AN AGE IN A DECADE

Dubroom Online - February 6 2009


"AN AGE IN A DECADE" (WEBMASTER'S COLUMN)

WWW, February 6 2009 - With even the CD on the return, digital downloads are on the rise and have surpassed the number of CD's sold at certain places.

About ten years ago, when the MP3 format was introduced (is it just that short? yes it is! it's like an age in a decade, isn't it?), people screamed bloody murder. This would be the end of recorded music and all of that.

The birth of the Online Artists proofed them wrong.

There was a time where the online artist was so threatening to the recording industry, they basically killed the economy that was being built on the independent nature of the online artists.

Right now, in 2009, I really don't know if the future of digital sales is going to be equal to that of the CD's.

One Love, Give Thanks,
Messian Dread (Dubroom Webmaster)

The above column is the personal opinnion of the Webmaster and does not neccesarily reflect the contents of the Dubroom Website and/or Message Boards and/or Weblogs.

ITEMS FOR THIS EDITION:

DONOVAN BANZANA (DUBROOM MP3 REVIEW)



His voice is smooth and so is the music he sings over, usually.

Hailing from Ocho Rios, Jamaica, he shared stage with "them all" and by listening to his music, you'll know just why.

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MP3 ALBUMS 371-380 (DUBROOM EMUSIC PORTAL)



Here are ten more crucial MP3 albums, carefully selected and provided with a mini-review. Help yourself to 25 free MP3's, or sign up and get yourself some of the top (DUB) Reggae Music there is at a rather low price!

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THAT GOOD OLD CD

Dubroom Online - February 5 2009


"THAT GOOD OLD CD" (WEBMASTER'S COLUMN)

WWW, February 5 2009 - I remember that a little girl asked me, about a decade ago, just what was an "LP". This made me realize that not only was I getting older, but also that technique was continually progressing.

The CD was introduced, roughly just over two decades ago. Just ten years ago, only preterists and vinyl fetishists talked about record players and so on.

Right now, even the CD is on it's return. There are several companies that claim they have more income generated by digital sales than by the "old" Compact Disc.

Of course, I am not an economic and I cannot check as to whether or not these figures are true. But I wouldn't be surprised if they were true...

One Love, Give Thanks,
Messian Dread (Dubroom Webmaster)

The above column is the personal opinnion of the Webmaster and does not neccesarily reflect the contents of the Dubroom Website and/or Message Boards and/or Weblogs.

ITEMS FOR THIS EDITION:

PETER TOSH (DUBROOM MP3 REVIEW)



Together with Bob and Bunny he formed the Original Wailers. But Peter Tosh, who was brutally murdered in a very bloody and shady conspiracy against him, can be considered the most militant of all.

His truly wailing voice matched very well with the message that radiated out of the vast majority of his many songs.

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MP3 ALBUMS 361-370 (DUBROOM DUBROOM EMUSIC PORTAL)



Here are ten more crucial MP3 albums, carefully selected and provided with a mini-review. Help yourself to 25 free MP3's, or sign up and get yourself some of the top (DUB) Reggae Music there is at a rather low price!

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MAD PROFESSOR'S TRIP HOP

Dubroom Online - February 4 2009


"MAD PROFESSOR'S TRIP HOP" (WEBMASTER'S COLUMN)

WWW, February 4 2009 - The Mad Professor is one of the most versatile DUB engineers the world has ever known, we can establish this by looking at his oeuvre.

Next to producing some of the hardest UK DUB and Roots Reggae, Neil Fraser is also active outside the realms of Reggae, where he uses his DUB skills in yet another form of music.

Yes, DUB goes beyond the realms of Reggae and has been influential in the creation of just too many forms of electronic music to mention in this small column.

One of the best examples of the "missing link" between Reggae DUB and non-Reggae DUB is provided with the album No Protection, reviewed for today's edition of Dubroom Online.

The music of this Art is called "Trip-Hop"...

One Love, Give Thanks,
Messian Dread (Dubroom Webmaster)



One Love, Give Thanks,
Messian Dread (Dubroom Webmaster)

The above column is the personal opinnion of the Webmaster and does not neccesarily reflect the contents of the Dubroom Website and/or Message Boards and/or Weblogs.

ITEMS FOR THIS EDITION:

JANGO FRESH (DUBROOM MP3 REVIEW)



Hailing from Florida, this original Jamaican vocalist manages to keep it relaxed in a dancehall style still.
You got to be into Dancehall to really apprecilove, though...

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MASSIVE ATTACK VS MAD PROFESSOR: NO PROTECTION (DUBROOM ALBUM REVIEW)



The Art of DUB has been the inspiration for a very large part of contemporary digital music, from Techno to Hip Hop.

In "No Protection", the Mad Professor provides undeniable evidence of this fact in the form of what really is a "missing link" between Reggae and a form of contemporary digital music called "Trip Hop".

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MASSIVE ATTACK VS MAD PROFESSOR - NO PROTECTION

MASSIVE ATTACK VS MAD PROFESSOR - NO PROTECTION
DUBROOM ALBUM REVIEW





The Art of DUB has been the inspiration for a very large part of contemporary digital music, from Techno to Hip Hop.

In "No Protection", the Mad Professor provides undeniable evidence of this fact in the form of what really is a "missing link" between Reggae and a form of contemporary digital music called "Trip Hop".

The art of DUB and the rhythm of Reggae are connected, very much so. But DUB and Reggae are not two words for the same music.

If only for that reason, it would be interesting to check out "no Protection". It's a DUB remix by the Mad Professor of the music by Massive Attack. This duo used Horace Andy in their works as well, as they provided an excellent Dance version of Horace Andy's classic "Spying Glass". A DUB can be found on this album too.

This is DUB without (necessarily) being Reggae. A wide variety of different rhythms serve as foundations for what are undeniable heavyweight DUB versions. The Mad Professor shows, how the technique and Art of DUB can be used on more forms of music than Reggae alone.

Ergo: No Protection is an album for the DUB Freak, but not necessarily for the Reggae fan. For those who want to know just what influence DUB has on contemporary music, though, the album is an absolute recommendation.

MAD PROFESSOR'S OTHER SIDE OF DUB

Dubroom Online - February 3 2009


"MAD PROFESSOR'S OTHER SIDE OF DUB" (WEBMASTER'S COLUMN)

WWW, February 3 2009 - If you would only look to his Mixing skills and releases, there is already more than enough reason to focus on the Mad Professor as we currently do in the Dubroom.

Next to riding the mixing board like, indeed, a Mad Professor, Neil Fraser produced a wide variety of vocalists as well. He records them in his Ariwa Studio's.

He launched carriers, for example that of Pamela Ross aka Aisha. The Dubroom also reviewed a video where Aisha and Mad Professor perform in the UK a few years ago, but it was already back in the 1980's that the brother and sister joined hands to produce some pretty progressive material.

On almost every album that the Mad Professor produces, he will use DUB techniques. But there is another side to his DUB releases: the vocal parts.

Check out Aisha's High Priestess. Just follow the links in the review and press play somewhere.

One Love, Give Thanks,
Messian Dread (Dubroom Webmaster)



One Love, Give Thanks,
Messian Dread (Dubroom Webmaster)

The above column is the personal opinnion of the Webmaster and does not neccesarily reflect the contents of the Dubroom Website and/or Message Boards and/or Weblogs.

ITEMS FOR THIS EDITION:

ELEPHANT MAN (DUBROOM MP3 REVIEW)



Just like Yellowman and others that went before him, Elephant Man is known for his slack lyrics while his conscious lyrics are forgotten.

He chants over a form of music that some would not recognize as Reggae but is popular throughout the Dance halls all over the world nevertheless...

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AISHA - HIGH PRIESTESS (DUBROOM ALBUM REVIEW)



On the Ariwa website, she is presented as the Queen of the Roots Daughters and not without reason.

Born in 1967 and already singing eight years later, Aisha would team up with Mad Professor in the 1980's to start what would grow out to a Movement of female Roots singers.

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AISHA - HIGH PRIESTESS

AISHA - HIGH PRIESTESS
DUBROOM ALBUM REVIEW





On the Ariwa website, she is presented as the Queen of the Roots Daughters and not without reason.

Born in 1967 and already singing eight years later, Aisha would team up with Mad Professor in the 1980's to start what would grow out to a Movement of female Roots singers.

High Priestess is in many ways to be considered as a document. The album was originally produced in 1986, musically way ahead of it's time. In the same time, it was not so common in that time for a female singer to emphasize on Roots and Roots topics rather than Lover's Rock and/or Dancehall.

The lyrics go deep, very deep. "If there is someone to be blamed, let the politicians be named", for example. In a well worked out combination of lead and backing vocals, it becomes clear that Aisha really is one of the best female singers Reggae has ever known.

As said, the music was way ahead of it's time. In the historical context, it is really interesting to hear Aisha announcing the coming digital age in music and how it will be used to spread conscious vibes.

Not a popular opinion back in that time!

However, the best albums and other creative productions are made in spite of popular opinion, in spite of the spirit of the time, in spite of the wishes of the mainstream recording industry of which the Mad Professor has managed to stay away from throughout the decades of his carrier.

MAD PROFESSOR'S QUALITY AND QUANTITY

Dubroom Online - February 2 2009


"MAD PROFESSOR'S QUALITY AND QUANTITY" (WEBMASTER'S COLUMN)

WWW, February 2 2009 - Quality and Quantity, there seems to be not so much of a different between these two words in the dictionary of the Mad Professor.

Next to 10's of crucial Mad Professor DUB albums, Ariwa Studio's also released and continues to release countless of vocal albums as well as singles.

As we continue to focus on Mad Professor's extensive oeuvre in this period, Neil Fraser's contribution to what really is more than just a sub-genre of Reggae becomes more and more apparent.

Much of the material may be decades old, but they are more advanced than many contemporary DUB releases. Every time I listen to these albums, as I do in this current times, I hear yet another thing.

One Love, Give Thanks,
Messian Dread (Dubroom Webmaster)

The above column is the personal opinnion of the Webmaster and does not neccesarily reflect the contents of the Dubroom Website and/or Message Boards and/or Weblogs.

ITEMS FOR THIS EDITION:

MAD PROFESSOR - WHO KNOWS THE SECRET OF THE MASTER TAPE? (DUBROOM ALBUM REVIEW)



It was the year 1985 and lots of people thought how DUB have had it's longest time. After all, the flood of DUB albums from Jamaica was no longer a flood.

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JOHN PILGER: PROPAGANDA, THE PRESS, CENSORSHIP AND RESISTING THE AMERICAN EMPIRE (BABYLON OBSERVER VIDEO REVIEW)



WWW, January 2009 - He's been at just about every place where a major war went on: John Pilger, Australian journalist and film maker. And he's talking about it, too!

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MAD PROFESSOR - WHO KNOWS THE SECRET OF THE MASTERTAPE: DUB YOU CRAZY, PART 5

MAD PROFESSOR - WHO KNOWS THE SECRET OF THE MASTERTAPE: DUB YOU CRAZY, PART 5
DUBROOM ALBUM REVIEW





It was the year 1985 and lots of people thought how DUB have had it's longest time. After all, the flood of DUB albums from Jamaica was no longer a flood.

They were wrong and they could have known if they would have been looking to the UK and more specifically, to the Ariwa Studio's!

Neil Fraser sat in his studio. He was working on allready the fifth episode of his -now classic- DUB ME CRAZY series. One DUB Album after other was released, and people could hear -or I should say: experience- how just about every new kind technology was used to create some of the weirdest DUB you could not even think of.

Like a true Mad Professor, his obvious genius goes together with an equally obvious "madness". His works are from a lonely quality, that is to say: simply unmatched. The more you listen, the more you hear just what he was actually able to do in a time wherein most people thought of computers and digital technology as something threatening.

No, it's not for nothing that the Dubroom has such an enormous attention for the DUB albums of Neil Fraser, a.k.a. the Mad Professor. He knows The Secret Of The Master Tape!