The Profound Appeal of Dub: Recommended Masterpieces and a Popular Classic

Vanishing DubPrimal Scream

Primal Scream – Vanishing Dub

Primal Scream is surely one of the quintessential bands that skillfully incorporated elements of dub from the rock side and expressed them as their own sound.

Their 1997 release Vanishing Point—by a group famous for its chameleon-like shifts in musical style—is a masterpiece where the sensibilities of the alternative rock generation fuse with elements of dub music.

Echo Dek, the album discussed here, is essentially a full dub remix of Vanishing Point.

With Adrian Sherwood—the godfather of UK dub—handling mixing and production for every track, it’s a fascinating experiment in which a leading figure in dub reconstructs songs that had adopted dub through a rock-lens into a bona fide dub album.

Jah RockHerman Chin Loy

Herman Chin Loy – Jah Rock

Among the pioneers in the history of reggae and dub music, renowned for his inventive melodica-driven sound, Augustus Pablo worked on his first recording with an important figure: Herman Chin Loy, a Jamaican of Chinese descent.

In Kingston, Jamaica, he opened the record shop Aquarius Records and went on to run a label and studio, playing a vital role in the country’s musical history.

Produced and mixed by Herman and released around 1973, Aquarius Dub is known as one of the earliest dub albums.

It has the feel of a funky, roots-leaning reggae instrumental collection, and a key point is that it doesn’t rely on extreme effects compared to the original source tracks.

As an aside, this work is sometimes hailed as “the first dub album ever.” The origins of dub are debated, so it’s hard to make a definitive claim, but there’s no question it’s among the earliest works.

Swan LakePublic Image Ltd

Public Image Ltd.- Swan Lake (Top of The Pops) 1979

As for classic albums left behind by the UK post-punk contingent heavily influenced by dub and reggae, you really can’t avoid naming Public Image Ltd’s Metal Box.

It’s a groundbreaking 1979 release by Public Image Ltd, the new project started by John Lydon—formerly the vocalist of the Sex Pistols, the most famous band of ’70s punk—after their breakup.

The original edition was issued as a three-disc set of 12-inch singles housed in a metal canister for superior sound quality—an audacious, anarchic work that, in a sense, fully embodied the true punk spirit.

The sinking, weighty bass lines and drums that carve out a singular rhythm, the guitar that slices through space, the freewheeling vocals—all of it exudes a coolness far removed from rock’s usual emotional intensity, and the floating sonic space has an addictive allure that’s hard to escape once you’re in.

As an album born under the deep influence of dub music, this is a masterpiece that anyone intrigued by dub should absolutely check out at least once!

Dance Of The VampiresScientist

Scientist – Dance Of The Vampires [HD]

Scientist, who learned mixing work as an assistant in King Tubby’s renowned dub studio.

His 1981 album “Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires” bursts beyond dub rooted in roots reggae, delivering a freakishly imaginative dub that evokes the multifaceted, uncanny worlds of comics, movies, and video games.

Centered on intense effects work—echo, reverb, and filters—it plays like an invitation that whisks listeners into the wild, other-dimensional realm depicted on the album cover.

Off The Beaten TrackAfrican Head Charge

African Head Charge – Off the beaten track

African Head Charge has continued to win support from music fans around the world—not just dub and reggae listeners—for its primitive yet artistic sonic imagery.

Their 1986 release Off the Beaten Track brilliantly realized the concept of “psychedelic Africa” proposed by Brian Eno, thanks to the genius of Adrian Sherwood—who also founded the label On-U Sound that released the album.

The mysterious dance music created through a fusion of sampling and live instruments has been reissued multiple times, and even well into the 2020s it keeps spinning on dance floors worldwide, moving and compelling people to dance.

Blue LinesMassive Attack

Massive Attack – Blue Lines

Hailing from Bristol, England—the epicenter of the genre known as trip-hop—Massive Attack are renowned as originators of the Bristol sound.

Including their predecessor group, they’ve been active since the early 1980s, and their debut album Blue Lines, which brought them worldwide recognition, was released in 1991.

Often cited as the first trip-hop album, it sent shockwaves through the scene with a sound that uniquely reinterpreted Black music—hip-hop, dub, reggae, and soul—and stands as a landmark work with influence far beyond genre boundaries.

While not pure dub, its darkness and cool, chilled texture—so distinct from the frenzy of dance music—make it a quintessentially 1990s alternative sound derived from dub, and a must-listen for anyone interested in that tradition.

Electrochargedennis bovell

Electrocharge (2003 Remaster)

Dennis Bovell, a genius from Saint Peter, Barbados, is a multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, bass, and more, and also performs under the name Blackbeard.

Released in 1980, I Wah Dub is an album issued under the Blackbeard moniker.

Bovell is renowned not only as a player but also as a producer and recording engineer, and this masterpiece of British dub music fully showcases his diverse musical prowess—from dub, UK lovers rock, and post-punk to traditional and experimental recordings.

In fact, a Japanese vinyl edition was issued at the time of release, making it a must-have for collectors.