EVERY GENRE PROJECT - August 15 - Novo Dub

Genre of the Day - Novo Dub

Album of the Day - Acid Dub Nucleik by High Tone (2002)

I’ve been reflecting on many situations that feel as if they’ve come full-circle in recent weeks, and as usual the genre of the day reflects my current state. I’m growing cognizant of the fact that going through life and wisening up involves becoming more adept at recognizing patterns, though I would never stoop to be one of those “we live in a simulation” people. Today’s is one of the most literal full-circle moments: the very first genre that kicked off this column, dub, returns in updated form.

It’s hard to see your own writing and output from a secondhand point of view, so I’m finding it hard to interpret that rookie start. Did I do one of the most impactful genres in terms of modern sound design any justice? What was running through my head as I wrote that first article? Is that simplicity better than the overblown search-for-truths approach I take now in writing these? Heaven knows (shoutout Pinkpantheress, who despite blessing listeners with two remix albums, has left a sad absence of dub tracks.) 

So, to revisit my own words and bring it half-circle: “Dub was developed in Jamaica and the genre’s thesis is to strip back familiar reggae songs by deemphasizing vocals, adding hypnotic and disjointed effects like reverb to create a dynamic, psychedelic soundscape and bringing attention to the drums and bass of the song’s instrumental, more commonly referred to as the ‘riddim’ in the genre.” It’s a serviceable summary, though I wholly underwrote its wider impact. As dub songs were placed on the B-side of marketable records, the genre helped form the concept of releasing remixes. Its unfettered experimentations in post-recording additive and subtractive approaches to songs constituted a true revolution in production. 

Dub has proven one of the most prevailing stylistic angles for many experimental and electronic producers: dubstep, dancehall, and seminal post-punk records have blossomed from its roots. Novo dub draws a straight line from dub’s original ‘70s capabilities to new sonic horizons. Dub’s reverb and echoes seemingly helped send the sound echoing like whale calls through ocean waters, as novo dub appeared in Lyon, France in the early ‘90s. A coalition of punk, reggae, and electronic influences coalesced into a dualistic mentality. The genre embraced the vitality and richness of live reggae instrumentation in dub’s soundscape, though the instruments are obviously wrapped in layers of transmuting effects. Innovative, left-field electronic manipulations breathe global-cyberized visions into the compositions.

High Tone was one of the pioneers of novo dub, and today’s ten-piece album suspends listeners in novo dub’s crafty world. The ominous bass, zither-esque ornamentation, traditional dub appreciations, and the iconic “Dust a Sound Boy” sample of “Tanioshi” is a masterful, multitextural entry into the dub pantheon. Emphases on drums are freewheeling, from the insistence of “Short Visit” to “Do be Do[‘s]” journey into jungle territory. With increasing bass-manipulation capabilities, novel tones unfold in the “Army of Me” intensity of frenetic “Bad Weather” and the early echoes of dubstep’s wobbles in “V.C.F. Rumble.” Novo dub suggests that perhaps the most beautiful pattern recognition in music is that it never stops advancing in creativity and expansiveness; full-circle returns be damned.