The Groove Thief

Dub Breakah thankfully hasn’t literally done that to dub music, instead producing a slew of strong riddims as well as some fierce tracks. The “Beast Riddim” is definitely my favorite: the skanking guitar intro leads to a nice and heavy track, which as “Babylonbuster (Dub Breakah Remix), is pushed towards anthem status with the ruff vocal reminiscent of Buju Banton. “Roots Riddim,” the most recent production, features some smooth horns and a mellow breakdown. “Tribulations” is another great track, some true reggae dub that sounds hazy in all the right ways while vocal samples echo occasionally alongside a relentless beat. “Jah Freedom Riddim” is another solid effort, and there’s more glorious reggae dub tracks available up on Soundcloud.

Paproota is a strictly dub netlabel, so as you can imagine their releases are overflowing with dubs. Amongst many great albums are two compilations which feature a lot of heavy tracks: Dub Compilation Vol. 1 and Dub Compilation Vol. 2. Like all the label’s output they are Creative Commons licensed, and are clearly lovingly compiled. The first installment features primarily artists from Poland, while the “double-disc” second volume has a much more global focus, including some TGT favs like Pandadub, Dubology, and DU3normal. Sadly there are no post-able streamers, but the free downloads are available below or check out the Paproota website for previews of these albums and many more…

DOWNLOAD VOL. 1

DOWNLOAD VOL. 2

DubNL’s new album, Reggae Business, is an upbeat and funky horn-filled extravaganza. All instrumental, this features six original cuts followed by dub versions. “Rootsy Root” starts things off well, with a nice horn-line, while the dub descends into echoes. “Happiness” has more of a roots vibe, actually, with a classic-styled reggae intro, and then the horns give way to a sparser dub version. “Legalize It” is my favorite cut, the brass sound mysteriously full of the funk, while the dub lets the sounds swirl around atop the relentless percussion. “King Horn” features the most uptempo dub, pounding with the melody cutting in at times, yet the original is a perfect Sunday-afternoon-on-the-porch reggae jam. “Blue Sky’s” and “Rastafari Hill” are equally solid tracks, with the closer being especially nice. This is a highly enjoyable album, giving the necessary nod to tradition while pushing things forward thanks to the modern production. Support quality original music, and there’s plenty more on Soundcloud:

Diplo’s hippy-step banger “About That Life” psychedelically blends light and heavy with Jahan Lennon on the vocal. Everything’s right about this modern yet timeless track, sounds like the 2060s, and from a DJ perspective this fits in well with a lot of other genres as an upbeat feel-good jam. Mad Decent indeed. I imagine the 159,000+ plays are from only about 50 people who can’t stop replaying it:

Representing Cyprus, the Incredible Dub Machine drops some deep heavy dubs. With three original tracks, and a live mix showcasing the best dubs from the island, this is the work of a versatile production and DJ duo . “Ain’t Got No Dub (Melodica Cut)” is a stand-out track: it starts out slow and haunting with a powerful melody while a slow steppers beat emerges beneath. “Traffic Universal” is chaotic and frantic, yet still dubbed-out, with an isolated beat emerging late in the song. The electro-steppers cut “Infected Man” pounds amidst swirls and samples; each song definitely has its own sound.

Here’s the live recording, appropriately called “The Rising of Cyprus Dub Live Mix:”

Representing Kingston, Jamaica, Kabaka Pyramid spits pure fiya atop beats that merge the best of reggae and hip-hop. His latest, the Rebel Music EP, is full of powerful tracks. Opener “The Sound” could easily be by Jr. Gong, which ought to be enough for the download right there, but “Free From Chains” is equally strong and well-worth the video treatment. Mellower tracks do prevail, but even then the flows stay memorable, and cuts like “Real Music” show that Kabaka Pyramid is talented and versatile on any type of beat. As a bonus, there’s a video with Sara Lugo on the Reggaeville Riddim:

AND, here’s a killer downloadable mixtape from Free Roots Sound, with a delightful dub remix at the very end…

Jstar, perhaps the dancehall’s most eclectically-influenced remixer, reaches far afield on his latest project, embracing the gypsy-funk of “Balkan Reggae” by Mahala Rai Banda. These are next level beats, simultaneously haunting and upbeat. A few more recent collabs are worth checking out as well, including a remix of Reggae Rajahs’ Johnny Osbourne dubplate “Buddy Bye” and the mashup hip-hoppery of “Marijuana Situation.”

Slightly Stoopid are delightfully predictable on the recently released Top Of The World. Smooth guitars, funky bass, catchy vocals with ample harmonies, and plenty of reggae, dub, punk, and other influences mixed in. The title track starts this SoCal party record off; long-time fans are rewarded with a funky-dubby version of “Devil’s Door;” “Way You Move” has vocals that perfectly slide in the ear; “Drink Professionally” may end up at reggae-loving frat parties, but it still has a great groove. The guest artists reflect the varying influences of the band, with Barrington Levy, Angelo Moore, Chali 2na, and G. Love (amongst others) making an appearance. For instrumentalists, “Deal With Rhythm” and “Rhythm Street” are both nice and simple jams, and while overall this is a rather mellow record, it is enjoyably upbeat and well worth a listen:

And don’t worry, there is a hidden punk rock jam at the end if you’re wondering where that side of Slightly Stoopid has gone…