DUB SYNDICATE WITH RAVI SHANKAR (1984)

DUB SYNDICATE WITH RAVI SHANKAR (1984)
DUBROOM VIDEO REVIEW



WWW, January 2009 - What happens when Indian Sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar plays his instruments over a Reggae drum and bass line? Indeed: 25 years after the fact, we're still talking about it.

The year is 1984 and in the UK, we have Adrian Sherwood with his On-U Sound experimenting with just about everything one can experiment with when it comes to DUB. The producer also worked one this one: a collaboration between the British band DUB Syndicate and Indian Sitar player Ravi Shankar.

Shankar is one of the lesser known musical stars of the 1960's. It was the hippie time, when groups like the Beatles went to India to study what they perceived to be Hinduism. A time wherein the sound of the sitar was well sought after as it brought that vibration many were looking for.

25 years ago, the Hippies were already history. At least, the time of "peace, love and hippieness" had already been replaced by the colder vibe of the 1980's.

This did not matter to Adrian Sherwood then, as it doesn't matter to us now. What matters is: the Sound of Shankar's Sitar goes very well with the Drum and Bass lines of the DUB Syndicate band.

Enjoy!

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MAD PROFESSOR - UNDER THE SPELL OF DUB

MAD PROFESSOR - UNDER THE SPELL OF DUB
DUBROOM ALBUM REVIEW





Fortunately, it's not really a spell. In reality, it's a collection of 13 hard riddims from Ariwa Studio, superbly mixed by Mad Professor himself.

The fourth chapter in the Black Liberation DUB series is definitely one of the strongest chapters. It says a thing, because in fact the whole series is in itself already of an unmatched quality.

Strange phrases by a strange person, even more strange phasers over some not-so-strange Ariwa riddims, there is no effect left untouched as we're taken from the top to the very last drop of the album.

We can hear "real instruments" and programmed material, blending together into a massive sound that takes us through many different styles of Reggae too: from militant Steppers to massive One Drops and everything in between and around.

A variety of singers drop in and out soaked in all kinds of echoings and reverberations, as they provide some food for thought. It's a balance to the many, many humorous parts of the album, one of Mad Professor's trademarks which nobody will be able to match for quite a while to come.

Not an album to leave behind, when you respect yourself as a DUB connoisseur or even "mere" collector of the better material.