Lee Berwick’s Digi Dub label has (with good reason) seen a growing amount of interest from vinyl hunters over the last few years and as a result its treasure trove back catalogue has slowly but surely become more scarce and more expensive to delve into. This, combined with a renewed interest in the intersection between dance music and dub, makes it ripe for reappraisal and I’ve been eagerly awaiting a reissue label to take on that challenge. Thankfully the wonderful Mysticisms have stepped up to the plate with this release as part of their buy on sight Dubplate series which feels like the perfect match given the label’s exemplary past track record in shining a light on other lesser known dubwise gems rescued from the depths of echo chambers past.
The original releases put out by Digi Dub broadly fitted into the first wave of dub inspired dance music that emerged in the UK during the early 90’s but there’s something about their output that seems to have aged much better than a lot of their contemporaries. I’m not sure if that’s because they maybe lent a bit more towards the dub end of the spectrum or whether it was because they took a few more chances with a more experimental approach but their tunes still sound surprisingly fresh today and, most importantly, ready to rock a dancefloor.
One of the finest examples of this is the lead track found here which dates back to 1992 and was a collaboration between Launch DAT (a.k.a. Digi Dub label founder Lee) and production collective L.S. Diezel (a.k.a. Kenny, Harry and Nick). In my humble opinion it’s a bit of a masterpiece and beautifully captures a very unique sound that not only manages to blend dub and downtempo 90’s dance but also, through it’s inclusion of Aisha William’s mesmerising vocals, touches on UK street soul and even the whimsical influences of British folk music. As well as the vocal we’re also treated to an extended dub (a.k.a. "Bad Boys") which has more of a heads down late night dancefloor feel to it and with that growling bassline could definitely work as a secret weapon to wheel out at the end of the night for the more adventurous DJ’s out there.
Flip the record over and you get two more choice cuts from L.S. Diezel that jump a bit forward in time. First up is "Suicidal Dub" dating back to 1997 which, with its tough abrasive beats and immense bass, provides the missing link between 90s big beat and 00’s dubstep. Definitely one to put your subs through their paces. Proceedings are then brought to a close with "Skunk Funk” from 1993 which delivers a welcome bass heavy hip hop influenced take on the classic "Cuss Cuss” rhythm. Funky and deadly in equal measure this one is guaranteed to cause some mayhem when dropped in the dance at the right moment.
Hats off once again to Mysticisms on this latest mighty fine addition to their Dubplate series. It’s great to see these tunes back on the streets and their presence highlights once again the pleasing inventiveness we have in this country for bringing the worlds of dub and dance music together to create timeless bangers like these.
Tracklist