Various: Dub Combinations 3
By Martyn Pepperell
Selected and compiled by Dubhead and Kog's Andrew Manning, Dub Combinations returns in it's third instalment. A mixture of live and electronically produced tunes from known and unknown dub devotees such as Rhombus, Salmonella Dub, Otautahi Allstars, International Observer, Kevy Kev and Dubwize Soundsystem etc. This is a beautiful work characterised by lush horns, hollow echoed drums, deep warm bass, skanking guitar and strange but whimsical key arrangements, plus the odd reggae vocal and some downbeat / Ninja Tune stylistic panderings. Zen-like at times, the mastering at Kog has done wonders for the sound quality, and the track selection gives a stylistic cohesiveness to this collection, while still retaining the individuality of each track presented. Dub Combinations is a flowing representation of underground NZ dub culture and musicianship, each track stands out on its own merits, not merely the reputation of its genre.
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