The Dub Factor

In the early 1980s, Black Uhuru was riding high due to the commercial and critical inroads made with albums like Red, Chill Out, and Anthem, nearly filling the void left in the reggae market by the late Bob Marley. Perhaps the most widely available dub reggae set available in the US, The Dub Factor took the group’s harmonies and tough riddims from Chill Out and bent them into mesmerizing new arrays. The rustic dub sound pioneered by the likes of King Tubbys, Lee “Scratch” Perry, and others was quickly evolving and this set warped syndrums and synthesizers alike in wicked fashion. Originally recorded at Compass Point (responsible for a ludicrous array of decade-defining albums: Remain in Light, Tom Tom Club, Nightclubbing, to name just a few), this set features all that indelible studio’s aural delights: Sly and Robbie’s lean, spongy rhythms, Wally Badarou’s tingling synths, all dubbed out by Paul “Groucho” Smykle. Its trippy, electronic sheen also made it a favorite in underground New York dance clubs like The Loft.