Everyone who knows a bit of dub probably have heard of Brain Damage, High Tone, Dub Syndicate, Zion Train, Iration Steppas or Kanka, but not everyone knows what do they do on the scene playing so-called live acts. A lot of people associate dub only with sound systems and it’s not a bad thing – sound systems promote this music style very well, but also a lot of people forget what really is the art of live dubing – that’s what I’m up to today.
Live acts can be divided into 2 kinds – one is a concert of whole band live, with the master of ceremony keeping an eye on them. He does not represent the traditional meaning of a MC, but he is the sound realisator – dubmaster. The second kind is live act with dj-dubmaster, who mixes the vocals, samples, sirens and instruments, e.x. bass, trumpets, melodicas, trombones with the presented music. Let’s stop by the dubmaster – he uses digital and analogue effects and ensures that the whole thing sounds clear and is full of delays and reverbs and other effects from his arsenal of tools he’s using to creatively modify the sound. Thanks to his work the music gets a whole new quality. The tune we know from the album will never sound the same, there always will be an additional flavour which makes it original.
That’s it, what’s more – in a few articles I will try to present to you how does live dub playing looks like in the world with separation for countries, which have their representants in this style. We’re going to take a look at France – unquestionable capital of live dub and to UK – place where is the most of Jamaican emigrants and the best sound systems. I’m not going to ignore our neighbourhood and far journeys to other continents.