Listening to Dub music can at times be a little like ordering an aromatic and deliciously prepared Penne Carbonara for main course in an expensive Italian restaurant. It sure looks appetizing, and the first half portion is devoured eagerly. You then realise you should perhaps have ordered a smaller, ‘starter’ portion, as the remains of the dish grow first tepid and then cold. There’s nothing worse than cold, congealing pasta and creamy sauce!
Personally, I love Dub music. (Not so keen on pasta dishes though!) However, the analogy remains, in that after the first three tracks – which it has to be said are splendidly crafted slo-mo melodic instrumental dub pieces – you become aware that while listening to the music, you are not ‘LISTENING.’ The next couple of tracks play away unobtrusively in the background. Pleasant.
That changes however, when a pinch of ground black pepper, in the shape of track six, ‘At The Coronation’ is added. The dish is immediately enlivened. Sampled vocals of Young Tiger, give it a real Caribbean flavour, with the hints of soca augmented with interesting use of sitar. The following track ‘Hip Hop’s Final’ uses steel drums, although other samples give it a darker hip- hop feel in places, whilst remaining true to its dub roots. ‘Pick Up Your Beater’ is inventive in that it incorporates some Middle Eastern / Arabic sounding breakdown mid-track!
International Observer is actually Tom Bailey of The Thompson Twins who were one of the foremost chart bands of the Eighties.
It may require a few plays, especially for those who are not familiar with this style of music. However, one of the good things about Dub music is that whether listened to intently or played merely as background, undiscovered sounds await on each play.
Maybe not the most ‘exciting’ album of the year, but certainly one of the most ‘interesting’ and worthy of a place in any self-respecting music fan’s collection.