King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown

First released in 1976 this landmark dub album is easily one of the influential reggae albums of all time. Augustus Pablo, born Horace Swaby, 1954, proprietor of Rockers International record store and sound-system, was better known as an artist in his own right (developing a signature ‘far east sound’ both as producer and soloist on the melodica). King Tubby, born Osbourne Ruddock 1941, began his adult life as a radio repairman and sound engineer, going on to pioneer a revolution in sound production, single-handedly inventing the art of the remix and the sub-genre of dub. These tracks are less characterized by echo-chamber pyrotechnics and tricky manipulation of sonic space than many dub versions of the era, focusing more on subtle shifts in mood and complex ensemble playing. In addition to Pablo on melodica, the sessions feature such Jamaican studio legends as bassist Robbie Shakespeare and virtuoso drummer Carlton Barret of Wailers fame.