Springline records, home to the more idiosyncratic end of revivalist reggae sounds, is back with an 8 track dub album – the way they used to be. London’s Himperial Rockers – comprising Springline stablemates The Manor (guitar, keys, engineer) Yabass (drums, keys, percussion) and Tomcat (bass, melodica, final mix) – have crafted a typically studious blend of Egyptian-themed versions in “golden era” style.
We can safely say dub had a golden era because after the seventies and early eighties it fell out of favour as an artform in Jamaica and became an increasingly heavy (some would say caricatured) worldwide concern. But you’ll find none of that post shaka digi influence here. Take New Pharaoh’s Dub, which fuses the multi-bounced Lee Perry sound with a beautifully bittersweet lead guitar line. Yet Yabass’ drum patterns – inspired by the Roots Radics – frequently bypass the one-drop for an almost hip-hop or funk approach. So although the production is reverent of the past, the envelope is being subtly pushed all the while.
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