David Rodigan's Dubwize Shower

A mind-expanding journey through the history of dub led by one of Great Britain’s most famed and knowledgeable reggae DJs, David Rodigan’s Dubwize Shower immerses the listener in the surreal, echo-drenched sounds of early dub masterminds like Lee Perry, Keith Hudson, King Tubby and a host of others. Rodigan’s carefully curated selections display a sense of pacing and an eye for incisive musical juxtaposition that makes Dubwize Shower a satisfying listen for neophytes and dub diehards alike. The emphasis here is firmly on instrumental numbers that best display the studio wizardry of the producers featured, but when vocals rear out of the mix, as Johnny Clarke’s do on King Tubby’s “Roots Natty Congo Dub” the effect is startling and otherworldly, and reminds the listener that these skeletal, effects laden tracks all began life as fully fledged vocal cuts. Dubwize Shower focuses almost exclusively on tracks from dub’s mid ‘70s heyday, but Rodigan does include a few more contemporary selections from producers like Alborosie and the Grynch to lend some stylistic diversity to the proceedings.