Ten Over Ten Vol 2 - PsyAmb 90

When working on illustrations I find it useful to listen to long ambient trance tunes. Such music allows me to completely tune out from the world, shut down all external stimuli and concentrate on the tasks at hand. I've put a few of the better ones together for this mix as part of the ongoing "ten over ten" series -  a series of mixes devoted to showcasing ten tunes with a length of over ten minutes.

We kick of with of The Orb with their track "Towers Of Dub ( Ambient Mix )". This version, i.e the ambient version, first appeared on a vinyl release from 1991 titled "Orb In Dub". I bought a second hand copy for $2 about twenty years ago. The A side was scratched however and made a little skip half way through this song. This clean version in the today's mix comes from a compilation CD series  called "Ambient Senses" which is well worth following up on for classic ambient trance tracks.

The second track in the mix comes from another compilation series. The Goa Beach series is a hit and miss affair. Spanning an incredible 25+ releases it comprises of goa, psytrance, psydub, psybient and ambient music. Here I've gone for Soehngen's ( Christoph Söhngen ) track "Leftfield Harmonies" from Goa beach Vol 3. 

Dub Illusions - PsyAmb 89

Greetings. This week I've put together a collection of a tracks that deliver a varied expression of the psydub sound. From the smooth enthnodub of Kuba to the in your face heavy bass of Eat Static, this mix takes you on a relaxing ride across the psychedelic dub map.

Today we kick of with Kuba's track "Dub Of The Dreamer", which originally appeared on his EP "Above The Clouds". I recommend you get this one on the compilation album "Time By The River", a collection of Kuba's previously released EP and compilation tracks. It features thirteen classic tracks for just 7GBP !  I did hear of a new Kuba album in the works so follow him on Facebook to keep up to date on that one.

We then have a track from Illuminus off their excellent debut album "Sweep Dreams". It's a great album and was recently featured as an album of the week here at the psyamb blog. I feel it seemed to come out of nowhere and wasn't promoted so much, which is a shame as it is a top album and should not be overlooked.

Flowertz is the moniker of Gianpiero Fiorell. You can find this track on his album "Kumbhaka" which is a rather tasty mix of dub and downtempo music. It was awarded Best Ektoplazm ( Free Album ) release of 2015 at Reddit's annual Psybient awards.

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.

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)

Smooth, sexy dub that sounds as fresh now as it did 20 years ago. A classic in every respect ! All tracks are great byt you really can't miss Doof's "Baba, We Love Dub So".

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