Chapter 40: Talking Dub
In which I unearth a on old mixtape of 90s dancehall.
I’ve been thinking about the minimalism of dancehall a lot over the last few days.
It might seem strange that a genre which revels in extremities via wild fashions, bawdy themes and fast-chat MCing might occupy a similar sonic space to the likes of Phillip Glass, Robert Hood or Miles Davis, but producers have been emphasising emptiness since the dawn of dancehall.
At the turn of the 80s, Sly & Robbie stripped back the heavy roots sounds of the previous decade, offering vocalists fresh space to breathe over their backing tracks. Henry ‘Junjo’ Lawes followed suit with a crisp production style which became the gold standard, paving the way for a digital dancehall revolution in ‘85 when Sleng Teng changed everything. Jammy’s begat Steeley & Cleevie, and as electronic equipment became more accessible, synthetic experiments flourished throughout the 90s at the hands of Mafia & Fluxy, Dave Kelly and Stephen ‘Lenky’ Marsden, until Troyton Rami and his Black Shadow production outfit switched it up again in the 00s, scoring an international hit with Sean Paul’s ‘Gimme The Light’ which is what got me thinking about all this last week when I found out it turned 25, yet still sounds as fresh as it did in back in 2001.
It also reminded me that, in 2011 after the release of Duppy Writer, I was invited to make a mixtape to accompany an interview for the now sadly defunct Brainer Magazine. Dancehall of yesteryear was obviously a major influence when I produced Duppy Writer, so I dug out a stack of singles spanning 1990 to 2000 and mixed them up for 45 minutes (one side of a C90, fact fans). I named the mix after Little Kirk’s ‘Nineties Trample’ which appears near the end, with Little Kirk and Ally Cat getting busy over an almost drum & bass style pattern produced by Patrick Roberts’ Shocking Vibes crew.
So, for my fabulous full subscribers, the streaming and download links are at the bottom, while everyone can read the interview which originally appeared in Brainer back in the summer of 2011, around the time I played a set of this stuff at a rooftop session at Big Chill House in Kings Cross.
Unusually for me it’s a bit of a blur. From what I recall, it was less of a bashment, and more of a sit down affair with folks eating BBQ in the sun while I played 90s ragga favourites, which was nice, despite my much mentioned issue with Lilting.
I think I had to leave before Saxon came on, and all I have as proof it happened is a pic of me behind the foliage-flanked decks, with Felix (son of Terry) Hall hanging out to my side.
Anyway, my interview with Ian Hsieh for Brainer Mag begins below the photo, and if you’ve not yet subscribed, please cough up your cash (£5 a month or £50 for the year) and head to the bottom of the page for the mixtape link.
BRAINER INTERVIEW WITH IAN HSIEH FROM 2011
IH: Who are your influences?
WT: In the early days it was my family, my granddad banging out piano rags, my dad’s calypso records, my mum’s jazz obsession. As I got older I started pilfering my brother and sister’s records - post punk, electro, acid house, dub, Prince etc. I guess in some ways it’s the people who play records that I’m influenced by, dj’s, radio folks but obviously there’s loads of artists too. If I had to pick 5 off the top of my head I’d go with Prince, King Jammy, Tom Tom Club, KRS1 and Bob Thiele but it’s ever changing and expanding.
What inspires you?
Films, I’m a cinema addict. And food. Films about food - perfect.
What’s your production set up?
It’s a mess of analogue synths, drum machines and FX, hazardously wired together with Logic at the centre keeping it all in check.
What do you try to achieve with your music?
I’ve always been a bit of an underachiever so I try not to think about it too much.
What was the first 12” you bought?
You know what, I really don’t remember. My 1st 7” was The Show by Doug E Fresh but 12” is a tough one. Might have been something by Renegade Soundwave or maybe Prince.
(In hindsight, I’m sure it was much earlier than RSW. I mostly bought singles on 7” until my teens, but I definitely had the ‘Bridge Is Over’ by BDP on 12”).
How did the Duppy Writer project with Roots Manuva come about?
I’d already done some stuff for Roots and I’d been chatting about doing an LP with Big Dada for a few months when Duppy Writer came about. It evolved from a plan to do versions of Brand New Second Hand and gradually took on it’s own form.
What have you been working on since? You said you’d been in the studio...
Loads of different stuff. My main focus is my own album but I keep getting distracted by side projects and remixes. Plenty of dub on the boil and a dancehall/reggae project with my mate Deemas J. There’s quite a few other things in the pipeline but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.
(You may be aware that “my own album” never happened. Something which I’ll delve into in another Dubstack chapter, no doubt).
Tell us a little about the mix you’ve done for us.
I was having a look through the shelves for some inspiration and started digging out loads of old dancehall. A lot of its stuff I used to play out when I 1st started DJing, so it’s oddly sentimental despite tracks about venereal disease and Satan.
What music/artists are you particularly feeling at the moment?
It’s a total cliche but I’ve been trying to steer clear of new music simply because I’m writing and I don’t wanna get too sidetracked. A few things slip through the net now and then though - I’m loving the new Zed Bias stuff, and Omar’s new album has some wicked tracks. Dels is great, Ghostpoet’s album is untouchable, LCMDF are flying the flag for Heavenly Recordings, and I really like what I’ve heard of Shabazz Palaces. It’s not exactly new but I heard Abbie Cornish MCing with Blades recently and I was blown away, I’d never have imagined she’d have that britcore thing going on when I was watching Bright Star, I actually have a track in mind that she’d be perfect on but that’s probably wishful thinking.
What’s the best thing about the British music scene?
We’re a small enough country for underground scenes to become part of our national identity. To some people jungle is up there with fish n chips, dubstep’s as British as a nice cup of tea.
What can we expect from you in the near future?
Hopefully my LP, or a single at least. Plus the Deemas J album, the Pama International Meets Wrongtom LP I started work on about 3 years ago, and I’m putting together a compilation at the moment, though it’s in the early stages so I’ll leave that there as I don’t wanna jinx it.
What do you think the defining sound of London is at the moment?
The sound of young professionals yacking on about how they “love London now, but it’s not the kind of place to bring up kids”, while ultra-niche sub-genres pump through the flimsy walls of new build flats that litter the skyline. No wait, I mean it’s reggae.
DJ Wrongtom - Nineties Trample
1. Beanie Man & Angel Doolas - Skettel Tune (Mentally Disturbed)
2. Daddy Freddy - Baba Loo Baba La Baba Loo Baba La (Fashion Records)
3. Buju Banton - Talking (Garga Mel)
4. Elephant Man - Many Many (Taxi)
5. Super Cat - Dan Dadda Raga (Wild Apache)
6. Tippa Irie - Leaf Branch & Stem (Clarkey & Blakey Records)
7. Capleton - Number 1 Pon The Look Good Chart (Jah Life)
8. Chicken Hawk - Hawk De Pon De Mike (Jah Life)
9. Daddy Freddy - Rather To Die (Music Of Life)
10. Little Lenny - Gun In A Baggie (Shocking Vibes)
11. General Levy - The Wig (Fashion Records)
12. Red Dragon - Cock Up High (Digital B)
13. Country Speng - Shot Too Dear (Super Supreme)
14. Determine - Give The Poor The Blame (Jammy’s)
15. Top Cat - Tell Me What U Want (white label)
16. General Levy - Original Length & Strength (Fashion Records)
17. Capleton - Stay Far From Trouble (Studio 2000)
18. Mr Vegas - Western End (white label)
19. Crissy D - Hot Gal (Greensleeves)
20. Little Kirk & Ally Cat - Nineties Trample (Shocking Vibes)
21. Beanie Man - Damsel Ship (Shocking Vibes)
