Dennis Bovell's role in the evolution of British reggae is massive. He became active in South London's reggae circles in the late '60s, running a sound system, working as a producer, playing guitar and bass on various tracks, and eventually releasing forward-thinking dub albums of his own under the name
Blackbeard.
Bovell's work continued without pause from his early days into the next 50 years, and he explored everything from lovers rock to dub to helping shape the sound of post-punk groups who were taking cues from dub's unbridled experimentalism.
Dubmaster: The Essential Anthology culls stunning tracks from across
Bovell's lengthy career, presenting a thorough overview of how both his solo work and his specific brand of production have grown over time. The 38-track compilation is split into two halves, the first of which focuses on
Bovell's songs and dub mixes under his own name, and the second half consisting of songs he produced for other artists. His music takes the form of tender, harmony-heavy lovers rock tunes like "Choose Me," mellow roots tracks like "Run Dem Out" or "Run Rasta Run," and material from later on in his discography like the sentimental "Caught You in a Lie."
Bovell's style as a dub mixer is one of the more outlandish and boundary-pushing of the dub producers who made their names in the '70s. He's all over the place with rivers of echo and reverb processing on the horn-heavy "The Grunwick Affair," and only gets more frantic on the nervous rhythms of "Chief Inspector" or the vaporous deconstruction of "Eye Water (Raindrops Dub)."
Bovell innovated as a producer for other artists as well, melding reggae's steady sway with disco hi-hats and synths on
Janet Kay's 1979 hit "Silly Games" and giving tracks by
Delroy Wilson and
Marie Pierre a pop sheen.
Dubmaster: The Essential Anthology throws light on many of the hats
Bovell has worn over the years, showcasing how his curiosity and willingness to approach songs from unlikely angles appear in almost everything he touches. ~ Fred Thomas
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