15 Essential Classic PsyDub Albums
PsyDub ( Psychedelic Dub ) is a genre of music close to my heart. For the past 20 years or more I've been soaking in the wondrous delights this music offers. Today I'd like to rewind the clock back a few decades and share some of the best psydub albums from the early days.
Here is a list of 15 albums, produced in the 10 year period from 1994 to 2003, that I highly recommend as a starting point for exploring the sounds of early psydub.
Here is a list of 15 albums, produced in the 10 year period from 1994 to 2003, that I highly recommend as a starting point for exploring the sounds of early psydub.
1. Stress Assassin - Within The Office Of Eye and Ear (Spiral Trax, 2002)
It doesn't get much more chilled then this. Henrik Jonsson delivered a timeless album of ambient dub built on a solid classic dub foundation. Should not be listened to while driving or operating heavy equipment.
2. Hallucinogen - In Dub (Twisted Records , 2002)
Though it may be cataloged as Hallucinogen this is essentially the work of Ott. On this album Ott takes a selection of classic Hallucinogen trance tracks, throws them in the Ott-o-matic washing machine and they all come out sparkling of dubby gold.
3. Various - Mashing Up Creation (Dubmission Records,1997)
4. Shpongle - Are You Shpongled ? (Twisted Records, 1998)
A firm fan's favorite, Shpongle's debut album put down a certain blueprint for many a psychedelic dub artist to follow. Spiraling, trippy melodies and subterranean bass take you on a mesmerizing journey into the other-world behind closed eyelids
Essentially a Simon Posford (Shpongle/Hallucinogen) side project compilation with the addition of Doof and Total Eclipse, this album marked the beginning of Twisted Records fine collection of psydub and downtempo compilation albums. Deep ethno dub magic.
6. Dub Trees - Nature Never Did Betray The Heart That Loved Her (Liquid Sound Design , 2000)
The beginning of Youth's ( Martin Glover ) "Dub Trees Trilogy" is a real head-masher. Dub fills crash through walls of reverb so thick it's like listening to a colossus honey-molasses monster splitting the world in two.
7. Celtic Cross - Hicksville (Liquid Sound Design, 1998)
Posford and Glover team up with input from Saul Davies and Matt Coldrick to deliver another across the cosmos journey into electronic psychedelic bass. Noted for it's fusion of traditional Celtic melodies and time signatures over tripped out spacial environments, Hicksville has left fans begging for a sequel for the past 20 years.
8. Various - High Priests Of Electronic Dub (Hypnotic, 1996)
One of the most enjoyable listening experiences you can have stoned. From the dub remix of FSOL's classic Papua New Guinea to Bioshpere's remix of Download's Attalal, this is like a fine selection of chocolate dub assortments.
9. Shulman - Soundscapes And Modern Tales (Shaffel Records, 2002)
From its opening UFO crash monologue this album will have you hooked if long, psychedelic chillout tunes are your thing. Borrowing from the book of Shpongle, Shulman's debut album marked the arrival of a new musical genius on the scene. Later albums would surpass this one in terms of quality and musicality however it will always remain a favorite for me, just as many things we experience the first time are. If you like the opening track then check out this tasty new psytrance remix by Rocky Tilbor.
10. Bluetech - Prima Materia (Waveform Records, 2003)
While European artists were busy reworking classic dub with new psychedelic sounds, over in North America Bluetech was hard at work deconstructing dub and rebuilding it with a glitchy, stuttering, cybernetic core. Sublime electronic dubscapes.
11. Entheogenic - Entheogenic (3D Vision Relax, 2002)
Entheogenic's debut album explores the mysteries held within Ayhasusca/DMT experience. The music flows like a twisting cosmic river of starlight. Later albums would go on to top the chillout charts in Germany, the first of any such psychedelic dub chillout albums to do so.
12. Blumenkraft - Ott (Twisted Records, 2003)
"Jack's Cheese and Bread Snack", "Spannered in Pilton", "Smoked Glass and Chrome" the list goes on. Ott's remarkable debut album is chock-full of psydub stormers not to be missed.
13. Subsurfing - Frozen Ants (AO Records,1994)
Predating Shpongle by four years, Greg Hunter and Ryoji Oba, cooked up what one could argue is the single most ground breaking and gorgeous album in the history of ambient psychedelic dub music.
14. Ooze - Where the Fields Never End (Spirit Zone, 2001)
Ooze by name, ooze by nature. The debut album from Sebastian Mullaret seeps with thick, dubby liquid bass accompanied by quirky bleeps and jazzy percussion. It was remixed in 2012, so be sure to check out that version too ( you can get both in one package / double CD ).
15. Saafi Brothers - Mystic Cigarettes (Blue Room Released, 1997)
I searched high and low for this album when I heard about the release. When I finally got my hands on it, it felt like I was in possession of the holy grail or some such ancient artifact. One of my most played albums ever, Mystic Cigarettes is a groundbreaking work of ambient tech dub that should not be missed by anyone who wants to explore the roots of psychedelic ambient dub music.
1 comments :
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