Heavy Voodoo: A Dub Retrospective and Its Enduring Influence
by Daniel Finn
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Every month, we take a deep dive into a specific genre, sound, or style. Through a carefully curated playlist, we showcase some of the most iconic and influential artists to help you understand and connect with the roots and value of the music. This month, we focus on Heavy Voodoo through the lens of a Dub Retrospective.
The word “Dub” originally comes from an abbreviation of the recording term “to double a recording.” In reggae music and the dub sub-genre, the term retains a similar meaning. In the early 1960s and 1970s, the operators of Jamaican sound systems transitioned from using large stacks of tweeters, horns, and bass bins to test and master reggae recordings, into becoming full-scale dance party promoters and facilitators. These DJs and sound system operators hungered for exclusive reggae recordings that challenged the dance floor by using stripped-back versions of tracks. These versions were dubbed from the original recordings onto acetate discs, and later onto dub plates.
Over time, these recordings were increasingly manipulated using effects such as reverb and delay, creating unique tracks for DJs to toast over. This manipulation formed the core of the early dub sound, a groundbreaking style that would resonate far beyond its origins.
Dub began in small Jamaican studios but quickly grew thanks to visionary artists such as Lee “Scratch” Perry, Osbourne “King Tubby” Ruddock, and Augustus Pablo. These producers and musicians developed innovative techniques that shaped the sound of dub and influenced music worldwide.
The impact of dub music on modern music cannot be overstated. Its influence stretches well beyond reggae, affecting genres as diverse as rock, post-punk, punk, and pop. Dub’s production style also helped shape hip hop, post-disco, house, techno, ambient, EDM, and trip-hop. Furthermore, dub’s techniques and sonic aesthetics laid much of the groundwork for jungle and drum and bass. This broad reach makes dub one of the most remarkable and influential genres in music history.
If you’re ready to immerse yourself in the captivating world of dub, explore our specially curated Heavy Voodoo - A Dub Retrospective playlist. It features essential tracks and artists who have defined and continue to influence this genre.