Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Dub and Dancehall

 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Dub and Dancehall

Lesson Objective

• Audit prior knowledge of the Dub and Dancehall genres

• Understand the chronology of the genres

• Identify the stylistic fingerprints of the genres

• Identify the influence and legacy of the genres

 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Dub and Dancehall

Listening Task

• Listen to 3 Dub songs.

• Try and list and identify the stylistic characteristics.

• Make reference to Performance and Arrangement, Instrumentation and

Technology and Production
Performance/ Arrangement Instrumentation Technology/ Production
 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Dub and Dancehall

• Dub grew out of Reggae in the late 1960s

• It is considered to be a subgenre of Reggae although later styles have developed

beyond the scope of reggae

• It initially started as an instrumental of well known Rocksteady and Reggae

songs. Known then as ‘Version’

• Most Reggae was recorded to 2 channels with the instruments on one channel
and the vocal on the other. This made it easy to make ‘Version’ to act as a b-side
to the original track.

• Dub is heavily driven by the drums and bass (known as ‘Riddim’)

• Dub is the product of extensive studio experimentation, using technology for

new purposes and using the mixing desk like a instrument
 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Dub and Dancehall

Reverb

Reverb is very important in dub. Reverb tends to be used in vast amounts and is
used to create special effects as well as spatial effects.

Dub producers tended to opt for spring reverb as it was cheaper and more
portable.

Some producers would create ‘thunderclap’ effects by knocking their reverb units

Task
How does spring reverb work?

What are the other types of reverb and how do they all work?
 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Dub and Dancehall

Echo and Delay

Along with reverb, echo and delay play an important role in Dub.

Producers would often use extreme delay settings with heavy levels of feedback
that created other-worldly sound effects and textures.

Early dub pioneers were also electronics wizard and would modify desks and
create delay by looping a tape recorder back in on itself

Task: Create a dub style delay in Logic. Your feedback should be high enough for
the volume of the wet signal to increase of time. Be careful for the level not to go
too high; you may need to automate or ride the volume. Bounce onto the blog
when you have finished.
 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Dub and Dancehall

Influences

• Reggae
• Ska
•Rocksteady
 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Dub and Dancehall

Artists (We will research more artists in the future)

• Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry

• Mad Professor
• King Tubby
• Augustus Pablo
• Horace Andy
• Vibronics
 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Dub and Dancehall

Instrumentation

• Drums
• Bass
• Guitar
• Trumpets
• Trombones
• Saxophones
• Organ
• Piano
• Melodica
• Mixing Desk
 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Dub and Dancehall

Performance & Arrangement

• Mainly instrumental

• Long drawn out sections

• Experimental, shifting textures

• Emphasis on ‘Riddim’ or drum and bass parts

• Use of sample-like snippets of instruments would be brought in and out of the mix.

• Drums and Bass would play ‘Riddims’ similar to Reggae

• Some hip-hop style toasting

 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Dub and Dancehall

Technology and Production

• Dramatic use of effects

• Big reverb splashes (particularly on snare)

• Use of phasers and flanging

• Often mixes out vocal tracks or leaves isolated phrases

• Use of delay on sections of instrumental tracks

• Fading in and out

• Abrupt opening/ shutting of instruemntal tracks

• Use of extreme and shifting panning

• Boosted low frequency on bass

 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Dub and Dancehall

Dancehall
• Started as a sparse form of reggae

• Became faster again

• With the arrival of midi technology and sampling the sound changed dramatically

• Heavy use of drum machines such as the TR808 and 909 as well as samplers and synthesis

• Scored mainstream success in the 90s with artists like Shaggy and Chaka Demus and Pliers

• Mainstream artist such as Rihanna, Sean Paul and Elephant Man all come from the Dancehall tradition

• Later Dancehall has been criticised for its violent, misogynistic and homophobic lyrics