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#TGTreview: Errol Brown - Orthodox Dub

Touted as "miraculously rare and seriously obscure" (with some controversy swirling about* as Errol Brown replaces Clive Hunt as the credited man behind the boards on this Dub Store Records repress), Orthodox Dub most importantly contains a strong set of raw and adventurous dubs. Relying on vocals/productions from BB Seaton - including a well-dubbed Ken Boothe cut - there's a spirit and aesthetic throughout which comes off as quite refreshing.

Errol Brown - Orthodox Dub by Dub Store Records

Riding in on a distinctive key line and a strong skank, "Black Forest Rock" unleashes a potent bass line that thuds along before some heavy-handed filtering shifts things around. A slightly mournful guitar ushers in the final push, which improves on prior themes while letting the drums reverberate. "Gold Toot Style" is simultaneously mellow and spacier, with a full-on 70s rock intro before the low-end is allowed to take over. Simpler in concept than its predecessor, this seems more reliable than revolutionary until the percussion builds to envelop itself in a clever closing twist.

Minor in opening tone, the original riddim for the title track hints at formality. This reworking of "Orthodox Dub" finds space for extended echoes, while isolating the bass and guitar nicely. "Rock A Tone Dub" reveals a bit of sweetness before reverting to a relatively sparse rhythm section, which sets up the optimistic horn lines to thrive.

Teasing high-pitched keys, "Cold Sweat" is as funky as the name implies, albeit inna heavyweight dub stylee. The bass simply commands throughout, with the other instruments complimenting rather than competing. Triumphant from the horn-led intro, "Roots Rockas" is as dynamic as hoped, a dub of Ken Boothe's "Who Really Care." De-emphasizing the melancholy of the horns, here it's a sense of urgency being created musically rather than lyrically. Cinematic in scope, this is seemingly from the score of an unreleased Jamaican Western.

A simple loop to start, "Maka Dub" lets the walking bass hypnotize until the keys and guitar finally dance together. "Dubba Black" gradually pushes the low-end even further, straining through the lush guitar skanks until an unexpectedly funky twist arrives. Then, towards the end of the track, a wail of a vocal ushers the listener fully back into the original session.

"First World Dub" is a heavier, slower selection, featuring some quality bridges, a noodling guitar solo (!), and crisp drum work. Wrapping up is "Africa Roots Style," which relies on the ever-melodic bass to interplay with the keys in particular, between the signaling echoes; certainly brooding in a way, while still confident.

All ten tracks here are further evidence that great originals can still benefit from the depths of the dub chamber. An intriguing and enjoyable instrumental set, that really emphasizes rhythmic grooves, upon this wider-reaching re-release Orthodox Dub will surely please many more discerning lovers of dub.

*Read a bit more about the backstory over at Blood & Fire, as well as the full list of original vocals...

*The Selector’s Choice*

inna TGT’s crate => Cold Sweat, Roots Rockas