DUSTY CRATES

Roots

About 60 years ago, Jamaican soundsystems gave birth to dub, a variety of reggae music that features sub-bass (bass less than 100Hz), skittering and jittery drums, distortive echo and reverberation effects. The prominent features of dub music, along with reggae’s pioneering use of dubplates, went on to not only shape a growing DJ culture but also continues to influence a variety of electronic dance musics today.

Dubbed

And true to that motif, there’s been a rumble underground since dubstep began spreading in late 2005. Although the now mainstream sound tips its hat to it’s irie origins, sort of, dubstep borrows more from drum & bass and grime. Many would even say that the “dubbed” bleepy, ominous dubstep sound had moved away from, and was out of step with, its genesis.

In ’08, a limited pressing 12-inch “Iron Devil” was released featuring Lee Scratch Perry and Prince Far-I in a dubstep style. It included a tune based on the Perry riddim used on reggae hits like “Disco Devil”, “Chase The Devil” and “Croaking Lizard”. This was the first recorded example of a founder of Jamaican dub style acknowledging dubstep and creating new music in the genre, reinforcing the connection of dubstep to its roots in Jamaican dub reggae.

Soul Iration

So when fellow DJ Meshak dropped this Release the Lions Vol. 1 mix on me this week, I found myself scouring the ‘net to find more on “soul iration,” a French Algerian variation of reggae. Music keeps evolving and people will always put their spin on things creating the next sound.

But as I dig in to hear soul iration while revisiting some roots, I’ve kept this all-vinyl mix on repeat and I suggest you should, too.

Listen. Download.

Release the Lions Vol. 1 – DJ Meshak (Mixcloud)

Release the Lions Vol. 1 - DJ Meshak (Sendspace)

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