Album Notes

The deepest, most crucial dub reggae we've heard in many a moon...the Bush Chemists are taking music further out so the listener can go further in. - CMJ

Bush Chemists are Dougie Wardrop and Paul Davey. In 1988, Dougie opened his dub store in a closet-sized space in Camden Market, London. It was called "The Dub Shack" and out of it Dougie sold the best new and old dub plates on the planet. In 1989, Dougie started creating his own dubs in his attic with a borrowed 4-track. Shortly thereafter, he started his Conscious Sounds imprint, through which he released some classic 10-inchers and full-lengths by Bush Chemists and like minded UK dub heads. In the early '90s, Bush Chemists came to the attention of Wordsound founder Skiz Fernando, who was putting together a UK Dub compilation for ROIR. Needless to say, they ended up on the disc and since then Bush Chemists have gone on to release some stunning 10-inchers and handful of full lengths (one of which, "Dub Outernational," was released on ROIR). Raw Raw Dub is their first ROIR release in almost 10 years!

So what have the Bush Chemists been up to? Well, along with peers Jah Shaka, Alpha & Omega and Zion Train, they've been consistently churning out inspired dubs, and seem to have convergently evolved with the UK's current hot export, Grime. The similarities go beyond simple geography to production methods, overall sound & more-i.e. where Grime posterboy Dizzie Rascal famously used his Sony Playstation on "Boy in Da Corner," Dougie Wardrop used his Atari computer. Furthermore, like Grime is to its forefather hip-hop, Bush Chemists' brand of UK dub is decidedly based in drum machines and synthesizers whereas the genre from which it sprung relied on source material (the remixing of reggae session tracks). Bush Chemists, instead of trying to approximate King Tubby's direct-from-tape analog warmth, embrace their digitality. The resulting sound is spacey but more severe, sharper and more regimented but playful. If King Tubby is "2001: A Space Odyssey" then Bush Chemists are "Star Wars" (we're talking "Empire Strikes Back" here).

Raw Raw Dub specifically is filled with tension-tension between the natural warmth inherent in all dub and the colder elements of digital machines. Tension between Eastern and Western music ("Oriental Dub"). Tension between rhythms and tempos where high-paced dancehall riddims clash with old-time dub grooves. Tension between stellar vocal tracks (provided by Ras McBean & Pablo Diamond) and deep instrumentals. Tension between the bustling urban metropolis where this dub was created, and the shantytowns & rural Jamaican setting from which dub was originally borne.

Slap on a pair of headphones or set yourself in front of some great speakers, turn up the bass and listen to Bush Chemists fight a cold war on the astral planes of Raw Raw Dub-it's the best battle you'll ever hear.