Jah Wobble – In Dub (30Hertz)
You’ll know the name of course and since his days with Public Image Ltd, Mr Wobble has put out over forty albums and taken part in a huge number of collaborations. Last year he released a six CD box set called Redux, but In Dub allows fans or those new to his music, an affordable collection of this particular style of music he’s output.
Now to me whenever the word dub is mentioned I immediately think of Jamaican dub reggae, as I’m sure many do, but Wobble’s take is somewhat more eclectic. For example CD 1 opens Cleopatra King Size which is recognisable as what I’d instantly think of as being dub, but then later on you have Blacksmith (both straight and dub versions) which, whilst still having the effects on effects you expect to hear in dub, has a very English folk feel to it.
Wobble manages to borrow styles from around the world, including eastern sounds, but all the tunes, to a greater or lesser extent, have that dub feel to them and as a whole this collection works very well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFmYlQ2j6x0
You have tunes here from a host of collaborations and bands including ones with Bill Laswell, Temple of Sound, The Invaders of The Heart, The Chinese Dub Orchestra and The Nippon Dub Ensemble and you also get a handful of new recordings and previously unissued tunes too.
Mr Wobble introduces the album in the booklet and the cover includes some of his paintings
This is good stuff and if you don’t know Wobble’s work this is an excellent introduction. You will need to leave your preconceptions of what dub actually is at the door, but if you do you’ll be rewarded with an eclectic, interesting and unusual collection of music that, to me, is pretty difficult to pigeon hole…and that’s a good thing!
Stuart Smith
