Book Review. [JWPM 3.2 (2016) ] JWPM (print) ISSN doi: /jwpm.v3i JWPM (online) ISSN

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1 [JWPM 3.2 (2016) ] JWPM (print) ISSN doi: /jwpm.v3i JWPM (online) ISSN Book Review Paul Sullivan Remixology: Tracing the Dub Diaspora. London: Reaktion Books. 264pp. ISBN (pbk) Reviewed by: Jeff Wragg, University of Waikato, New Zealand Keywords: diaspora; dub; electronic music; Jamaica; reggae In Remixology: Tracing the Dub Diaspora, Paul Sullivan seeks to document the evolution of dub music from its beginnings in Kingston, Jamaica to a global genre. He traces the movement of dub music alongside the migration of Jamaican people to Europe and North America, and examines the influence that dub music has had on a wide array of musical styles, both as a genre and as an approach to music making. Sullivan s writing is lucid and engaging, and he provides extensive research into the local infrastructure of each city he visits, documenting the key producers, record labels, clubs and record stores that were instrumental in the dissemination of dub music outside of Jamaica. While Sullivan makes occasional arguments pertaining to dub music, for example that the concept of the mixing-board-as-instrument was fully realized in Kingston (8) and Jamaica s dub pioneers used echo in combination with the sentiments and spirituality of roots reggae to provoke a sense of Jamaica s ancestral African roots, while at the same time invoking the infinity of the cosmos (9), these arguments are not explored in enough detail to be entirely convincing. Rather, Remixology is best enjoyed as an historical overview of the creation and evolution of dub music, with the welcome addition of the connection between dub and the concept of the remix. The introduction provides a brief account of the creation of dubplates (instrumental versions of popular tunes), following an incident where engineer Byron Smith accidently left the vocals out while cutting an acetate of On the Beach by The Paragons (1967), thus paving the way for the dub version. Following is a brief discussion of sound systems and their influence on the birth of rap and the rise of the MC as artist, before discussing some of dub s more recognizable tropes such as the use of reverb and echo, prominent bass frequencies, and inclusion of non-musical sounds and effects. Chapter 1, The Kingston Context, situates dub s emergence in Jamaica as part of a broader musical, social and political context, including the rise of Equinox Publishing Ltd 2017, Office 415, The Workstation, 15 Paternoster Row, Sheffield S1 2BX.

2 296 Journal of World Popular Music sound system culture, the founding of a local music infrastructure and the establishment of a national sound. Sullivan points to the emergence of sound systems as a solution to the prohibitive expense of radios, whereby readyto-go sound systems could be rented out for parties, political rallies and as a means for businesses to attract customers. Initially playing in private homes and community halls, sound systems soon grew into dancehalls and openair concerts, and competing sound systems held clashes where the winner was decided based on exclusivity of songs and the power and clarity of the system. Sullivan discusses the emergence of a national sound as a response to the scarcity of American rhythm and blues records, forcing local soundmen into the studio to record local musicians in order to satisfy the demand for fresh rhythm and blues tunes. While initially derivative of American efforts, the inclusion of elements of traditional Jamaican music, such as mento, created a unique sound known as ska, which would later morph into rocksteady, and finally, reggae. Chapter 2, Kingston Dub Pioneers, draws the connection between the advent of multitrack recording and dub music, and cites early influential Kingston studios such as Studio One, Treasure Isle and Randy s Studio 17. Sullivan discusses some of the pioneering techniques developed at these studios by engineers such as Sylvan Morris, Errol E.T. Thompson and Clive Chin, such as stereo mixes that separated vocals and instruments into left and right channels, explorations of non-musical sound effects, and modifying electronic equipment to achieve unique sounds. A significant section of the chapter is dedicated to three of dub s principal pioneers, Lee Scratch Perry, King Tubby and Hopeton Scientist Brown. Sullivan s discussion of Perry begins with his time working at Treasure Isle recording studios and follows his sometimes volatile relationship with various studio owners and producers. He cites Perry s experimental nature and obsession with sound effects, and also credits him as one of the first reggae artists to use drum machines and synthesizers. For all his experimental tendencies, Perry was highly influential on the development of reggae, the most mainstream music to come out of Jamaica. In particular, his work with Bob Marley and The Wailers is instrumental to the development of Rastafarian ideas in reggae music. King Tubby s series of instrumental B-sides is credited with helping to establish dub as a commercial genre, as well as underline the idea that an engineer could also be an artist in their own right. While he was not alone in developing many of the production techniques used, Sullivan credits him as being the first to use them consistently enough to be established as recognizable tropes. Scientist is one of the many people Sullivan interviewed for the book, and while his comments are insightful regarding his interest in electronics and desire to change the way

3 Book Review 297 reggae music was recorded, the lack of detail behind Scientist s contributions to dancehall feels like a missed opportunity. The remainder of Remixology examines the influence of dub music on successive music genres and focuses on those cities where dub has made the biggest impact. Starting with London, Sullivan begins by briefly describing the conditions that led to greater Caribbean migration to England, such as labour shortages caused by the Second World War, and the difficulties facing new immigrants regarding housing and employment. He discusses the importance of Jamaican music as a means of cultural identity and social cohesion; however such a fundamental element of the dub diaspora could have benefited from further discussion. Sullivan turns first to discussing three important members of the first-wave of Caribbean migration, Lloyd Coxsone, Ken Fatman Gordon and Jah Shaka. These three are credited with exposing white British youths to Jamaican music and helping to break Jamaican acts such as Burning Spear, Prince Lincoln and The Royals. Shaka is also credited with being one of the protagonists of the digidub sound, moving dub into the digital environment and working more from drum machines and synthesizers than live musicians. Sullivan details the appropriation of Jamaican music by the Mods and Skinheads, and dub s influence on groups such as The Clash, Killing Joke and John Lydon s post-sex Pistols band Public Image Limited. The chapter closes with an indepth look at three acclaimed UK dub producers, Dennis Bovell, Adrian Sherwood and Mad Professor. As a member of Matumbi, Bovell pioneered the lovers rock genre and also collaborated with post-punk artists such as The Pop Group s Mark Stewart and The Slits. Sherwood formed the On-U-Sound Records label, which brought together members from both the Jamaican and post-punk music scene and has been instrumental in dub s evolution beyond Jamaica, while Mad Professor is best known for No Protection (1995), a dub version of Massive Attack s Protection (1994). Chapter 4 documents dub s arrival in New York and follows a similar structure as the preceding chapter. Sullivan provides a cursory overview of the difficulties facing arriving Jamaican immigrants and the role of Jamaican music in overcoming these difficulties, though much like the chapter on London, further discussion would be welcome. Instead, attention is paid to the establishment of a local dub infrastructure in the form of record labels, recording studios and record stores. DJ Kool Herc receives due credit as one of the founding fathers of rap music, though he interestingly denies that his approach is informed by Jamaican deejaying, a claim that Sullivan seemingly rejects, and offers eyewitness accounts of his Jamaican style of toasting and cited influence of Kingston heavyweights Coxsone Dodd, The Skatalites and Prince Buster as evidence. Included in this chapter are excerpts from

4 298 Journal of World Popular Music interviews with DJ Spooky, creator of the illbient genre, and François Kevorkian, who cite the influence of dub on their music, both as a genre and as an approach. These admissions give strength to Sullivan s notion that dub should be considered an approach to music making as well as a genre of music; however, like other arguments Sullivan occasionally puts forth, it is not sufficiently developed to be entirely convincing. The greatest strength of this chapter is the parallel that Sullivan draws between the dub version and the disco remix. Although the two creations occurred independently of each other, the dub-inspired aesthetic of remixer Walter Gibbons pushed the disco remix into new creative territory and ultimately led to the development of jungle music. Chapter 5 revisits London and, starting in the 1970s, documents some of the genres of music that were influenced by dub music. Sullivan begins by discussing UK fast style and cites the influence of dub on early pioneers such as Saxon Studio International and Channel One. Sullivan points to the international success of many UK DJs but laments the lack of acknowledgement of UK hip hop, wisely pointing to the issues of authenticity that arise when rapping in an American accent using American vernacular. He cites London Posse as one of the first to embrace their nationalistic roots, and in an interview Rodney P discusses how being black and British informed their sound and approach. Musical comparisons, as well as associated rituals such as dubplates and live MCs, are drawn between dub and jungle, drum and bass, UK garage and grime. Sullivan makes some attempt to draw comparisons between dub and dubstep; however he relies on the cited dub influence on many dubstep practitioners to form the bulk of the connections. Chapter 6 focuses on Bristol and begins with a brief discussion of Bristol s role in the transatlantic slave trade and the racial tensions that preceded the Bristol Omnibus Company strike and the St Paul s riots. A significant section of the chapter is dedicated to Mark Stewart (of The Pop Group and Mark Stewart and the Mafia) and discusses his collaborations with dub veterans Adrian Sherwood, Dennis Bovell and Lee Scratch Perry. Smith and Mighty also receive due credit, though there is surprisingly little discussion of Massive Attack, given their obvious dub influence, collaborations with Horace Andy and Mad Professor, and cover of Man Next Door by The Paragons. The Bristol drum and bass scene, best represented by Roni Size and Reprazent, is given significant coverage before moving on to discuss dubstep, a style that is now almost synonymous with Bristol. Sullivan credits producer Rob Ellis as one of the first to bring dub and dubstep together with Scientist Launches Dubstep into Outer Space (2010), a collection of dub remixes by Scientist. The inclusion of Berlin in chapter 7 seems an unusual choice at first, given that the city has historically low levels of Caribbean migration and the fact

5 Book Review 299 that reggae received virtually no attention prior to Bob Marley. However, Sullivan points to the surge of popularity of reggae music during the 1990s and identifies the reggae infrastructure as one of the most extensive in Europe. He points to the fall of the Berlin Wall as having considerable impact on the burgeoning dub scene, as many now-vacant apartments and buildings were quickly converted into makeshift clubs and bars. Sullivan makes much of the connection between Berlin and Detroit, crediting Tresor Records and the Hard Wax record store as key players, and discusses at length the partnership between Hard Wax s Mark Ernestus and Moritz von Oswald, particularly their efforts in merging the aesthetics of dub and techno. Producer Pole is given rightful space as one of the innovators of the glitch genre, though in an interview excerpt he identifies more with the dub methodology than any direct musical influence. The remainder of the chapter focuses on the work of the Jahtari record label and their efforts to evolve dub music, as well as the dub and reggae influences on Bernd Friedmann and Shackleton. The final chapter on Canada is an interesting, if somewhat unusual, addition, given that Sullivan dedicates a significant section to dub poetry and the works of poet Lillian Allen and poet/playwright D bi Young Anitafrika. While one can understand Sullivan s desire to include it in the book, given the connections that can be traced to dub music, it appears to fall outside the scope of the rest of the book and raises ideas that, due to limited space, are not afforded the opportunity for further exploration. However, Sullivan does go through the now familiar process of identifying the key players responsible for setting up the local dub infrastructure in terms of artists, record labels, recording studios and record stores. Mossman is given significant coverage, where he directly cites his dub influences both as a genre and as an approach, as is DJ/ producer Deadbeat whose music is also heavily influenced by dub. There is a brief teaser at the end of the chapter focusing on Version Xcursion, a DJ producer/radio-host, originally from Bristol, who strives to expose Toronto audiences to the music of Massive Attack, Portishead, Smith & Mighty and Mad Professor. As the network of musicians linked through the dub diaspora is a recurring theme throughout the book, a little more detail here would have been appreciated. The conclusion raises some very interesting topics, such as dub s influence on art and technology. However, like dub poetry, these topics are raised only to be quickly abandoned and would perhaps be best served in a followup book. Remixology is an excellent read for enthusiasts of dub music, and the scope of Sullivan s research into identifying key players in each locale he visits is impressive. The strength of Remixology lies in tracing the myriad of genres that have been influenced by dub music and in connecting the key players involved, in terms of collaboration, influence and intertwined per-

6 300 Journal of World Popular Music sonal histories. Further detail regarding the role of Jamaican music in the life of the first wave of Jamaican immigrants would have been welcomed; however this does not detract from the fact that Remixology is a remarkably wellwritten book that makes a significant and much-needed contribution to the literature.

7 The Ultimate Guide to Great Reggae The complete story of Reggae told through its greatest songs, famous and forgotten Michael Garnice The Ultimate Guide To Great Reggae celebrates (and helps you find) the greatest songs of reggae. It focuses on every style of reggae, from mento to Jamaican R&B, ska, rock steady, dub, DJ, roots, dancehall and more. It opens with an exceptionally comprehensive brief history of reggae. This is followed by 52 chapters, each devoted to indepth descriptions of the greatest songs for a particular artist or style. Over 750 great songs are detailed, and many more are discussed. More than 200 of reggae s stars, cult artists, onehit wonders and forgotten greats are profiled, encompassing the music s full six decade span. Many of the songs and artists receive their overdue first coverage in print. The seven chapters on Bob Marley describe every one of his more than 600 recordings, his 200 best songs receiving detailed profiles. Insightful and engaging, The Ultimate Guide To Great Reggae is more than an invaluable buyer s guide and more than a comprehensive history. It s a love letter to reggae that s a joy to read. It s the one essential book for any reggae fan, and is interesting and accessible for anyone who enjoys reading about music pp 234 x 156mm Illus. hb ISBN / $39.95 Order online at

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