Juno Recommends Dub July 2020

Review: ZamZam Sounds has been killing it of late, with Rider Shafique, Ishan Sound and Kahn's recent "When Shall We Rise" single arguably being one of their most potent releases yet. Here they continue that fine run of form via another must-check "45", this time via the artist formerly known as Deadboy, Al Wooton. A-side "Request" offers a deliciously contemporary take on steppers/dub fusion, with ricocheting electronics, humid aural textures and echoing vocal snippets jumping around above a killer bassline and bustling drums. He continues on a similar theme with "Philo", which is the kind of weighty, club-ready dub excursion that would sit well in many house and techno sets.

Review: Vivian Jackson's "Conquering Lion" is a bona fide roots classic often thought as of a cornerstone of the genre. It is superbly spiritual music from a higher plane that will uplift your soul whilst also awakening your brain. It features harmonies supplied by The Ralph Brothers with keys that are always there, nagging away in beautiful fashion. As well as the full vocal on the a-side, Kind Tubby steps up for a huge dub on the flip that encourages you to utterly let go and one which dub techno fans will know has been reworked by Steve O'Sullivan to Miller effect .

Review: Alpha and Omega are UK dub pioneers who played a key role in developing the sound on these shores. They worked together in the 1980s and were hugely prolific, putting out more than 30 albums in all. Shadrach, Meshach And Abednego is their latest cult offering and shows a fine return to their best. Full of mystical leads and shimmering chords, icy cold drums and haunting pads, it is underpinned by rock solid bass with some of the greatest conscious reggae vocalists of our time; Danny Red, Joseph Lalibela, Wellette Seyon, Ras Tinny and Nai-Jah all on board.

Review: Vivian Jackson's work is being reissued a few times this month. Pressure Sounds opt for his "Run Come Rally" from 1992. It is a stone cold classic of the early roots ear and on the flip is a nicely twisted dub version that retains the vocal but does plenty of trippy things to it with endless amounts of echo and reverb. Recorded by Lee Perry at Black Ark Studios in 1974, this is the sort of haunting tune that is also hugely stirring and has atmosphere to spare. Comes in a hand stamped bag.

Review: As the Steppa Records label celebrates turning 10, they do so in the best way possible by unleashing this new album from Alpha Steppa. A record of vocal dub lushness, it has a starkly avant-hard sound that explores everything from bass music to trap, hip hop to trad forms, and carries, as always, crucial messages that we all need to hear. Climate crisis, socio-political issues, roots, culture and spirituality all come up and the grooves keep on rolling, inking you ever further into a vital and visceral world of thoughtful dub.

Review: Basscomesaveme's first serving of 2020 is an essential one from Leipzig based dub enforcer and Plug Dub Soundsystem founder Toni Wobble. He also runs the Sunplugged Soundsystem, which runs off solar power, and is a master reggae producer who holes up in the Kngagge Studio. This cut shows off four serious tracks that exhibit masterful dubbing techniques next to deep atmospherics and tripped out grooves. They are all thoroughly contemporary but pay subtle homage to the great masters and that's what makes them so essential. The finest example of this might just be "Dub Under Pressure", which is perfect to lose your mind in.

Review: The long reliable WhoDemSound imprint is once again coming correct here with a heavy 7" of futurist dub pressure. Kai Dub is the man behind the music and lays down a woodpecker like percussive line, with synths melting and drifting off to the horizon as the fat bottom drums wiggle below. Oodles of echo and revel make the track as full as you could imagine, then the flip side dub does away with the lead to really drag you down into the depths of bass. These are two rolling rhythms that you will never want to end.

Review: The rhythms for this new labour of love from Praying for the Angels were recorded olds cool fashion, in just one clean take. Those were then embellished with Puraman on vocals and guitar, Boris Perck on bass, drums from Xan Albrecht and Wouter Rosseel on lead guitar while the records mesmerising synths all come from Bos Debusscher. Along the way there are sojourns into psychedelic rock, jazzed up reggae, heart warming love songs and plenty of spiritual anthems, afrobeat gems, deep rolling roots and more besides.

Review: The Monotrones are Hans Kirschner and Stephan Rendke, and dub doesn't come much more spaced out and eerie than this under the radar gem. It's a loveable oddity on the Sojus label powered by a distinctive Monotron and first landed in 2018, quite possibly from another dimension. "Zuckerfee" has a tongue in cheek ballet sample that shows the pair have a sense of humour, while "MsidS" is a heavy weight stepper. "Return Of A Spacecowboy" traps you in suspense and echo and "Sojus 31" is a fairground ride in the stars.

Review: Back in May, Paolo Baldini DubFiles teamed up with hot stepping international sound system crew Imperial Sound Army for a new record entitled Dolomites Rockers. It was led by singer and soundman Dan I, and produced 22 cuts for the real dub heads. Now a selection of the joints from it are served up on their own red hot and seriously heavy 12". There is a fine mix of analog and digital techniques and organic hooks all finished with a future facing synth sound and no messing sense of bass heavy groove on display here. The chest beating "Mighty Negus" (feat Benji Revelatio & Dan I) is the pick for us.