Originally released in 1989,
Sound Iration in Dub
helped to define what would come to be a unique style of reggae music: U.K. steppers.
Sound Iration
were a duo comprised of producer
Nick Manasseh
and DJ
Mr. Scruff
, and their sound combined the hard, shiny surfaces of British electro-dub with the more open, warm sound of vintage 1970s reggae. They avoided the sonic extremes of countrymen
Adrian Sherwood
and
Mad Professor
, and instead developed a restrained but still adventurous sound that wound up influencing a whole generation of English reggae musicians. This reissue of the duo's debut album adds a bonus disc that includes seven tracks recorded for a second project that never came to fruition, along with a handful of demos, dub plates, and previously unreleased remixes. Some listeners might find the
sound a bit too clean and antiseptic, and it's true that the drums can sound a bit stiff at times (particularly on the richly dubbed-up but slightly affectless
"C.T.U.F.B."
), but
Scruff
Manasseh
are adept at defining an enormous sonic space with a minimum of raw materials. There are ghostly melodicas and classic basslines recycled for modern use, and the remix disc takes several of the original tracks farther into outer space, into a corner of the galaxy where instruments fly around independently and the bass booms like an intercontinental elephant. Fans of
Dennis Bovell
,
, and
the Equalizer
(with whom
later worked) will find plenty to enjoy here. ~ Rick Anderson