Dub
Reggae pulled apart and rebuilt with bass, space, echo and the mixing desk itself.
GO DEEPER
Dub is two things at once: a Jamaican music and a way of working in the studio. Around 1968–72, engineers cutting instrumental B-sides — “versions” — began treating the mixing desk as an instrument: dropping voices in and out, flooding drums with reverb, carving space with EQ and echo. King Tubby, Lee “Scratch” Perry and Errol Thompson made silence itself musical; Scientist carried that craft forward. As a music, dub gave us some of reggae’s deepest records. As a way of working, it traveled further than any one style: through UK sound systems into UK dub and steppers, and into jungle, drum & bass, dubstep and remix culture — teachers, not parents of those musics.
Where the history is argued
- Dates for the first fully realized dub mixes are usually given as a range (c. 1968–72), not a single night.
How they stand with the others
Grew intoEmerged from reggae’s B-side version culture at Tubby’s, Black Ark and Randy’s.
Studio influenceJungle, drum & bass, dubstep and remix culture learned dub’s desk craft — they are not dub styles wearing new names.
Traveled with the peopleTraveled with sound systems to the UK → UK dub, steppers, dub poetry backing.
Talking backLoops back into modern roots and revival production.