Asante Amen (Dubroom MP3 Artist Review)

ASANTE AMEN
DUBROOM NET LABEL REVIEW

WWW, September 2014 - Talking about a singer, you're talking about Asante Amen. A crucial voice he has, especially when he's using it to go in all directions like a roller coaster. On top of that, he gives praises to the Most High which is of course the Source of all singing. Asante Amen, this is not the only place where you'll be reading about him.

Should you be wondering about Jamaica and slackness and the way that so-called crucial combination is called in especially the MTV's of this world, wonder no more. It's not that wonderful combination and there are a lot of Jamaicans who rather see a combination of Jamaica and Righteousness. Say that, say Asante Amen. Forget about the slackness kings and queens, make way for the positive vibrations of today's Jamaican conscious singers like this brother.

Heartically felt!

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Pato Banton (Dubroom MP3 Artist Review)

PATO BANTON
DUBROOM MP3 ARTIST REVIEW

WWW, August 2014 - Pato Banton has his way of dealing with his voice and lyrics: he is a master of saying the serious thing in a funny way without making fun of the situation itself. Yes, intelligence galore in his many releases, of which Mad Professor Captures Pato Banton remains to be a standard of UK based sing-jay or toasting.

During his decades-long career, Pato Banton voiced for UB40 and many other UK based famous acts. His sense of humor, his usual focus on social and spiritual topics, he combines everything in an undeniable special and personal style that has -in the mean time- lifted up the souls of millions of listeners and viewers of energetic concerts. Check out this remarkable talent!

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The Mad Professor (Dubroom Artist Review And Much More)

THE MAD PROFESSOR
artists.dubroom.org/madprofessor

WWW, July 2014 - He is definitely one of the founding fathers of (UK) DUB and there is so much more that can be attributed to the works of Neil Fraser better known as The Mad Professor. From his London-based ARIWA Studio's to the world (wide web), it's impossible to count the works that this genius has released throughout the decades. The Dubroom's rather large number of reviews of Mad Professor's albums covers only a small portion of his work. A -rather personal- review by the Dubroom editor.

When he was a young child, he had more than an average interest in electronic devices. Perhaps it came through an interest he had, as he reportedly asked his mother who that little man in the radio actually was. Whatever it was, a strong determination and even more efforts led him to start his own recording studio in his home in London, where he recorded the Punk band Ruts DC and also started recording Reggae music.

dub me crazy

Gradually, he became known and this got a real boost with the introduction of his now standard listening material for anyone even remotely into DUB and far beyond that: the DUB ME CRAZY series. Almost single-handedly, he took what was then (early 1980's) a fading trend in Jamaica and popularized it in the UK, Europe and the rest of the planet eventually. The creativity and, yes, without apology, genius mind of the Mad Professor was captured in these early releases and has never disappointed throughout the decades that followed.

It was during these days, that yours truly as a teenager had discovered the sound of DUB and after buying several chapters of the DUB ME CRAZY series phoned the number that was printed on the record sleeves. The Mad Professor took like half an hour, just to talk with this Dutch teenager that was "dubbed crazy". A memory that is precious and a half hour that turned out decisive. 

dub, lovers' rock and roots daughters

Good vibes and always a place for known and unknown musicians and vocalists. Back in the days of MP3.com, several artists had a Dub of their music mixed by the Mad Professor. In the same time, he recorded Reggae Greats like Yabby You and Michael Prophet and created more essential Dub listening like New Decade of DUB with JAH Shaka.

Legendary for his DUB, another side of Mad Professor is his many Lovers' Rock releases. Lover's Rock is a very sweet, silky form of Reggae to which the UK seems to have some kind of signature and ARIWA plays -just like with that other trademark UK DUB- a central role. Usually, slackness is far away with Lovers' Rock and it's absolutely gone with the ROOTS DAUGHTERS that Mad Professor recorded and released. His recordings with singers like AISHA have reached classic status.

massive attack and the orb

ARIWA has not just recorded Reggae Music of the highest kind. Mad Professor has made a rather classic remake of Massive Attack's album No Protection, the ORB used his recordings with AISHA, and that's just two examples from the 1990's. 

thief can't hold him

He got an enormous blow when it turned out that in spite of the good and necessary vibrations produced in Ariwa studio, some wicked person(s) decided to become a thief in the night and robbed everything. A wicked, wicked thing indeed which too not just a lot of time from Mad Professor and his Ariwa crew. Fortunately he regained his desire to share his music with the rest of mankind and we are now obviously at the point where ARIWA is the name for one of the essential sounds of Roots Reggae that is present in this time.

reel to reel reggae

With the rise of the computer and other digital technology came the rise of computer-based music. After the initial time it took to overcome prejudice, computer-based music is now considered to be equal to that which is not directly programmed into a Pentium or what have you. Mad Professor released the second volume of "Reel To Reel Reggae", an excellent sample series for producers which is purchased, reviewed and used by the Dubroom.

reel to real dubwise

Only a short period after Reel To Reel Reggae Volume Two was released and reviewed by the Dubroom, this website released a three-track EP with extended Dub created directly with Mad Professor's Sample Pack. A tribute called "Reel To Real Dubwise", which can be downloaded for free from the Dubroom and a variety of Online Music Distributors like LAST.fm, REVERBNATION.com, and VERSIONIST.net.

world wide web

It is not so difficult to find information and music by the Mad Professor on the Internet. Take YouTube, where it is rather easy to find several video's where he performs live or gives interviews. Even tutorials, when you look a bit deeper. It's not so hard to take a listen, for example at ARIWA's Channel At Youtube or straight from the ARIWA website.

 

visit artists.dubroom.org/madprofessor

Junior Kelly (Dubroom MP3 Artist Review)

JUNIOR KELLY
DUBROOM MP3 ARTIST REVIEW

WWW, July 2014 - Junior Kelly's life hasn't been easy. Born and raised in Kingston, he saw his older brother -a DJ for Kilimanjaro Sound System- brutally murdered. That's right, and on top of that his brother was the primary source of income for the whole family. He was also the example for his younger brother, who since then has been working hard to spread a positive message as a vocalist. 

Knowing about this background of Junior Kelly can only lead you to a deep sense of respect for the Jamaican singer. Someone who does not turn to violence and criminality but instead uses music and spirituality is -or should be- an example to many. His affiliation is with the House of the Bobo Shanti and thus with artists like Capleton and Sizzla, but musically he takes a different direction and with that, he appeals to ones who prefer their Reggae sung rather than chanted over. 

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Ras Khaleel (Dubroom MP3 Artist Review)

RAS KHALEEL
DUBROOM MP3 ARTIST REVIEW

WWW, July 2014 - Ras Khaleel actively started voicing in the year 1999 and has been riding many riddims ever since. His talented, skilfull voice is versatile and of a consistently high quality. His faith in Jah is one of his main inspiration sources and that can instantly be felt in the heart. Download some of his musical tunes from REVERBNATION.com and the Dubroom's music carrying his voice and you will not be disappointed. Instead, you will be encouraged.

Often compared to Luciano, a definitive fact is that Ras Khaleel knows how to deliver a conscious message as well as a more lighter thing like a lover's tune. Never losing dignity or consciousness, he is definitely an example to just too many vocalists doing the slackness thing.

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STEPPIN' ROOTS WITH DON GOLIATH

STEPPIN' ROOTS WITH DON GOLIATH
DUBROOM ARTIST REVIEW AND INTERVIEW

WWW, June 2014 - Do not call it Dub Step, don't even call it "Dub Steppish", and especially not when the term sounds like a cuss to you. Call it Roots Step, for that is the name of the unique sound captured in no less than twenty-four chapters of the "Rootsstep To The World" series released by Don Goliath from his Berlin-based studio. With the help of elders like U Roy, Trinity and many others, his "Rootsstep Division Recordings" label is ready to bring the Roots Vibration to a brand new generation. Are we? Time for an in-depth listen and talk with the don himself.

Dubstep. Just saying the word can get you into a long discussion or even debate. Every one has an opinion, every two disagree about everything two can possibly disagree over. And, as with all Dub/Reggae derivates, it can be kind of really difficult to discover any Roots. Dubstep. Not really something to check and not really something to disagree over, either. It's just not relevant. 

Or is it?

Apparently it is. We have Mad Professor's Ariwa Sound releasing "Roots of Dubstep", an obvious description of (DUB) Reggae. An obvious statement as well from someone who actually stood at the roots of UK DUB. 

And now we have "Rootsstep" music straight from Berlin, in a rather large quantity and consistent quality. Many well-known vocalists have contributed, some are so well-known that their contribution is obviously voluntarily. We're talking names like U Roy, Jazzbo, Kojak, Lone Ranger, Trinity, Dillinger. They have all stood before the microphone and voiced especially for Don Goliath and his Rootsstep riddims. Voicing like they have done for decades, without any compromise in word or sound or power.

So, what is Rootsstep? What drove these Founding Fathers of Reggae to contribute to Don Goliath's sound? Mind you, these are people that you do not tell what to do. When they do something for you, it is the result of their decision to do so. They really can be considered as Elders for they are.

The best way to start is to listen for yourself. However, it it is very difficult to find reviews or articles about the Don and his Rootsstep Sound. Just only recently, the ORIGINAL DUB GATHERING Net Label picked up some of Don Goliath's work and a German blog wrote a review in German but that's about it. So, chances are that your discovery of this unique sound starts by CLICKING HERE (ZIP FILE) for an MP3 mix featuring Kojak and Trinity straight from Don Goliath's WEBSITE or (if your browser lets you) check out the tune below:

 

Yes, this is the sound of Rootsstep. It's a sound that has all the musicological elements of Roots Reggae while the overall vibe has nothing out-dated or "historical" if you will. This could very well be described as 21st Century Roots, Cyber Roots, or simply Conscious Contemporary Reggae. This is more than merely a style by a sound, this is a sound by itself. So why not call it Rootsstep? 

Listening to the conscious message of Rastafari, skillfully delivered by voices too familiar to not take serious, the music instantly drops you into today's vibes dominated by modern digital recording and mixing technologies. In itself, once again it is shown how Rastafari and Consciousness in general transcends times and places as it contains a universal message from the Creator Himself. Who feels it, definitely knows it.

Unlike the Biblical giant, this one Goliath comes with an uplifting message. A message of righteousness and with songs of praises to the Almighty. Just like all conscious Reggae, that is. However, it is the sound that is intriguing. This is a sound that will appeal to an audience that may not necessarily be drawn to your Steppers Reggae or (DUB) Reggae in general. This is a sound that seamlessly fits into today's spectrum of electronic styles while in the same time distinguishing itself from the slackness and plain vanity or emptiness "present" in too much productions these days (including Reggae!).

Don Goliath started releasing his new sound through a series of albums called "Rootsstep To The World". At this time, in June 2014, chapter 24 is released. You don't have to make the math to see that something is going on here and the fact that so little is written about it all makes you wonder. It makes you wonder so much that you want to find out more about Don Goliath and his Roots Steppin' sounds. 

Time to go to the Don and ask him some thing. This: What Is Rootsstep and how did you come up with this unique sound? 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE INTERVIEW AND GET LOADS MORE MUSIC AS WELL

ROOTS 'N' FUTURE - DUBPLATES FOR POWERFULL SOUND VOLUME 1

ROOTS 'N' FUTURE - DUBPLATES FOR POWERFULL SOUND VOLUME 1DUBROOM MP3 ALBUM REVIEW

 

  WWW, September 2012 - If only for the hard-hitting "Business of War" and it's even harder hitting DUB version, you just have to download this 2010 release by the Swiss based Audioactivity Net Label who brought us such excellent compilations as DUB Propaganda and DUB Disaster 1 and 2. 

As a matter of fact, Roots 'n' Future is a project and collective based around the drummer of the band High Note, Dino. When this is the first of many Dubplates for Powerfull System, it's a very promising one. There's a wide variety of styles on the album, even some Dubstep tracks that you may or may not like. Those with a focus on Steppers DUB will definitely want to check out the album, in fact every lover of DUB Reggae should.

As said in the opening paragraph, tune called "Business of War" and it's heavyweight DUB counterpart is reason enough to download the album. Definitely one of the hardest Steppers DUB recently reviewed right here in the Dubroom.

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DUBROOM MP3 ARTIST REVIEW: KING TUBBY

KING TUBBYDUBROOM MP3 ARTIST REVIEW
 

  WWW, September 8, 2012 - Widely considered to be the godfather of DUB, King Tubby's name is as essential in the art of remixing Reggae as Bob Marley is for Reggae in general. Osbourne Ruddock's oeuvre gets into the thousands if not tens of thousands of tracks, created in two decades of which the 1970's was the most productive one.

His career started way back in the 1950's, when he began repairing stuff for the sound systems. A talented repairman, Tubby's soon started his own sound system called King Tubby's Hometown Hi-Fi. His original approach would prelude his later DUB era as he would add effects to the tunes played on a pristine sound.

In the 1960's, Tubby would become a remixer for Duke Reid. Usually, these remixes or versions would simply be an instrumental counterpart of s vocal track and released on the B-side of 7" singles. But King Tubby went much further as he not only stripped the vocals but also other instruments. In just a few years time, the first decade of DUB was a fact.

He started his first studio in the early 1970's. It was a small studio, no room for recording music but designed to mix from multi-track tapes from other studio's. The very first dub room, if you will. In this studio, which later had room for recording vocalists as well, he mixed countless of DUB tracks and gave a DUB education his protégées like Prince Jammy and Scientist.

His enormous creativity would lead him to build bigger and better studio's until he started producing on top of his remixing in the 1980's. This lasted until February 1989, when he was violently killed in what many people assume was an attempted robbery. The murder has yet to be solved...

Unfortunately, King Tubby was not given the chance to see just what the art he created would lead to. The Art of DUB has itself given birth to, or is at least influential in the sound of many contemporary musical styles, like House and other Dance genres. Until this day, many popular artists will -rightfully- list him as source of inspiration.  

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