Digi Dub

[Poet for Hire]

Apart from 'digital dub' what is digidub?. Is it a scene or just dub produced on computers. Does it relate to a specific period of dub releases. It seems to get a bad press generally, and I noticed discussion of it on another thread in relation to dubstep.

 

[john eden]

I guess it's a sub-genre, which kind of orbits around the Jah Shaka soundsystem and others of the same ilk.

Arguably the first digi dub tune was "Warrior Stance" by Dread and Fred in 87.

The peak of the scene for me would be the mid-90s, where you had producers like Iration Steppas and Disciples making some wicked tunes like "Scud Missile" and "Prowling Lion".

 

[micmack]

I've never put it together that digidub, is Irration Steppas, Aba Shanti, Channel One etc.

I've been to a few of the University of Dub gigs at Brixton Rec over the last few years and have also been surprised it gets little media space (apart from the odd mention in the Wire).

One gig for Bob Marley's anniversary last year (I think) was absolutely rammed with a mixed audience of Rastas and Ravers (glow sticks and all). The music seemed such a powerful, but new (to me) fusion of techno and dub.

This music deserves more attention

 

[john eden]

Yeah it is kind of amazing how that scene has managed to sustain itself for so long really. I can't really hack the University of Dub gigs because they are too loud and the music is a bit samey after a while (because they all play their own productions all night?), but Iration and Jah Tubbys have always been excellent whenever I've seen them...

 

[matt b]

Yeah it is kind of amazing how that scene has managed to sustain itself for so long really

subdub in leeds (monthly session run by iration) is always rammed (mark says its the biggest dub night out of london- we once queued for about 90 minutes to get in- they do advance tickets now). it gets very, very little mention in any press up here though.

in terms of why it remains hidden, i'd guess that the music isn't that suited to home listening- its functional music made for the dance, where it all makes perfect sense.

 

[Blackdown]

dont people use the term 'digidub' derogatively to imply non-JA people making dub poorly?

 

[john eden]

dont people use the term 'digidub' derogatively to imply non-JA people making dub poorly?

I think some people do, yeah. Certainly there have been some people who have NEVER countenanced reggae being made anywhere except in JA. Hence people like Dennis Bovel disguising some of his UK productions in the 70s as JA ones.

And then there is an inbuilt snobbery against the babylonian un-ital computer to compose music, of course.

This is compounded by the fact that in the late 90s loads of really really bad records got released which were billed as "uk dub" or whatever, which dragged everything down.

I guess better terms are "uk steppers" or whatever, I dunno.

You are probably right because the dub sets from people like Fatis "Xterminator" Burrell never get described as being "digi dub" despite being digital...

 

[Dubquixote]

One gig for Bob Marley's anniversary last year (I think) was absolutely rammed with a mixed audience of Rastas and Ravers (glow sticks and all). The music seemed such a powerful, but new (to me) fusion of techno and dub.

The union of raver and rasta has always struck me as a fantastic and uniquely British phenomenon. And the musical possibliities therein have contributed to some of the most exciting musical developments in the last 20 years (bleep n bass, jungle/dnb, speed garage, grime/dubstep).

There's a very early UK acid house/techno record featured on the Warp 10th anniversary compilation called 'Ital's Anthem' by Ital Rockers which I can only describe as equal parts UK dub and techno, dating from probably about 1989 or 1990. That has always seemed like a revelation to me.

 

[PeteUM]

Isn't digidub just 80s-onwards dub utilising any kind of digital technology? I've got an Island compilation called Serious Dub from 1987 that strikes me as being particularly digi-dub, so it goes back a ways. I thought people just called it digi-dub to distinguish it from yer classic 70s roots stuff.

 

[DonRuba]

It's really a bad genre name, since it's so confusing and unclear what it means exactly.

I'd say that theoretically it means dub that is produced as modern dance music is produced. Thats is: totally or at least mainly programmed instead of made with live instruments. When it's partly live/partly programmed I's say the most common setup is using drum machines, but a live bass guitar.

So that's how I would explain the boundary for digidub towards "normal dub" or "roots dub" . And then there is the boundary between digidub and other kinds of "dubby electronica". What I think separates digidub from dubby electronica is that it's almost always possible to detect a trace of digidub's reggae roots, even though they sometimes may be rudimentary. And it's also more often than not inspired by rastafarian faith or philosophy.