend Mad Professor does a wonderful job at keeping the original depth of the pieces & taking them into even more cerebral directions. I can't tell you how many times my best mate & I numbed ourselves to this record during my 2000's club days. Massive Attack are one of my absolute favourite artists & this is one of the truest examples of an underrated gem you'll find.

For fans of Thievery Corporation, Hooverphonic & DJ Shadow.

4.5/5

Rhythm & Sound - "w/ the Artists" (2003)

A stunning dub record that I picked up on CD at the time of release after stumbling upon it due to its associations with the dub techno scene. It's as deep & stripped back as a motherfucker & features some unbelievable vocal contributions from guest contributors which makes "w/ the Artists" one of my all-time favourite reggae AND chillout releases.

For fans of Basic Channel, Maurizio & Deepchord.

4.5/5

Rhythm & Sound - "The Versions" (2003)

This is a remixes collection of material taken from the above-mentioned "w/ the Artists" album & it's just as incredible too, even if it requires a little more patience again due to its repetitive nature & minimal construction. If pushed, I'd probably suggest that I slightly favour the original album as the vocals are incredible & "The Versions" is mostly instrumental but there's very little in it & both should be regarded as being essential dub releases from the important Berlin scene.

For fans of Deepchord, Deadbeat & Paul St. Hilaire.

4.5/5

Rhythm & Sound - "See Mi Yah" (2005)

The fourth & final CD I purchased from this incredible German artist during the 2000's is a compilation of vinyl releases from the period. The interesting thing is that all of them come with basically the same backing track, only with slight variations in the arrangements & different Jamaican vocalists who each take different lyrical & melodic directions. And boy does it work too! I could honestly listen to that backing track in isolation for the entire duration of this release to tell you the truth as it puts me into a level of relaxation that I rarely achieve. Highlight tracks like "Lightning Storm", "See Mi" & "Free For All" are some of Rhythm & Sound's very best material, although I do think that their previous releases are just slightly better than this one which sees them abandoning their techno roots for a pure dub & roots reggae sound.

For fans of Babe Roots, Frenk Dublin & Deepchord Presents: Echospace.

4.5/5