Dub Invented the Remix

The Monarch — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:52:13 +0000

Diddy had nothing to do with it.Â In a world where a song’s life is affected and effected by a variety of musicians, producers and engineers, dub music is this world’s forefather.Â The genre has given rise to many central tenants of modern music culture. The power of producers and DJs in the current climate of the music industry is undeniable and we must give thanks to originators such as Lee “Scratch” Perry and King Tubby for exploring musical production and allowing us to see music in a different light.

Dub came out of the Jamaican music culture of the 60s and early 70s. The culture involved the inclusion of instrumental “versions” on the b-side of records, this was the instrumental or “riddim”. This allowed DJs and producers to manipulate the track with a lot more control. Often they added reverb, echoing and other effects to the track while opting for heavy drums and bass – these elements became the definitive characteristics of Dub music. The use of effects to alter the track was done by sound engineers and producer whoÂ transformed recording soundboards into the instruments themselves. After a while DJs began to talk over records (the DJ in Jamaican Dancehall culture is a Master of Ceremonies while the person who plays records is know as the selector) thisÂ was known as toasting and once exported to New York was the basis for Hip Hop’s development.

House and Electronic music is equally indebted to dub as Hip Hop. While music without lyrics may have always existed, the interaction between the DJ or Producer and the music itself was limited to arranging or playing songs. By changing this relationship to stress the importance of how the song is played and the effects used in production, the DJs and Producers importance increased. Mixing techniques, whether they be in the production or performance (a dj set for example) of tracks, increased in complexity. Eventually this led to the birth of House. Frankie Knuckles may have been the Godfather of House, but Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and other artists gave birth to the child.

Last night I checked out the 5th anniversary of Andy Poolhall’s Dub and Beyond. The DJs dug deep into their crates and spun some amazing wax that these ears have never heard before. Hearing unique remixes which paired commonly known tracks with deep, lesser known Dub tracks from a record allowed made me appreciate the effort that was required to unearth some of these tracks. This night has been going for 5 years and shows no signs of slowing down.

I expect Dub to rise to the forefront of our electronic music scene over the next year in the form of Dubstep. Now Magazine predicted the rise of Dubstep in 2008. This British evolution of Garage and Drum & Bass is bass heavy with a syncopated beat. This genre is extremely hard but has the driving energy required to become a influential member of electronic music’s history.

Here is a collection of relevant tracks. I’ve included some Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Thievery Corporation, some tracks that I feel are in some way relevant, as well as a variety of different examples of Dubstep including Rusko’s Essential Mix!

Katy Perry – I Kissed a Girl (Rusko Remix)

Salacious Sound » The Prodigy – Breathe (Numbernin6 mix)

Dub Invented the Remix