Dub is a Jamaican invention, no doubt about that, but this set from Adrian Sherwood’s label marks a time when some elements shifted, to some extent, from the sound system to the festival, and its reverberations are still with us. Dub Syndicate were one of the leaders of this movement, and this reissue comprises four classic albums, following on from the earlier historical reissue, the Ambience In Dub boxset. The music obviously relies strongly on Jamaican musicians – most obviously on drummer Style Scott – but other elements are thrown in, sometimes an almost psychedelic approach, or just mellow, mellow vibes.
1989’s Strike The Balance (with Bim Sherman supplying vocals), 1991’s Stoned Immaculate, 1993’s Echomania with Lee “Scratch” Perry guesting on a couple of tracks, and 1996’s Ital Breakfast are the (classic) albums concerned, plus the new Obscured By Version reworkings of material from this time-span (see review elsewhere). All come with the original artwork plus new notes and photographs. Essential for dubheads, but you may have trouble believing this stuff s around three decades old.