Sound system at a bar in Monkey River, Belize

Sub Dub’s Dancehall Malfunction was one of the first 12″s I bought back in 1997. Twelve years later, I’m happy to hear it still holds up. The Brooklyn duo’s erratic output from 1994-2000 was always tricky to pin down, veering between classic dub, jungle, Middle Eastern sounds, unmanageable noise, and trip-hop – often within the same track. The Dancehall Malfunction EP features the most focused blend of these influences and it’s a bone-rattling psychedelic dub mindfuck that stands up as one of the best moments from those halcyon Asphodel/WordSound years which ultimately led to the unfortunate genre of “illbient” music. 

Sub Dub – Dancehall Malfunction
from Dancehall Malfunction. Asphodel, 1997 | buy the mp3s

Over at Mnml Ssgs, Chris recently posted a long & excellent list of first-rate mixes and live shows from 2008, including two beautiful live sets from the vanguard of dub techno, Moritz von Oswald and Convextion. Get them here and be sure to check out Convextion’s set from 2006:

Convextion – Live in London, 2006
April 30, 2006 | thanks to The Illectronic

And for the record, the award for best title of 2008 goes to Appleblim and Peverelist for Soundboy’s Ashes Get Hacked Up And Spat Out In Disgust.