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PocketCasts David Katz: Chasing Dub Beyond the Soundsystem
The reggae historian joins us to discuss 'Dub Revolution,' his account of how King Tubby, Prince Jammy, and Scientist pulled reggae records apart at the mixing desk and sent the pieces back out.
This week we're putting The Tonearm's needle on noted reggae author David Katz.
His new book, Dub Revolution: Jamaica's Sonic Innovators and the Birth of Remix Culture, traces Jamaican music from its earliest sound systems to the 21st century.
We talk about the 1982 San Francisco night that blew David’s mind and opened his ears, the job that paid his way to London, and even the technology and tools the dub greats used.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are Lee “Scratch” Perry - "Dub Revolutions," King Tubby - "King Tubby Meets the Rockers Uptown," and Scientist - "Scientific" )
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Dig Deeper
Author and Book:
- Visit David Katz at davidkatzreggae.com and follow Dub Me Always on Instagram and Facebook
- Purchase Dub Revolution: Jamaica's Sonic Innovators and the Birth of Remix Culture from White Rabbit, Hachette, or Bookshop
- DJ Mag on the book's publication
- Katz's production, annotation, and compilation credits on Discogs
The Architects of Dub:
- The Strange World Of… King Tubby — The Quietus
- King Tubby's first authorised biography — The Wire
- The life of Lee "Scratch" Perry through the lens of Dennis Morris — DJ Mag
- Scientist on Bandcamp, and at length on his methods in Tape Op
- King Jammy Legacy
- U-Roy — Perfect Sound Forever
- Augustus Pablo and Rockers International
Engineers and Players:
- Hedley Jones: The Renaissance Man Who Pioneered Jamaican Soundsystem Culture — Red Bull Music Academy Daily
- Hedley Jones obituary — The Wire
- Thirteen classics from Philip Smart's HC&F Studio — LargeUp
- Remembering Joseph Hoo Kim — The Vinyl Factory
- Roy Cousins and the Royals
- Peter Chemist
Studios and Sound Systems:
- Ten essential Coxsone Dodd productions — Grammy.com
- Soul Jazz's Studio One reissue catalogue
- Channel One Studios
- Maxfield Avenue: The Story of Channel One and the Sound That Defined Roots Reggae — Bass Culture
- Stanley Motta, whose downtown Kingston appliance store was selling sound systems by 1939
Dub in Britain:
- The unsung genius of dub innovator Dennis Bovell — The Vinyl Factory; and Dennis Bovell on Bandcamp
- Dennis Bovell on The Tonearm
- Adrian Sherwood and On-U Sound
- Adrian Sherwood on The Tonearm
- Ariwa Sounds, Mad Professor's south London studio
- Dread Broadcasting Corporation
- Lepke, DBC's founder, remembered — The Wire
- Mark Lusardi
Radio and Discovery:
- Doug Wendt's Midnight Dread
- Midnight Dread #13, KTIM-FM San Rafael, March 31, 1980 — the show Katz taped off his bedside clock radio
Records Mentioned:
- Wailing Souls, Fire House Rock
- Johnny Clarke, "I Don't Want To Be A Rude Boy" — the B side is "Rude Boy Dub"
Further Reading:
- Michael E. Veal, Dub: Soundscapes and Shattered Songs in Jamaican Reggae
- Isis Semaj-Hall, the Jamaican academic Katz quotes in his introduction
- In Search of the First Dub LP — Red Bull Music Academy Daily
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- Dig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com
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