Roots Radics – Dub Catalogue Volume 1

In addition to dropping vocal and compilation sets, Mikey Dread, along with numerous other Jamaican producers, ventured into releasing dub albums. His initial endeavor was the renowned LP called African Anthem Dubwise (The Mikey Dread Show), which first hit the shelves in 1979 and has witnessed various reissues, including the most recent one in 2020 by Music On Vinyl, a Netherlands-based record label. Read the review of this album here. They also issued another Mike Dread album, World War III, check our review here. This label now resurfaces another LP from Mikey Dread’s vaults, namely Dub Catalogue Volume 1. The latter is a lesser-known project that involved a collaborative mixing effort by Scientist and Mikey Dread.

Mikey Dread

Mikey Dread commenced his solo works in 1976 – coincidentally the same year he started to draw attention as a budding DJ and audio engineer with his four-hour Dread At The Controls show on Saturday nights for the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC). Michael Campbell, the real name of Mikey Dread, released his initial singles for Lee “Scratch” Perry and went on to create creative tunes for Sonia Pottinger, Joe Gibbs, as well as the underrated producer Carlton Patterson. Mikey Dread’s career as a producer was jumpstarted by the assistance of the former. This led to him creating some of the most innovative records in the late ’70s and early ’80s. In addition to his work as a deejay, Mikey Dread collaborated with various well-known roots singers such as Rod Taylor, Edi Fitzroy, Earl 16, and Junior Murvin. Dub and versions such as Internal Energy, Robbers Roost, Parrot Jungle, and African Anthem prompted people to buy his records not just for the vocal cuts, but for the dubs as well. This hadn’t been seen since King Tubby’s prime days working with Bunny “Striker” Lee a few years prior.

Roots Radics Outfit

Mikey Dread released the LP Dub Catalogue Volume 1 three years after the memorable African Anthem Dubwise (The Mikey Dread Show). This album features the Roots Radics Outfit with members Style Scott, Flabba Holt, Steely, and Noel “Sowell” Bailey. Furthermore, Santa Davis, Ranchie McLean, and Sly & Robbie contributed to the recordings of the riddims. However, unlike African Anthem Dubwise (The Mikey Dread Show), Dub Catalogue Volume 1 is not as captivating or unique. Aside from a few intros, the album mainly consists of remixed riddim tracks with a laid-back atmosphere, devoid of vocal snippets or extensive overdubbed sound effects. Therefore, this particular dub LP isn’t what one usually expects from Mikey Dread. It’s an album that requires multiple listenings to fully appreciate most of the tracks.

However, the album has a number of standout tracks, such as the uptempo opening track Demo Dub, which is a version of the Mikey Dread produced Radio One from The Clash, that immediately jumps out at you. Love the typical Mikey Dread intro! Then there’s Dub Addict, a speedy dub/instrumental that features quite a few laser-like soundeffects, perhaps referring to the then prevailing Star Wars craze. The track Brain Wave utilizes these effects as an intro, after which the propulsive bass starts taking over, complemented by a limited number of sound effects to provide the track with a more complete feel. The Queen Dub track seems to tie in with the Queen Of The Minstrel riddim, and with its striking outtro it is one of my favorites here as well. Check it out! A dub version of Mikey Dread’s 1982 awesome tune Roots and Culture, which was also featured on his 1983 album Pave The Way, is another noteworthy tune on the album, known as Two Track Dub. With its organ intro abruptly interrupted by a rewind, the album’s closer Dreadlocks Dub also resonates swiftly with the listener, leaving an immediate impression on the mind of the listener. Scientist’s dub style is very clearly audible in this track, and that’s one of the reasons what makes it stand out.

Dub Catalogue Volume 1 is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on translucent yellow coloured vinyl.