Dub Anthology provides a diverse selection of the more traditional as well as more contemporary dub flavours that have evolved since the genre emerged via reggae music from Jamaica around 40 years ago. Well known names and pioneers of the genre such as Lee Skratch Perry and King Tubby appear alongside more recent act such as well Roots Manuva and Dubmatix. The collection is split into four sections – Dub Roots, International Dub, French Dub and New School to showcase the diverse sounds that have influenced dub through it’s evolution today.

Tinges of Latin, Arabic and poetry shine though, and some of the modern tracks even get acidic at times. Highlights are Roots Manuva’s Witness Dub, Sister Let Him Go by Junkyard Productions, High Tone’s Bad Weather, Smell The Roses by Zenzile and Dubmatix’s Champion Sound, which is a beautiful reminder to the tradition of battling sound systems. The particularly catchy Sister Let Him Go and Champion Sound will leave you singing while the more instrumentally-focused Bad Weather will leave you skanking.

On Hybrid Sound System’s L’Azure the track opens with an Arabic-tinged operatic, almost as moving as the dub poetry of Jamika on Smell The Roses. Fans of Ursula Rucker’s beat poetry will particularly dig this one.

Dub Anthology finds a good balance between the traditional and the contemporary, between feel-good and social conscience, and is highly recommended for fans of the dub and reggae genres, as well as anyone wanting to expand their musical tastes and horizons.