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Toronto Dubwise Sessions 01


| SELECTORS | ^

Prabooo Selector
submitted by eduardo_santana@hotmail.com
July/2006

1. The Jahlights - Right Road To Dubland
2. Groundation - The Seventh Dub
3. David Gould - Hini Ma Tov Dub
4. Matisyahu - One Woman
5. Disrupt - Bauhelm Dub
6. Dry & Heavy - Do Dub Up Your Fight
7. Soul Jazz Records - In Cold Blood Version (Studio One)
8. I Jah Man - Jah Heavy Load
9. King Tubby - Set Me Dub
10. The Abyssinians - Zion I Dub

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Wadada!
submitted by Clearlight
March/2005

1. 1983 dub (Hugh Mundell)
2. Pick A Dub (Keith Hudson - entire album!)
3. Soul Rebel (U-Roy - Dub with toast)
4. Garvey's Ghost (Burning Spear - entire album!)
5. World War III (Mikey Dread - each track has dub appended)
6. Planet Mars Dub (Mighty Diamonds)
7. Wareika Dub (Rico Rodriquez - dub of 'Man From Wareika'; never released, but I have it!!!)
8. Any Dubs By Dennis Bovell
9. Anthem (Black Uhuru Groucho Smykle Remix)
10. Dub Me Crazy (Mad Professor - Pick your own chapter)

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Anthony Sardella
submitted by digitalmonk1x@hotmail.com
August/2004

1. Muslimgauze - Ceylon Daggar
2. Systemwide - Contrapositive
3. Sound Secretion - Beat Trilogy
4. The Rootsman vs. Muslimgauze - Aswan
5. Spectre - Crooked
6. Scorn - Nights Ash Black ( Bill Laswell's Slow Black Underground River Mix)
7. Witchman - Ghost Drums At Dawn
8. Sub Dub - Sound Check
9. Scorn - Black Ash Dub
10. DJ Spooky - Rapper's Relight (Featuring Kevin Shields)

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DUB IS IN MY HEART
submitted by hmp@netcabo.pt
March/2003

1. DUBMARINE -- Lovin' Dub
2. INTERSPERSE -- Du Bi True
3. VITAL DUB -- Merciful Dub
4. DUBBLESTANDART -- Blue Moon Dub
5. BDF MEETS LOUD & LONE -- Give Dub The Praisies
6. DUBITAL -- Night Drop Dub
7. BLUE -- Division Dub
8. CLOUD NINE -- Peas 'n' Luv Dub
9. DUBCHECK -- Football Dub
10.NONPLACE URBAN FIELD -- Western Dub

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Here are my favorite mp3's doin' me right these days:
Horace Andy - Do You Love My Music
Victor Rice - Twins
Funki Porcini - Dubble (Organ Swell)
Leftfield - Dub Gusset
i cube - le dub
Rootical Sound - Horny Dub
Max Romeo - Chase The Devil
Bill Laswell - Cybotron
Lee Perry - Soul fire
The Congos - Wheel
U-Roy - Chalice in the Palace

Check DUB.COM for some great lists.

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| CD REVIEWS | ^

TICKLAH - Ticklah vs. Axelrod
Easy Star
October 2007

Deep in the urban sprawl of Brooklyn, in the year 2007, a classic dub record is born! Ticklah vs. Axelrod is a testament to the influence of roots in modern music and the international flavor that the dub genre has grown into.

Ticklah vs. Axelrod is everything I envision a great record to be - gritty, but tight, grooves that move, heavy on the horns, and dubbed to the tilt. There are just enough vocals to make a statement, without being in your face. Thanks to Rob Symeonn's Pork Eater lyrics, the pig is now out of my diet. Something tells me the bird and bovine are next.

The CD opener, Two Face, perhaps hinting at the alter ego struggle evidenced by the disc's title, is a reworking of Victor Rice's J.D. from In America. Rice may be the antagonistic figure in this battle, as he seems to be quite an influential factor on many tracks, not to mention, the overall sound. At times, I sense a passing of the torch between the two Victors, with Rice's history as a leader in the New York dub/ska scene, and the rise of Axelrod over the last few years.

The remake of Eddie Palmieri's Mi Sonsito injects a Latin flavor that is hot and infectious. I'm calling this one as an anthem for summer '08.

For me, the gravy in physically owning this CD is the unexpected credit given to Eddie Ocampo (one of my all time favorite drummers) for Art/Design & Photography. Who knew?! The graphic look of the CD rounds out the cool edginess of this effort as a true piece of art.

OWN THIS!

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Ashtech - Walkin' Target
Interchill Records
August 2007

Here is a fine contribution to modern dub. Walkin' Target features dubtastic bass by Ashtech, himself, guest performances which take this work to another level, and exquisite production at the hands of Gaudi. I'm currently on my umpteenth listen, and as with any worthwhile dub record, it grows on me more and more with each passage, releasing its hidden secrets at a true dubs pace.
FIND IT IN YOUR HOOD!

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Chimp Beams - Menina
March 2007

If you're a person, like myself, who enjoys the benefits of self-prescribed medication, this album is for you. A journey into a universe truly it's own. Until just recently, I've been listening to it randomly and un-medicated, but it wasn't until I was appropriately subdued that I found the space to venture into it's depth. Now, however, I am overjoyed to have this in my collection of spatial musical adventures. It gave me good reason to disable shuffle on iTunes. HIGHly recommended!
BUY IT NOW!

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| LIVE REVIEWS | ^

Saturday October 28, 2006
Carnival of Illusion
Third Ward - Brooklyn, NY.
by Domenic Macri

Well, the time has come once again, when inspiration hits so hard, I just have to put myself through this torture of typing, spell checking and proof reading. This time, the stimulus comes from one of the wickedest Halloween parties I have ever been to in my 30+ years of trick or treating. It was the aptly named 'Carnival of Illusion' hosted by TheDanger.com - WHAT A SPECTACLE! It was a solid reminder that I am indeed in perhaps the greatest city in the world. I have never witnessed such a collective effort of Halloween mayhem - stunning, disturbing and eerily beautiful costumes at every turn in this maze of a warehouse tucked discreetly in Brooklyn's 3rd Ward. And the music was nothing short of world class (DJ Kimyon - I don't know where you came from, but you blew my mind!) - and with a mixed bag of genres sure to please everyone from goblins to super heroes alike. Perhaps what really set this party apart was that aside from the great featured artists, the crowd was equally as much a part of the performance, elevating the concept of illusion into a reality of illusion.

But the true magic of the evening for me was a stellar performance by the Subatomic Sound System. Mind you, they started off a bit slow, with Rhiannon, one of the many artists within the System, introducing the band - perhaps she was just buying time, but it was a bit too much promo talk for me (this is not to take away from her talents as a vocalist - she still smoked over the tracks.) Rhianna did, however, touch on something that made me nervous at first. She asked the crowd if anyone was into dub, and the full room didn't make a peep (including me, probably the biggest dub head there.) Mind you, it must have been the same 'get on with the music' mentality that kept us all silent, because by the time they broke into their dub set, the crowd was going nuts! This was a little into the set, after some killer drum and bass featuring the insane vocals of Naada. Big props to Scientifik, who seamlessly (and genuinely) mixed and dubbed up a slew of genres from hip hop to drum and bass to pure roots dub and dancehall. This massive collaborative effort has truly blossomed from my first run in with them at BPM - and they kicked ass even then. Treasure Don and Daddy Lion Chandell are now a force to be reckoned with. I sense this duo is maturing into oneness, voicing bass and treble over the solid tracks of Scientifik and tha Riddim Doktor.

Shortly after Subatomic, I was maintaining my enthusiasm knowing DJ DRM was up next, and with a fresh buzz in tow, I was like a kid on Halloween night - um, yeah. Anyway, as most amazing warehouse parties turn out, this one was greeted prematurely by the fire department. At first, I tricked myself into thinking maybe they were guys in impressive costumes playing a prank, but as the requests to leave the overcrowded premises persisted, we decided to heed, and further evidence of flooded staircases and sirens sealed the evening.

This quote from the promo prophetically summed up the evening best... "This is the night you believe in - when our NYC cynicism melts into a pure manifestation of myth, masquerade and unapologetic self-indulgence." I guess 'The Danger' people know that they know how to throw a party. I sure as hell signed up to their mailing list.

I'm not sure how long this link will last, but this has a clear list of the talent featured that night. Check out any or all of these artists, nothing here will disappoint... http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/eve/225412403.html

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Saturday March 11, 2006
Concent & Bastard Jazz Present DUB Nite w/ DUB Nomads / Tengaku Dub (from Japan) / DJ Paul Digs.
BPM - Brooklyn, NY
by Domenic Macri

Yes, once again, BPM delivers an inspiring evening of Dub! From the too short a set of Dub Nomads, to the fresh dub vibes spun by DJ Paul Digs, rounded out nicely by the live dub rockers Tengaku Dub from Japan, the vibes were high and mighty, indeed. It's hard to believe that it's been a year since my first outing to BPM - I would never have imagined that this place would last this long, let alone grow and maintain such a vibrant dub scene. Kudos go out to Bastard Jazz for promoting and developing this scene through a fine roster of DJ's and performers.

I am blown away that in the three years of developing this site, I am more inspired now than ever by the proliferation of the dub community. It's come a long way in those three years. In the beginning, I had struggled to find a handful of decent dub sites to link to - and now I find myself contemplating filtering and categorizing the plethora of submitted links and sites I'm finding through raw searches. And I believe what is happening at BPM is a microcosm of a more worldly phenomenon. From the San Francisco offerings of dubmissionsf.com, to the obvious burgeoning scene in Japan, the dub vibrations are spreading gracefully around the globe.

And so the journey continues - BPM promises a healthy dose of dub in the coming weeks. So, if you find yourself in the New York area, be sure to check out their schedule (sign up at BastardJazz.com for regular updates) and plan accordingly.

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Saturday October 22, 2005
Bastard Jazz Presents DUBWISE SESSIONS w/ Victor Rice Live Dub Set! / Subatomic Soundsystem / alongside MCs: King Django, Treasure Don, Daddy Lion Chandell w/ selectors MonkOne + The Dubtempo Soundsystem.
BPM - Brooklyn, NY
by Domenic Macri

I must confess, with all the tragedy and suffering that is present in the world at this time, I feel a little apprehensive at writing about the following remarkable and privileged experience. Yet, I am compelled to do so - though I will keep it short.

Saturday night was a night I had been looking forward to for a few weeks now. My appreciation for Victor Rice is no secret - so getting a chance to see him live - dub mixing live off multi track reels, no less - I was not going to miss this. I had some trepidation, it being a cold, rainy night, I feared the crowd would be thin. And as with any event I anticipate this much, I was sure I was setting myself up for disappointment. Thankfully, I was wrong on all counts. Fashionably arriving after midnight, I entered as Victor Rice had only just begun his first set, and it was already rocking. It was obvious, the crowd was appreciating the magic at hand, as well. Once again, I was overwhelmed with a humbling sense of privilege for what I was witnessing. This was essentially a rare listening session of a master dub producer at work over an impressive sound system. Joy! He had at hand a fine selection of Victor Rice material, as well as tracks he produced for various artists from Sao Paulo, Brussels, Muenster and NYC. All this set in what may be the only venue in all of New York that could pull this off so successfully - BPM (read Dub Nomads review below.)

In between Victor's sets, we were treated to some wicked vocal stylings courtesy of Treasure Don, Daddy Lion Chandell, and King Django - all overtop some really cool laptop performances from Subatomic Soundsystem. Big up, fellas!

Like I said, I'm going to keep this one short - but I had to make mention of this event. Word is, Victor will be a monthly staple at BPM for at least the next few months, so if you missed this, stay tuned, God willing, there will be more to be had.

P.S. got that BPM link... Studio B.P.M.

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Saturday March 26, 2005
Dub Nomads / Dub Trio / DJ DRM.
BPM - Brooklyn, NY
by Domenic Macri

Well, well, well. What can I say. Once again, I make my way to some remote location, eager, yet somewhat skeptical, not helped by the fact that the closer we get to this club, the more desolate the neighborhood becomes. There is no one around, and being in New York, that actually makes me a little nervous. I apologize to my associate in advance for bringing him once again to what may be a dead night. "Dub is dead" I exclaimed in my typical jaded fashion.
So after a scan of the block in question (we missed the place on the first pass,) we finally found an open door with a well camouflaged sign reading "BPM" - we made it. We worked our way into the indoor alley, which initially makes you think your heading for a basement, but then veers back up and into the space. Nice - real old school speak easy vibe, made me feel all warm inside. Suggested donation - $8 - sure sounds reasonable. Beer - choice of Brooklyn ale or pilsner - $4 - also reasonable, but please return your bottles to the bar for recycling. That's totally my style, this night can't turn out to be too bad, right. We get inside and the room is a lot smaller than I expected, so even the few people that were there made it feel not so empty. And the tunes, pumping through a most adequate sound system, were jamming in a true dub style. One track - by John Wayne, the DJ is kind enough to point out - really gets me into the right vibe. That's followed up by Horace Andy's 'Do You Love My Music' - now that is only one of my favorite all time tracks, so you know I'm feeling really good now - and the first spliff has yet to be sparked. At that point I would have been happy if the DJ was the only feature.
Not too long after the scheduled start, the room suddenly fills, like an alarm was rung outside or something. And soon enough, the opening band was making it's way to the stage to get started. Now, I did a little bit of searching online before the party, and didn't find too much on Dub Nomads - even the only site - http://www.concentny.com - which seems to be a host for them didn't have much to say about them, so I wasn't expecting much. That said, these guys are anything but an opening band. They blew us away! Yes! DUB IS ALIVE! We're talking the real deal here, folks. Like the blossoms of spring coming to life before me, my spirit soared with a renewed awakening. Perhaps I took one hit too many, I'm not sure, but all I know is that I was moved way beyond any expectation into the deep spaces where dub is meant to be heard.
This was a six band unit that was so tight (yet loose, man, you know what I'm sayin'?) that not one element was ever too much. Bass, drums, guitar, trumpet, keys, and mix genius. Dub Nomads. I thought, yes they must be nomads - how is it possible that I have never heard of these guys? Are they that fresh? I don't think that will last long. Jah willing, these gentlemen will become the new ambassadors of dub. Take it to the world, fellas. Everyone should here this band. LA, Tokyo, Paris, Rome, Moscow, London, Kabul, Baghdad, Beijing, wherever you are - gather your dub massive and request the presence of this band - you will not be disappointed. If not, book your ticket and hotel NOW! They are playing again at the same place April 9th. After that, who knows - I sure hope they don't slip back into the abyss they seem to have arisen from. I'll sure do my best to keep them 'in the light'.
Okay, so that was the 'opening' band. What? There's more to this evening? DJ DRM does a most excellent job of keeping the vibe right. He's playing some wicked tracks - hip hop over live dub players (on vinyl, of course) and other dub rarities that gave me the sense that yes, this is exclusive, though it should be global, there are probably not that many people on earth that will hear this music. That sense of privilege from hearing DN was still carrying over.
Then onto Dub Trio. I was actually a little nervous for them. Personally, I know I would have been pretty intimidated having to follow up that first act - then again, I'm a studio head - live performance is not my schtick. Not these guys though - they truly stepped up to the plate. Yet another awakening. Dub heads who rock! I mean punk rock, anthem rock, hard rock, but in a rub-a-dub stylee! Talk about bringing it to the masses. Song after song, I was blown away how they would transition seamlessly from these rock star intros into rockin' reggae, dub and ska grooves, trip me out, then bring me back to earth with equally powerful rock star outros. Dub rock stars. I would never have imagined. But here they are. Once again, well done, fellas! They appear to have a few shows coming up in NYC, and one in Philly, but I'd bet these guys would love to take their show on the road - raise your voices - get these guys in your town - here is a new dub for the new and old generations alike.
As for BPM - if you find yourself in the city - find out what's going on here. Apparently every party is something to remember. I wish I had a web link for them.

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Saturday Feb. 22, 2003
Antibalas with Dub Is A Weapon.
Makor, NYC
by Domenic Macri

Last night I was excitedly looking forward to yet another installment of live dub, this time with Dub Is A Weapon. With the same rhythm section as the VR Octet two weeks ago at the Knitting Factory, how could it not be great? When we got there in the middle of the set, the grooves were in motion and it didn't take long to settle into their smooth dub session. I witnessed what I've been dreaming of doing for a long time myself - live dub mixing on stage with the band. Dave Hahn did a splendid job hitting some well-timed echo throws, despite his humble rig. All in all, it didn't have the impact that the VR Octet had, maybe because I didn't recognize any of the tunes, or maybe because I'm just not as much a fan of Dub Is A Weapon as I am of Victor Rice - not yet anyway. Nevertheless, I hope to catch these guys often, as it is a pleasure to see dub in it's more natural form being kept alive.
Well I went to see the opening band and figured the feature was bonus. I've only heard of Antibalas by name, without reference to their music. Boy was I in for a treat. These guys kicked my ass. Without giving away my years, I can say I have been to hundreds of live shows in my time, and I have never danced through two live sets of any band - until last night. They call themselves Afrobeat, I say they're just damn funky. Though I've never had the privilege of witnessing Fela Kuti live in concert, I could only imagine this is what it would have been like. A cacophony of sound sewn together by a relentlessly driving rhythm section that kept each track grooving for what seemed to be 10-15 minutes or more. Even with these lengthy excursions, I don't think anyone wanted them to stop. There was truly a whole lot of rump shakin' going on.
Though the grooves are raw and rump shaking, their message is strong and loud. In true Fela spirit, they hold no punches in their political statements. And they definitely have the vehicle to deliver them. If this large group can keep it together long enough - a task in itself - I have no doubts their audience will grow exponentially.
If these guys hit your town, check them out. If they don't, gather your friends and bombard their agent till they do. I have seen the past present and future of world beat, it is Antibalas. Put on your bulletproof vest and enjoy the ride!

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Sunday Feb. 09, 2003
The Victor Rice Octet at The Ska Festival in New York City.
The Knitting Factory
by Domenic Macri

I've been a fan of Victor Rice for about two years now. I came across his music in my search for tracks to fill the dub channel on the Heavy.com radio player. His tracks were definitely among my favorite from the fine roster of New York's Stubborn Records label. Since that time, his disc 'Victor Rice at Version City' (Stubborn Records SKA-0008) has kept me entertained and inspired. It's the only disc to get as much air time as Horace Andy.
For the last month or two I've been getting word that the VR Octet were performing, often right in the East Village, and yet the opportunity eluded me. It was late Sunday evening and I finally managed to find a friend to join me for what I had hoped would be at least a decent set of live dub. (Thanks Rose!) Neither of us was disappointed. Actually, I don't think anyone in the AlterKnit Theater was dissapointed that evening.
I assumed the band members would be in my age bracket, as dub style is not readily accessible to today's youth. But to my surprise, both guitarist Dave Hahn (Dub Is A Weapon) and organist Victor Axelrod (Ticklah, Roots Combination, Antibalas, Strikkly Vikkly) at least appeared to be far more youthful than their rhythm skills led on. No offence to the other gents, a healthy group of seasoned pros whose performances were right on target over top of a simply wicked rhythm section.
Solos were in abundant, and although I'm not a huge fan of solos, they were, for the most part, entertainingly exploratory. I was well impressed over the soloist's abilities to venture far from the grooves and yet find their way back in tact. Drummer Eddie Ocampo, the one man to refuse a solo, rocked the beats just the way I like it, loose yet steady. He and Victor are obviously well versed time travel companions.
I cannot overstate how awesome it was to hear (and feel) a rhythm section laying down solid grooves in true dub style. It was very encouraging to see such a great turn out for what I was beginning to fear was a dying art form. The band rocked some of the steadiest live dub vibes I've heard in a long while and earned a well-deserved encore.
Thanks for an awesome show fellas. I hope to catch it again, and encourage all dub heads to do the same should the opportunity arise.

Show details:
Sunday, FEB 9
Knitting Factory
74 Leonard St
BTWN B-Way and Church
for tix 212.219.3006
http://www.knittingfactory.com
Doors opened at 7PM $15 for all stages

2 sets in the AlterKnit Theatre

Featuring:
Rolf Langsjoen, Trumpet
Paul Gebhardt, Alto Sax
Michael Wagner, Trombone
Victor Axelrod, Keys
Dave Hahn, Guitar
VR, Bass
Eddie Ocampo, Drums
Larry MacDonald, Percussion
+ Dave Hillyard, Tenor Sax

and special appearances by
Cedric "IM" Brooks, Tenor Sax
Bruford O'Sullivan, Trombone
Rick Faulkner, Trombone

2 sets at the 3 Floors of Ska Festival with;
The Toasters
NY Ska-Jazz Ensemble
Big D and the Kids Table
River City Rebels
The Bluebeats
Westbound Train

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