African Dub Chapter 5

African Dub 5 was released five years after the fourth volume in the series. It had been a hugely popular and influential series of albums. So, in 1984, Joe Gibbs decided to revisit this series. By 1984, synths were much more common in music. Used properly, they could sound great, used badly, well it becomes a car crash of a sound. The only problem with many of the albums made at this time, is that some of them sound really dated. They haven’t stood the test of time well, and when you hear them, you can instantly date them. However, African Dub 5 has stood the test of time reasonably well. Thankfully, the synths weren’t overused, and on many tracks, the traditional dub reggae sound shines through. On a couple of tracks, including Bad Verdict, some of the sounds made by the synth are similar to those used in early Chicago house tracks. Overall though, Joe Gibbs has produced a really good album, that sees him use the then new technology to add a new twist to the dub reggae sound. This he’s done really well. Much of that is down to his use of some hugely talented musicians, and the assistance of Errol Thompson in arranging and producing the album.