Dub 271 Items

Beat smith RED ASTAIRE (AKA FREDDIE CRUGER) returns with some crucial instrumental cuts from the 3 volumes of the "NUGGETS FOR THE NEEDY" series. The NUGGETS INSTRUMENTALS DLP features 'FOLLOW ME","MOVE YO ASS","COME DOWN " & more sounds of Lo Fi Hip Hop, Downtempo & Latin in full color jacket!

RED Astaire (aka Freddie Cruger) drops the 12 more dope tracks influenced by classic reggae, hip hop, R&B, downtempo and dub vibes. Includes several hard to find/out of print gems including "ghetto Hell", "mambo EL Kingston" and a previously unreleased version of his classic "follow ME". Full pic sleeve. Don't miss!

Kazufumi Kodama is a Japanese trumpet player and producer for some of Japan's earliest and most influential dub groups. His claim to fame is the work he did with the group Mute Beat in the late 80s, many articles citing this group as the very first dub group to exist in Japan. Even if this isn't true, he certainly pushed the genre to its most popular in the country. His current band "Kodama And The Dub Station Band" released their first cover album "Tomoshibi" in 2023 from P-vine, and now some finest songs are released on 7inch ep! This 7" ep includes a cover of Bob Marley's classic 'Is This Love' which inspired Kodama to make a covers album. Bob Marley's positive vibrations are arranged as an instrumental song and made into a dynamic and excellent cover.

Kazufumi Kodama is a Japanese trumpet player and producer for some of Japan's earliest and most influential dub groups. His claim to fame is the work he did with the group Mute Beat in the late 80s, many articles citing this group as the very first dub group to exist in Japan. Even if this isn't true, he certainly pushed the genre to its most popular in the country. His current band "Kodama And The Dub Station Band" released their first cover album "Tomoshibi" in 2023 from P-vine, and now some finest songs are released on 7inch ep! "You’ve Got A Friend" was written by Carole King for her album "Tapestry" in 1971, and Kodama & Dub Station band arranged the masterpiece as a dub song.

A mixtape of Studio One 12" singles, including some very rare stuff. All recorded from vinyl.

In with the old & out with the new..

For the second 7" on Berends Records, Miss Beulah joins The Hippo Brothers for Don't Turn Away. The b-side features the instrumental Grab Your Hat.

One of the goals of our label is to create special connections and this release is perfectly matching this. Around a couple of years ago we started discussing with our friend Daniel Tuffs from Shaolin Sound (uk) about joining forces to create some positive musical projects , between the various ideas we asked him to create for us an heavy Roots or Rub a Dub riddim and what we got in return exceeded our expectations...Fyah RUB A DUB , a new style of riddim that gave us a sure feeling about who to ask to voice it! Awa Fall , also known as Sista Awa , I guess for many needs no introductions , she is a super talented and versatile singer based in north Italy with countless musical contributions. We remember seeing her years ago , still very young and already felt she had a great artistic future ahead. So it is! We are glad 100% to have her included in this project , part of our little label's family. Be ready for her Powerful lyrics as this riddim deserves! Sounds Heavy!

Dubwise is handled by Shaolin Sound too

Released on CD and digital on the 21st May 2021, this eagerly anticipated LP from I Grade Records immediately soared to the number one position in the iTunes reggae charts. The LP is now being released on 12" vinyl and cassette tape courtesy of Before Zero Records.
Polarities is the 13th and final full album of new material from Vaughn Benjamin and I Grade Records, the culmination of a 20 year working relationship that began with 2001's Nemozian Rasta album, which was Midnite's 4th album released to date at that time.
Polarities was produced jointly by the Zion I Kings production team, with Tippy I of I Grade at the production helm, alongside Vaughn Benjamin himself.
The album also includes two notable guest features: Tiken Jah Fakoly of Ivory Coast on "Everything Bless" and Chronixx of Jamaica on "Black Carbon", which were both released in 2020 as the first singles off of Polarities.

This one is a special dedication to Marcus Mosiah Garvey, as it was him - through his actions and words - who has continuously been inspiring a many people scattered around the world. It features Milton Henry - a distinct voice from Jamaica, well known for his works with Wackies - on a recut of the classic ‘Words Of My Mouth’-riddim by UK dub legend Disciples with an equally deep reinterpretation by Italy’s dub veteran Buriman (Moa Anbessa) on the flip side. A tune called ‘Modern Prophet’, telling the story of ‘old Marcus’ to the ones who have an open ear and heart, young and old. As a little extra the A side holds a melodica version by Dubiterian, while the B side ends with a sax cut by Sax N Dub. Both sides were transferred to 1/2inch Tape for extra analogue warmth, and mastered and cut with care by Star Delta, UK.

*As demands are being placed for more traditional Roots style Reggae, Dub and general productions, the 'Iron Sound' concept was developed. Alien Dread studio embraces both contemporary and traditional approaches to production using software based sequencing alongside outboard analogue devices to deliver an authentic and powerful Reggae sound.

Alien Dread returns with four new contemporary Roots Reggae Instrumentals, on a 10" Vinyl EP.
The EP features Alvin Davis's exemplary Hornz work on all tracks, supported by Asha B, Congos & Percussion, with Riddim Guitar from Steven 'Marley' Wright. All of the tracks were produced during
late 2016 at AD Studio Uk.

Jackie Edwards voice can be heard on hundreds of Ska, R&B, Soul, Rocksteady records. In fact, all the incarnations that reggae revolved into. He was at the birth of Island Records and his distinctive soulful voice has rightly given him the moniker of the original Cool Ruler.

Jackie Edwards (b Wilfred Edwards, 1938, Jamaica) was a renowned singer from the early days and by 1959 had presented future Island Records owner Chris Blackwell with two outstanding tunes. The first a sentimental ballad ‘Your Eyes Are Dreaming’ and a Latin-Beat tune ‘Tell Me Darling’. His song writing skills were in much demand and his popularity of such importance that when Chris Blackwell went to London in 1962 to set up his future record company Island Records, he took his top balladeer with him. This was to pay dividends when a UK group Blackwell had signed the Spencer Davis Group released two of Jackie Edwards compositions “Keep On Running’’ and “Somebody Help Me’’. Which topped the British Charts in 1966 and were important early cornerstones in the future success in the Island Records story.

We have compiled some of Jackie Edwards finest tunes including his own version of the fore-mentioned big hit “Keep On Running’’, the sublime “Who Told You So’’ , “Get Up’’, the cutting edge ‘’Johnny Your A Gun Man’’ and the title track to this album “Peaceful Man’’ which we named him after. All great tunes in different reggae styles but all sung to perfection.

• Top Drawer 90's selection from the Boombastic Crew aka Nick Raphael (Manasseh. Riz Records, Roots Garden) and Gil Gang (Tuff Scout, Riz Records) with a tune that does what it says in the tin. Sound murderation!

• A hardcore instrumental sound system bullet which has hints of King Jammy, Jah Tubbys and Unity Sounds.

• This originally came on the back of a Riz 12” back in the early 1990's which is now a costly record to secure.

The third solo album of the Italian producer is released eight years after his previous At Song Embassy, Papine, Kingston 6, an album/documentary recorded and filmed in Jamaica back in 2015. Over this eight-year span, Baldini intensively toured through Europe, United States and Latin America, and worked as a producer for artists like Mellow Mood, L.A.B., Forelock, Noiseshaper, Imperial Sound Army, Dubblestandart, and for well- established reggae labels like Pressure Sounds and Echo Beach. Differently from his previous albums, in which Baldini’s approach was tightly linked to the tradition of Jamaican dub (and where his works focused on re-editing and re-purposing materials coming from different sources), the starting point for the beat-making of In The Shell was the writing of original music, a blank page on which to develop every single track. This time, the core of the production and song-writing is rooted in the creation of instrumental tracks in the studio; only at a later stage did Baldini look on the outside, establishing the necessary connections and collaborations for the entire album. The shared element among the songs in the record is the use of a palette of ethnic sounds and samples, recorded and archived by Paolo Baldini himself during his various trips to Africa, and on which he later carried out his unique electronic production and post-production work – the distinctive feature of his musical aesthetics. The personal and family ties that led the Italian producer to visit Sub-Saharan Africa, and especially Senegal, granted him an exclusive observation standpoint on day-to-day contexts which are usually not accessible to those who don’t have a key to participate in the family life of these communities, and allowed him to respectfully use this advantage to record original and unique samples.

The second 7” introduces to the world The Mighty Gravillons, an obscure vocal trio bringing us right back to the golden days of roots reggae. With powerful and thought-provoking lyrics, ‘Crumbling World’ is a desperate cry to the world we’re building for the next generations. How can we leave such a world of wars, political conflicts and environmental crisis to our kids? The B side shines by it’s simplicity: The 18th Parallel invited one of their favourite musicians of today’s reggae scene to blow his spellbinding saxophone, Anant Pradhan. The legacy of Tommy McCook, Roland Alphonso or Cedric Brooks has found its worthy embodiment. New York saxophonist graces us with ‘Peace Treaty’.

Better Days is the sixth release by Leo James for his own imprint Body Language. The EP weaves together the waveforms of James' evolving sound, from the first tracks he made as a teenager looping samples on an MPC, to the raw, stripped back machine funk of his early Body Language releases, and the deeper, more dubbed and smudged palette of his recent work. A lamentation on the current state of the world, to soundtrack the search for better days.

In 2023, all sources of life across the multiverse jumped and twisted to the irresistible sound of Cosmic Quest, the second full-length record of Swiss septet extraordinaire Cosmic Shuffling. Today, the Geneva based combo returns with the second half of the quest: a Full Instrumental long play. This new record carries on the band’s journey to a realm where the stars dance to the beat of your heart. Travelling across galaxies, passing through nebulas, black holes and asteroid fields, the handsome lads disseminate the classic sound of SKA and Rocksteady with burning hot-like-plasma scorchers. Temperature rises, bodies warm up, sway, embrace and go wild. This is the effect produced by the explorers of unconditional cosmic love: the Lovonauts.

Welcome to the Lovonauts’ Odyssey – the ultimate soundtrack of the septet astral adventures. Let yourself be carried away by these ten love letters to Jamaica’s iconic sound of the 60’s and its greatest musical stars.

Here is a brand new single from the Radikal Guru's 4th studio album 'Beyond The Borders'. 'Do The Right Thing' features italian vocalist Marina P mainly known for her previous works with Mungo's Hi Fi. Her soulful lyrics are touching on social struggles that we are facing today in our communities. On the musical side Radikal Guru comes with meditative basslines, melodic patterns and arrays of echo chambers and 808's. Backed by two roots style vinyl exclusive remixes made by the Guru himself.

Some Dub Stories is a hybrid project combining music and video: it is a live band of four musicians mixing the codes of a powerful dub with soaring melodies, harmonizing electronic and acoustic. The concert is closely linked to a video show that tells us the story of Obaba, the cosmic turtle, at the borders of multiple universes. Back on Earth in a post- apocalyptic atmosphere, Obaba delivers the story of her odyssey.The protagonists of this quartet on stage are: a multi-instrumentalist who juggles between Trumpet, Flugelhorn and Melodica, a Drummer, a Guitarist and finally a Bassist who also controls the machines! The public is then immersed in a unique sound and story, which renews the genre while filling the afficionados of Dub.The members of the group come from various formations having toured around the world: Hubris, Dub Silence, Lamuzgueule... A first album is coming soon and the group is receiving a warm welcome from professionals and are already supported by Take It Easy Agency & Alpine Records (labels). Regarding the live, NMB Booking signed the band in their roster in 2022 and the doors of Château Rouge (Live Venue and artists' residency) are open to them to prepare their first tour. The band is promised to scour the Dub scenes of France and Europe. Discover the stories of the cosmic turtle that comes to life under the pencil strokes of Lucas Roig, graphic artist. An astral journey to discover on stage.With its album « Chapter One » (which will be released during 2023) the Electro-Dub Live Band delivers an ambitious first opus combining a rhythmic Dub with deep bass. We discover a beautiful musicality as well as a professional production quality. The band’s sincere music with videos that echo problems of our time.Some Dub Stories creates a colored and powerful new kind of video- instrumental Dub with modern sounds in a style cut for contemporary music.

Ten bad boy digi riddims from the myspace era by Copenhagen’s Maffi crew, dubbed out into 3D space by disrupt in 2024. Raw, minimalist CyberDancehall at its best, nostalgic and oddly futuristic at the same time, this album is quickly becoming RoboCop’s favorite playlist when going to work. …………………………………………………………………

Maffi Promotions a.k.a. Maffi Boys come straight outta 1773 Kbh V, Copenhagen, Denmark. Originally founded in 1990 by the two homeboys, lazy body Moog and Junior the Rat, Maffi Promotions have been a steady producer of simple digital riddims for years. Hanging out in the streets of Hummel City Junior & Moog used to entertain their friends with the primitve riddims of the Maffi sound. Not knowing that they would do the exact same thing fifteen years later, they continued to believe that one day they would move up the ladder, break out of the underground and reach for the stars.

Now, after finally adopting a little sense of realism, the two homeboys have realised that stardom is nothing compared to spamming people on myspace. So the two stoners decided to get a couple of friends together and turn up the bass online. Together with their sound crew Firehouse, Maffi deal nuff weed and gyals!

Maffi Boys are very dedicated to the art of playing Sensible World of Soccer, rolling weed joints with Manitou tobacco and keeping it real in a Vesterbro-style. So watch out! And don’t test! We’ll be putting up new riddims on a weekly basis. We have nuff things brewing – including a delicious chicken! ………………………………………………………………

Growing up in the streets of Hummel City, Vesterbro, Moog learned the pleasures of sleeping late, playing Sensible World Of Soccer and picking up hot gyals at an early age. He has spent most of his life trying to master these crucial skills. Taking a break from the dog race, Moog is currently focused on reaching a higher understanding of reggae-science and weedology.

Junior experienced the necessity of rolling well-made spliffs at an early age. Incorporating the aestethic heritage of Scandinavian design, he has spent most of his life perfectionizing this old and traditional art form. Junior is currently taking his ph.d. in digital reggae by buying crates of 80’s 7″ and selecting for his sound system Firehouse.

Few names shine as brightly in the cosmology of dubwise bass music as that of V.I.V.E.K. From releasing absolutely ground-breaking tracks for the better part of 20 years primarily on his own System and Vivek imprints, to curating and hosting his legendary System nights, to bringing so much rising talent to light, it’s honestly difficult to imagine the last two decades of UK and global sound system music without him.

For ZamZam 96 V.I.V.E.K went straight to the bedrock of sound system music and delivered a power-stepper of galactic proportions.

Deep & heavy dubs mixed by The Scientist at King Tubby's

Deep & heavy dubs mixed by The Scientist at King Tubby's

Hybrid is a word used indiscriminately in our daily lives. This record isn't a hybrid; it's beyond hybrid, post-hybrid, so to speak. Does this phrase sound complicated to you, and are you never overly convinced by music theory and its caricatural aspect? Then forget what you’ve just read and listen to both sides of this record. You'll soon realise that these tracks are deliciously deft, drawing their essence from dub while leaving room for some skillful jazz writing. For those of you intrigued by melodies, the art of musique concrète or the exploration of dub music’s deviant angles, this record will easily find its place on your turntable.

The two sides of the record are cut with play, improvisation and effects, while leaving room for themes and ideas. If this record’s first chapter was born from a request to remix and pay homage to Jackie Mittoo, its themes tell another story. They have been declined and even reduced to an explosion point. The tracks are also driven by subtle details of musique concrète, giving the record the effect of an intimate musical production – but, above all, one of uncategorisable beauty.

In Androo’s case, this is hardly surprising. He is a craftsman who is unassailable in every respect, a poetic dynamiter and, for this reason, one of the most unpredictable musicians in Geneva (and beyond). His appetite for dynamite is perhaps an indication of his conception of music as, first and foremost, an experience. His highly personal and inventive tribute to figures from free jazz and contemporary music proves the point. But perhaps it is also an indication of his attachment to Jean-Luc Godard. You'd have to imagine Androo at his mixing desk without a pre-written script. The idea of editing infuses the record. The two sides are very much in this style and spirit: (un-)shot, meticulous, (ir-)reverent. In this respect, this record is a formidable proposition, and perhaps difficult to understand, but not striving to be understood.

Its combination of improvisation and composition is underpinned by a razor-sharp precision and dexterity that's hard to ignore, especially if you're curious about the art of sound mixing and the romantic accidents. It has a dexterity that transforms musical grids into romantic essays and sketches. A romanticism in which Androo takes us on a liberating musical experience that makes us forget the inertia of the ramping formatting of the record industry. In any case, this record is an invitation to (un-)think the category, and will delight any ear curious to wander into territories of intuition where the word hybrid no longer makes sense.

Text by Carl Åhnebrink

In 2024, a 7-inch that will bring tears to the eyes of all ska fans has been delivered! A cover of Jimmy Smith's "The Cat" with organ and tenor intertwined is also included. The first single by Mighty Caskets, formed around Ichimura of EX. Cool Wise MAN, is "green EYES," a bluesy, superb instrumental ska with a melancholy tenor saxophone melody and shuffle beat that hits the heart. In addition, the B-side features a garage-inspired cover of Jimmy Smith's "The Cat," which takes one's breath away with its thrilling and sensational organ tones. Recorded and mixed & mastered by E-mura (bim ONE Production).

One of the earliest and rarest compilation of Jamaican ska jazz, released in 1961 on the iconic Blue Beat Record. Featuring Don Drummond, Roland Alphonso, Cecil Lloyd, Alton Ellis, Derrick Harriott, Rico Rodriguez, The Charmers, The Jiving Juniors and more.

Muffin Records' second single is an original song by Sonia, created based on the concept of "making music out of requests for radio programs". Singer-songwriter Sonia from Aomori emotionally sings about a heart shaken by being dumped by a loved one. EMI (radio DJ) and GEL (guitar) from Nagoya's Japanese duo "EMI&GEL," who captivate listeners with their unique worldview, will complement the Showa mood of the music. Enjoy it with a killer dub b-side by 2shanti (Dub mix) and Goja Bongos (Kette Drums).