Artist: Dubblestandart
Album: Immigration Dub
Label: Groove Attack
Year:2007
Reviewed by: Woodstock Slim
Dubblestandart are reeling in, and I believe convincingly, non Reggae and non Dub fans. It's Nu School Reggae for everyone. If you were born into Roots Reggae from the 70's, 80's and at least early 90's, you won't, at first, get what these guys are trying to achieve here. Now that you know why the Reggae sounds a little different... you can listen to it with ease. It took me a while. These boys are not afraid of incorporating new elements into Reggae, it takes some getting used to but it works! Like the feeling you get when you come home late and your wife is dolled up for no reason other than to spoil you a bit, give you a bit of a treat. It's unexpected but hard to turn down. They're no Sly and Robbie so their Drums and Bass guitar are played to emulate loops rather than the tradition Sly and Robbie free standards. The loops are what the younger listener will find more appeal in, as where us oldies would prefer a very tired and sweaty drum and bass guitar duo battle to stay crisp and in time with the bobbing dreadlocks of the rest of the band doing very little.
Phew! With that out of the way... lets get on to what's in "Immigration Dub". I could tell by the first track who the album was targeting, you will too. I only caught up at number six with a track called "Money" then I knew and realised that they could in fact play Reggae traditionally and even Roots. The tempo is high and "Immigration Dub" is a pacey album and Jump-up fueled. There is no sitting down and toking on Jah-herb trying to escape the rat race. This is more of a soundtrack to the rat race. The Bass and Bass guitar style and sound content of this album is very muddy compared and crisp Bass Guitar work on most Reggae/Roots albums I've listened too. The Production is different. Nu Skool. One expects it to roll into Jungle but it never does, instead it rolls into weird 80's synth pop, wha' do dem, mon? Not in a bad way. It's light and quite sweet in a Fad Gadget/Kraftwerk/Gary Newman kind of way. If David Burne was to make a Reggae Album it would have sounded like track three "A place Called Earth", again it's an awesome track I'm not putting it down, maybe it is my way of showing the music they grew up on.
On "Wadada(means Love)" you'll hear what goes on inside ROIR (Reach Out International Records), this fusion of Reggae blending with Punk and Noise is growing seriously big now and plus it doesn't sound offensive to sensitive Reggae buffs but some believers might call it Babylon.
You might remember Doublestandart from a 12'' they released with the great Carl Douglas called "Kungfu-fighting fight back dub" with Rare Records me thinks.
"We have been on stage with Ziggy Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Mad Professor, Israel Vibration, African Headcharge, Bim Sherman, Macka B, Hypnotix, Nina Hagen, Hans Soellner, Robotix Band, The Temptations, Supermax, Black Uhuru, Burning Spear, and many more." There are many more bold and subtle sounds capes throughout "Immigration Dub" and I will ruin it for you no longer...
Their releases from round about 1990 up to present day is too much to mention check it out for yourself, here.
