Foundations of Dub (LP #41)

This week on LONGPLAY, we’re not just delivering a playlist.

It’s a low-frequency meditation. A crash course. A time machine. A sound system séance.

We’re going back to 1970s Jamaica, where dub was born. Not in a concert or dance hall, but in the studio. It started on the B-side: instrumental versions of reggae singles, stripped of vocals, built back up with delay, echo, and reverb. Dub was minimal, but it wasn’t empty. It was alive. Ghostlike. Sacred.

We’ll explore dub as a sonic technique, as a cultural force, and as a global influence. We’ll talk about sound systems, toasting, and the spiritual function of bass. We’ll listen to King Tubby, Lee “Scratch” Perry, and Augustus Pablo. We’ll also trace dub’s legacy into post-punk, hip-hop, techno, ambient, and beyond.

Along the way, we’ll hear reflections from the documentary Dub Echoes, break down the language of the dub world, and even drift into science fiction.

This is more than music. This is the blueprint. The version. The echo that keeps coming back.

This is LONGPLAY.

Thanks for tuning in.

About varied/mix & Brainrot Radio Partnership

To bring our playlists to life on air we work with Brainrot Radio, a non-profit independent internet station broadcasting coast to coast.

Tune in live at brainrotradio.com every Tuesday from 11PM – 12:30 AM for the show, where we curate playlists that reflect the moods and energies of the midnight hours (though they’re great at any time).

The next day, catch our writing and the full playlist right here on Substack.

Listen along as you read.

Listen to the recording of the live show above or find the playlist on Spotify below.

Thank you for tuning into LONGPLAY.

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