DUB-ONE: THE COLOSSAL EP (2023) (Bandcamp)

On the way home from the Edinburgh fringe, I decided to do a Monty Python and go for something completely different. It was then that I came across this EP which is actually an LP in length. It was tagged electronica, drum and bass, atmospheric, dub-bass, jungle, and a whole lot of genres I’ve never heard of. Now, I’ve been known to like a bit of dub, and also the FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON vibe on the opening track with the massive echo in the vocals and the heavy, relentless drumming brought D J SHADOW to mind.

I began to think when listening to the second track ‘Eternal’, with its atmospheric synth and its link to jazz progressing to the point where drums are front and central – now, this ain’t GENE KRUPA certainly, but some effective bass lines soften the bludgeoning percussion and definitely hint at a distant cousin of jazz.

This makes me think on (too much thinking, me thinks) of a conversation I had with Tim Hunter at the fringe about how you define a particular genre of music, with prog rock especially in mind. I made the point that KATE BUSH was making more ‘progressive’ music than copyist, nostalgic (Genesis/ Yes mainly) prog rock bands were are the time. I also mentioned STEROLAB whom I consider prog – it would take a whole essay to go into this, and you don’t want that.

Anyway, I suddenly realised the album had segued into ‘Dark Fire’, and I was by now right into the potent formula these guys from Eastbourne have cooked up. It’s a pity my train had arrived at its destination and I couldn’t hear the rest of it, but I will return to it I’m sure, and with two long tracks called ‘Vortex of Illusions’ and ‘Poltergeist (2003)’ to come, I think Dub-One is on to a winner.