Disassemble Dub (Phase Selector Sound)

Chronique

The group and the label are both coy about revealing the personal identities of the two musicians who comprise Phase Selector Sound, letting slip only that they are both "(ex?) punk rockers." Whatever. The important thing isn't who they are, but the quality and weight of their dubwise reggae grooves, both of which are substantial. Rather than remixes of previously recorded reggae tracks (which is the role in which dub originally served), these tracks are dub for dub's sake, instrumentals with a drastically altered sonic profile in which drums, guitar, bass, and keyboard are shuttled unpredictably in and out of the mix, sometimes bouncing up in your face and other times trailing off smokily into the distance. A few, such as "Factory Preset," are based on vintage reggae rhythms, but most of this program is both surprisingly original and still faithful to the traditions of classical (i.e., early '70s) Jamaican dub. Particular highlights include the chugging "Sci Fi Dub," the very spacy "Subpart J," and an eerie composition titled simply "Version."

© Rick Anderson /TiVo