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The Canadian website is part of Traffix Inc, an "interactive media company", based in New York. In 2007, the company acquired the exclusive rights for 10 years with an option for another 5 years. Mr. Jeffrey Schwartz, Chairman and CEO of Traffix, had this to say about it:
"The exclusive nature of this licensing relationship enhances it even further. It's not hard to find unauthorized songs for free, but to distribute songs for free that are licensed for download is a rarity, indeed. We believe that this arrangement will solidify our position as the largest free fully licensed music download marketing business in the world" SOURCE
So, until 2017, potentially, we've found a very interesting website here.
The registration process is easy, even though a bit confusing. After you've filled in your e-mail address, you're directed to a page that at first look screams: DO NOT GO FURTHER!
What's the case?
Unless you click on the link on top of the page which says something like "I'm not interested, give me something else" for about 5 subsequent times, you will not land on the registration page where you simply have to fill in your information, including a phone number. That fortunately does not have to be your own phone number, otherwise this article would never have been written.
At least, not in this way.
For after the registration process, you are indeed given access to a 1000 free downloads from a rather extensive catalogue of music. No, not necessarily Reggae and/or Dub, but we stick with our own realm of expertise.
A couple of names: The Wailers, Toots and the Maytals, The Mighty Diamonds, Yami Bolo, Sugar Minott, Abyssinians, Junior Delgado, U Roy, Prince Alla, the Heptones, Steel Pulse, Gregory Isaacs, Phillip Frazier, Dennis Brown.
Not all tracks are downloadable straight from the website, though. A huge portion is only "available through our partners at Kazaa". For which you have to pay, of course. Then there is the thing that a lot of titles on the site are actually cover versions by a band called "Countdown", which is not really obviously announced. There's even a set of karaoke tunes which you don't even want to hear!
In order to help you keeping the experience free and make sure you only download the nice ones, the Dubroom started a portal to EZ Tracks HERE.
Basically, there are two ways to download a track. If you choose so, you can download the EZ Tracks Music Manager. You will unfortunately be offered to do so, when you download a track. 
When you don't like this, just click on the link at the bottom of the page to download the MP3 without their download software. That is, after you've cancelled the offered download of the music manager.
All that trouble, is it worth it?
When you're interested in a 1000 free and legal (DUB) Reggae MP3 downloads, definitely so. However, since a lot of collectors might already have many tracks in the EZ Tracks catalogue, it might be fruitful to take a look at the DUBROOM EZ TRACKS PORTAL before visiting the website itself.
WWW, June 2009 - In the year 1987, Rub a Dub Music was still very much the style of the time, even though we already had the Sleng Teng revolution.
Six outstanding discomixes, sung by one of the most heartical Reggae singers of all time. Another Don Carlos showcase album you simply can't refuse even though the album seems to be out of print.
Prophecy contains a number of truly heartfelt titles. Crucial Situation, Prophecy, and the more than penetrating Jah Hear My Plea are reasons alone to try and purchase this album, if you can still find it.
The message is crucial, and the way Don Carlos sings the message makes it impossible to not be touched in one way or another. Especially the fact that there's some DUB niceness in the second part of each track (after all, it's a showcase album) enhances the vibe of the tunes significantly.
Originally, the vinyl album was released in 1987. That was a time wherein Rub a Dub was slowly being replaced with ragga/dancehall as the popular music in Jamaica. Nothing of that on this one, though. This is played by a band, mixed crucially and of course accompanied by the great voice of one of the original singers of Black Uhuru.
There's a thing, though...
Indeed, the album seems to be out of print and that means you got to look for it. If you're living in the US, though, you can get the MP3's of this document of Rub a Dub niceness for a few cents.
Michael "Dread At The Controls" Campbell has done a lot for Reggae Music, and he keeps doing so even after he recently left us. This podcast is just one part of his legacy. Mikey Dread brings us a truly crucial selection, presenting them in his own style, forming a one hour Reggae experience for free.
Freddie Mc Gregor is richly present in the playlist. From the Abyssinians and Culture to Garnet Silk to Luciano, we're treated with a variety of singers and harmony groups from several times.
So, even though is surely breaks the heart to realize how Mikey Dread is no longer with us: Just Ire, Just Niceness, seen?
PLAYLIST
01. Burning Spear - Resting Place (Sonic Sound)
02. Freddie McGregor - Big Ship (Big Ship)
03. Sly & Robbie - Rock Dem (Taxi)
04. Gregory Isaacs - Top 10 (Jet Star)
05. Coco Tea - Africa, Here I Come (VP)
06. Garnet Silk - Zion in a Vision (Jet Star)
07. Garnet Silk - Fill me up w/ your Mercy (Jet Star)
08. Freddie McGregor - Africa, Here I Come (Studio One)
09. Culture - I am not ashamed (Joe Gibbs)
10. Techniques - Queen Majesty (Trojan)
11. Sugar Minott - Show me that you love me (Black Roots)
12. Earl Sixteen - Don't Think I Am Crazy (Jungle Hunter)
13. Vivian jones - Sometimes Lover (Jet Star)
14. Freddie McGregor - Come and take it (VP)
15. Dennis Brown - Let me Love you (Joe Gibbs)
16. Luciano - Shake it up tonight (Big Ship)
17. Abyssinians - Declaration of Rights (Studio One)
18. Leroy Horsemouth Wallace - I want to Dub (Stable One)
WWW, June 2009 - Originally, the vinyl album had 6 extended tunes, but the CD version goes to no less than ten long, great Rub a Dub discomixes from the 1980's.
Sure, it's a rare album and that means it cost a thing on the second hand market.
Not for nothing, though.
Don Carlos was one of the original members of the vocal group Black Uhuru, before Michael Rose and others took over and put the name of Black Uhuru on the World Wide Reggae Map. The Don's voice sounds in no way similar to that of Michael Rose, however.
Don Carlos is surely one of the sweetest singers in Reggae. His melodies contain many licks and hooks which are extremely difficult to do for a vocalist. He is extremely talented, which shows on the album in a very special way.
It doesn't matter whether the Don sings a lovers lyrics or a conscious meditation, every time he opens his mouth in front of the studio microphone, he makes something special of the tune. This shows on this album, where he sings over some really crucial riddims and everything is mixed almost perfect.
Most of the ten tunes are sung by Don Carlos, and all of them are followed by a crucial DUB. Noteworthy titles include the Abyssinians' "Declaration Of Rights", and the title track of course.
Definitely worth a listen, definitely worth considering as a purchase even though you might have to go to a second hand store or whatever.
WWW, June 2009 - This album contains eight more than superb titles from this relatively unknown Jamaican vocal harmony group.
And that's not all: they all come with a more than outstanding DUB counterpart, in an all-killer-no-filler kind of quality.
"Africa Shall Stretch Forth Her Hands": Highly Recommended!
Noel "Bunny" Brown was already a veteran in the late 1970's, when the tunes on this album were released. He had been recording since the early 1960's, and had released a tune called "Bachelor Boy" under the name of "Noel and the Wild Cats".
He founded The Mighty Three's (aka Mighty 3) with Carlton Gregory and Bernard Brown, of which we find the main work on this album. It's a superb album in every aspect you can think of: the production, the music, the mixing, the singing.
The Mighty Three's have a way of touching you straight in the heart with Rasta chants, psalms, and meditations. From the opening vocal to the last dub, this album will keep you in a good vibe all the way.
It's just too bad, that there is so little material of this wonderful vocal harmony group. In that sense, they're like the Abyssinians who too were known for their heartfelt spiritual vocal works. Perhaps it has to be like that....
Nevertheless, there really is nothing bad to say about this album, other than the choice of sequence. Now you have to program the CD player before you can listen to the vocal and the dub of every title rather than first all the vocal tracks and then all the dubs.
Even Lee Perry's voice drops in, when the two engineers meet at the Dub Table in Ariwa Studio's. The riddims are varied, some are mixed crucially where others might very well be filed into the "Reggae Instrumental" category. Allbeit, that not all tracks are Reggae...
Indeed: It's time for a meet-up of Scientist and the Mad Professor and that means nothing is the way it seems.
Both Scientist and the Mad Professor need no introduction, especially not for the lovers of DUB Music.
King Tubby's protégée may never have been financially compensated for the many things he done behind the mixing board during the 1970's and onward, but that doesn't take away he did it nevertheless. The legendary Greensleeves series based on cartoon and early computer game characters, for example.
The man who started Ariwa Studio's and did his part to keep DUB Alive with his Dub Me Crazy Series keeps on producing and touring the world with his DUB act. The totality of his releases is easily counted with three or perhaps even four figures.
And so, when Scientist and the Mad Professor meet up at the Ariwa Studio's, the expectations are just very, very high. And then it might be a bit of a disappointment to discover that even though there are some precious gems on the album, a couple of riddims would rather fit in the category "Reggae Instrumentals".
Lee Perry's voice is dubbed in and out, not a thing that everyone can apprecilove as well. Sure, snippets here and there, but there are longer parts and then just before you want to skip to the next tune, it's over. Some might love it, and others won't.
A nice album for those that would consider themselves avid collectors of DUB, but it doesn't meet up with the expectations one and ones might have when they see the two names.
