Untitled Dub

Mad Professor brings you some speaker shaking dub for Tuesday. Neil Fraser was born in Guyana and emigrated to London aged thirteen. He built his own recording studio and began making music there in 1979. Throughout the 1980s he put out albums on his own label Ariwa Sounds. Especially of note are volumes 1 to 12 of Dub Me Crazy, a series of original and inventive British dub albums, making use of new digital resources. The first Dub Me Crazy was in 1982. When it was re-released in 2005 it came with two untitled dubs as additional tracks, presumably cut from the original vinyl running time for reasons of space (and bass). John Peel was a big fan and regularly playing tracks from the different Dub Me Crazy albums. This is the first of the two untitled extras from the first album and is all horns and bass. As good a way to start the day as any.

Untitled Dub

Towers Of Dub

It’s all about the bass. I think there are times when I could sit back and listen to dub bass, on it’s own, all day. If I got the chance. This Orb song, remixed by Mad professor, is nearly fifteen minutes long and has all kind of samples and funny noises in it, and lots of lovely dub bass. Soak it up.

Towers Of Dub (Mad Professor Remix)

Killing The Music Industry

This is, I think, partly what this blogging thing is supposed to be about. I didn’t buy The Kills’ Blood Pressures album that came out last year. I just missed it, it passed me by. Last month Drew posted one of the songs from it, saying it was his second most played record of 2011. The song was Baby Says. I downloaded it but only got around to hearing it this week when my mp3 player put it on as I pulled out of the carpark leaving work. I almost pulled over to listen to it properly. Since then I’ve played it whenever I can. I’m ever so slightly obsessed with it- the snakey Gimme Shelter guitar riff, Alison’s vocal delivery, the distorted drums, the whole overloadedness of the production. The video is here.

So now I need to buy the album, which I’ll do as soon as payday arrives. I notice Baby Says was a 7″ single too, there were dub mixes of lead single Satellite and a recent single with some cover versions on the B-side. So there’s a good few records I’ll pay for due to Drew posting one song. What’s the problem music industry? Isn’t this what you want?

I found this one in my d/l folder too, can’t remember when or where I clicked on it, probably ages ago and then forgotten about, more fool me- Mad Professor remixing the aforementioned Satellite inna dub stylee.

Satellite (Out Of Orbit Dub!)

Some Dub For Friday

Let’s welcome Friday in with some dub from Mad Professor, otherwise known as Neil Fraser. Responsible for hundreds of albums and remixes, he mixes traditional dub techniques and instruments with synths and electronics, which led him to his most well known work with Massive Attack in the 1990s when he remixed their Protection album as No Protection. In 1982 he began a series of albums called Dub Me Crazy which as far as I know got to volume 12. The first five are all highly rated, and as you’d expect the afficionados argue about their respective merits. I don’t have them all and wouldn’t claim to know which is best, but most of his stuff is worth a listen. This track is from Dub Me Crazy (the first one), and is as good an example of his electronic dub as any from that album. If you’re at work, play it quietly and take a few minutes to contemplate the day ahead. Actually, if you’re at work you probably can’t download the bugger if your workplace’s internet and download policy is anything like mine so you’ll probably have to wait til you get home tonight. If you’re lucky enough to be at home at this time on a Friday morning however, brew up, turn up, sit back and enjoy.

Mad Professor_04_Dub Power.mp3

Massive Attack vs Mad Professor ‘Radiation Ruling The Nation’ (Protection)

I’ve been listening to quite a bit of dub recently. Some of the proper Jamaican variety but also the post-punk and 90s dance variety. There was an Ashley Beedle mix for Beats In Space floating around just before Christmas, with this track on it. It also had a dub of The Pogues on it. Dub-Irish folk-punk. The whole Massive Attack vs Mad Professor lp is good, one of those cases where buying two versions of one album made sense. Adrian Sherwood did a similar job for Primal Scream on the Vanishing Point album. This is the lead track off the No Protection album- the dub version of Protection featuring Tracey Thorn. Nearly nine minutes of echo, bass, snares, sound effects and Tracey’s vocal chopped to bits. It gets into a serious groove about five minutes in. Top track.

Radiation Ruling The nation (No Protection).wma