NPR’s fantastic The Record blog brought my attention to the Dub Invasion Festival, which just wrapped up what was surely a Kingston-tastic 10 days in Boston and New York. Among the attendees were legendary pioneers of dub Lee “Scratch” Perry, who co-produced many of Bob Marley’s most groundbreaking tracks, along with Adrian Sherwood, Mad Professor, and Dubblestandart.

Dub music was so named because innovative Jamaican studio technicians and producers would manipulate or “dub” pre-existing master tapes so that the bass and drum sections, along with intermittent snippets of vocals, horns, and keyboard parts, would disproportionately characterize the new recording.

King Tubby, born Osbourne Ruddock, produced some of the most innovative sounds ever to come out of Jamaica. He is considered a pioneer of the “dub” technique and genre. Writer Vivien Goldman characterizes his effect in broad terms:

“[His] audio audacity gave birth to what is arguably the most significant popular music of the 20th century – Jamaican dub. For behold, dub gave birth to hip-hop, electronica, drum’n'bass, grunge, jungle, dubstep, and, some would even argue, the great lingua franca of today’s dancefloors: house music.”

I don’t know if dub deserves all the credit for all those styles – Afrika Bambaataa and the US funk pioneers certainly acted as grandfathers, too – but Tubby’s influence, both as a musician and a technician, is undeniably lasting. Here’s his take on Dave Brubeck’s classic “Take Five,” as well as his own “Dub Magnificent” and “Second Cut.” You can particularly see the reggae and dancehall influences here.

King Tubby – Take Five by splley

King Tubby – Dub Magnificent by repindima

Second Cut – King Tubby by Houses Of Joy Productions

Lee “Scratch” Perry worked on his own as a producer, collaborating with a variety of reggae, hip-hop, and dub acts. During his early career, he also led the popular Jamaican band The Upsetters. There’s more than a little bit of Fela Kuti on “Raise the Dead” – and I mean that in the best way possible.

Lee Scratch Perry – Wake The Dead by djdemonangel6
THE UPSETTERS – Dread Lion by Bastard

Adrian Sherwood worked with Perry, among others, since the mid-80s, and is considered to have been instrumental in rejuvenating Perry’s career at that juncture. In 2003, he started releasing solo albums. These two songs, “Animal Magic” and “A Piece Of The Earth,” are off his 2006 LP, Becoming A Cliché.

Adrian Sherwood – Animal Magic by On-U Sound

Adrian Sherwood – A Piece Of The Earth by On-U Sound

Another excellent producer currently keeping the flow of original dub music coming is Neil Joseph Stephen Fraser, aka Mad Professor. Born in Georgetown, Guyana, he’s come to be a main representative of what many consider to be dub’s “second generation.” Here’s “Banana Republic” and “Bengali Skank.”

Mad professor – banana republic by ibcsamerica

Mad professor – bengali skank by ibcsamerica