New releases last two weeks: Dub

Review: Doncaster-based reggae producer (you don't read that often, do you?) Lewis Bennett teams up with veteran vocalist Donovan Kingjay for this new single, which is a heavyweight slice of spiritual roots and steppers. 'Jail House' delivers deep basslines, militant rhythms and conscious lyrics in classic sound system style. Kingjay's commanding vocal presence brings a timeless message of justice and resistance, while Bennett's production strikes a perfect balance between movement and meditative depth. This is a powerful, no-frills release for true roots heads, designed for the dubwise dance and built to shake speaker boxes.

Review: Argentine electro-cumbia innovator Chancha Via Circuito (Pedro Canale) has a truly strong sense of give and take. His debut movements saw to Bienaventuranza (2018), a critically acclaimed album deep-setting his role in a gauzy downtempo reshape of the global music idiom. A full remix EP of the record followed, spewing forth fresh interpretations by echelonic music masters, including Euro-techno titan Nicola Cruz on 'Alegria', and Spanish producer Baiuca. Now, finally, comes the third in a three-step movement of remixes, this time hearing Chancha Via Circuito himself offer his own remixing hand to several of said very same artists, the works of El Buho, Nickodemus, and Lagartijeando also in tow. Deep, earthy tunes, full of natural oud harmonics blended with chanting, understated downbeats.

Review: Froid Dub return to the dubbing fold full of cold sang-froid with new one 'Tears Maker Chant'. The landmark 50th release for the label and editorial Ransom Note, this new progeny of Paris duo Stephane and Francois, known both for their own distinctive productions and self-released Delodio label curations, offer a stripped-back, slow-smouldering blunderbuss of bass-heavy minimalia with the sliest of sly nods to Italo disco on the B, creating what they call "low-slung mood music. Measured, murky, magnetic. It's a debut outing on Ransom Note for the duo, and a sharp alignment with the label's taste for genre-blurring system oddities.

Review: On Higher Dreams is the debut LP from Italian producer and guitarist Isaac de Martin, aka IKE. It is couched in jazz and electronic fusion and draws inspiration from the time the artists spent in Egypt during the COVID pandemic back in 2020. It was there that themes of nature, contrast and cultural reverence for music informed the record's conceptual foundation. Tracks like 'Nilo' and 'Sidda' channel the life-giving force of the Nile and its surrounding traditions, and the whole thing was recorded live to analogue in Berlin so effortlessly merges vintage warmth with modern textures while offering a contemplative, cinematic experience shaped by cultural immersion and personal reflection. A strong debut, then.

Review: Leeds' Iration Steppas have spent over three decades reshaping dub into a raw, high-voltage force, blending classic roots selections with futuristic, bass-heavy energy. Here, Mark Iration delves into the Greensleeves archives, curating a deep selection of foundation cuts that have fuelled their sets since the early 90s. The first disc centres on heavyweight vocal performances - Michael Prophet's 'Righteous Are The Conqueror' and Johnny Osbourne's 'Mr Marshall' embody roots reggae at its most defiant, while Ranking Dread's 'Shut Me Mouth' and Wailing Souls' 'Busnah' channel the militant energy of early dancehall. The second disc turns up the pressure, diving into dub with Roots Radics' 'Conquering Dub', Augustus Pablo's 'Revolution Dub' and The Revolutionaires' 'Respect The Version'. Following the success of Down In Dub From The Vault, this latest Soundsystem series instalment reframes vintage selections through the seismic weight of Iration Steppas' vision.

Review: Dubstoned Records is back with more fresh wax and heavyweight Rub-a-Dub rhythms, this time straight from Seville. Produced, mixed and dubbed by Variedub, 'Give Dem' features the powerful vocals of Tenor Mario, who is also part of Cool Up Records, and whose energetic delivery always cuts through. Rafael Arcos brings his signature guitar flair while The Sherlock Horns light up the groove with tight brass from Toni Martin on trombone, Pedro Caballero on sax and Mr Monkeyface on trumpet. Anchoring it all is Agustin Paris on bass. It's a deep, dynamic cut that blends roots tradition with local talent and comes with a flip dub for extra low-end heft.

Review: You might think that Yassin Omidi is a newcomer, but in fact it is the new-coming of an already accomplished and respected head who now delves deep into the world of dub techno on Steve O'Sullivan's Mosaic. The beatless 'Sluder Dub' is coated in heavy fog and static with conscious vocal musings and the roomiest of chords landing with great drama and tons of echo. On the flip is another analogue sound that features buffed metal dub chords, classic effects and a shapeshifting ambient hiss. It's dramatic despite being such a minimal piece.

Review: Slowly over the years, Pachyman has whetted his dub reggae knife on a premium steel, reverse-engineering then rip-up-restarting the time-honoured techniques of legends King Tubby and Scientist, precisely piercing their sound with the pointed instruments of vintage gear and layer-caked bass. Another Place expands now on his vision, always returning to radical roots that otherwise often go unfairly unmentioned by dub historians - William Onyeabor's synthpop, YMO's new wave kooks, Basic Channel's ambient dub - all of which were contemporaries to the 70s sound. The result is a perfect ten of welling hertz-ology, from the studied 'Calor Ahora' to the simmering enveloper 'A.D.S.H.'

Review: UK dub artist, singer, producer and self-taught musician Prince Jamo delivers a wonderfully heartfelt vocal on this new track, which means it cannot help but inspire resilience and notions of never giving up. Recorded during the COVID era, the song rides a live roots riddim crafted by the Zulu Vibes riddim section and expertly mixed by Zulu Vibes to embody a fresh Roots & Culture 2025 vibe. This record blends its soulful messages and authentic live instrumentation to tap right into the true-school and make it perfect for anyone seeking uplifting roots reggae with a classic touch.

Review: Manchester's Joe McBride delivers a deeply atmospheric experience across his latest release, effortlessly fusing dub techno, ambient textures and broken rhythms with an unmistakable sense of space and restraint. Side-A opens with 'Kings Chamber', a hauntingly beautiful cut where static crackle meets dubbed-out echoes and shimmering pads. It's rich with melodic overtones that rise like mist over a subterranean rhythm, channeling both warmth and mystery in equal measure. 'Different Sound' follows with a deeper flow rooted in island bass traditions but filtered through McBride's ambient dubstep sensibility. The track's low-end sway, interspersed with ghostly echoes and spacious percussive flickers, gives it a grounded yet otherworldly feel, perfect for headphones or late-night sets. Flipping to Side-B, 'SK1 Dub' continues the journey, conjuring a cosmic, delay-laden soundscape that balances restraint with motion. It's a masterclass in space and sonics, where minimal elements swirl and stretch, maintaining a hypnotic pulse throughout. McBride shows that his touch is both technical and emotive, crafting meditative grooves that feel like they breathe.

Review: In January 2025, Al Wootton visited Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio, which is home to a rare archive of vintage drum machines. Once there, he recorded the unique rhythms and quirks of these machines and captured their raw character. Back in the UK, he transformed those recordings through processing and layering to create this new EP, Rhythm Archives. The result is a stripped-back but impactful exploration of rhythm that draws from industrial, dub, post-punk and proto-techno influences. The record stands as both a creative tribute to the iconic machines and their makers and a nod to MESS's mission of preserving electronic music heritage and making it accessible through public engagement and education.