Immigration Dub

At a time when Adrian Sherwood's On-U Sound label seems to have fallen into silence yet again and when Lee "Scratch" Perry makes only occasional and gnomic public appearances (and hardly any recordings), there is a crying need for a band to revive the adventurous dubwise reggae sounds of the late '70s and '80s. None has taken up the challenge with as much power and authority as the Viennese band Dubblestandart, whose tenth album is, if anything, even darker and heavier than those that have come before. Immigration Dub opens with the propulsive title tune, a track that features a powerful horn section, a bassline that could be used as a power shovel, and, unfortunately, a silly Jim Morrison quote (not even the sample that Dub Syndicate used on "Stoned Immaculate," but a quote). "This One Is About Flying" is better — a sturdy rockers rhythm with eerie vocals. But the best tracks are the ones that feature the voices of aging (or, in one case, dead) reggae singers from the past: Ken Boothe makes an appearance on a fine remake of "When I Fall in Love" (in an excellent jungle setting) and Ari Up — queen of the punk-reggae era — is dubbed up mercilessly on "Island Girl." There is also a very good cover version of the Prince Far I classic "Wadada (Means Love)" and another of the old Horace Andy hit "Money Money." The pressure simply never lets up, and the end result is yet another brilliant Dubblestandart album. Highly recommended.