Having completed his 12th release under the
Dub Me Crazy banner,
Mad Professor launched the
Black Liberation series in 1995. As with many of the producer's digital dub concoctions, the series premiere is a mixed bag. It's a fine line to walk, mixing two mediums with their own inevitable associations: electonica's distinction as a modern music on the technological frontier, dub's reputation as a pure and natural (hence "roots") form. The
Mad Professor's materials give him the ability to blend those boundaries, which is exactly what he does on
Black Liberation Dub, Chapter 1. The title track finds the electronic timbre of the programmed drums working for the music, creating something that sounds like dub-influenced electronica rather than the other way around. Elsewhere, with drum machines creating busy, syncopated rhythms and horns countering with dubwise melodies, it can be difficult to orient yourself. Generally speaking, the album's denser arrangements are the least successful, the clutter of inherently rigid instruments stifling the music. "Freedom Must Be Taken" on the other hand, features some truly tasteful mixing over a slippery drum beat. Vocals, keyboards, and wah-wah guitar licks are all given spirited dub alterations. Vanishing from the mix almost as quickly as they emerge, they give only the slightest hint about what might lie beneath the surface (ie: what the original song sounded like, if there is one). Reverb slashes through the tick-tocking pulse of "Chip on the Slave Master Shoulder." The song is almost entirely rhythm. Even its bassline is more an indistinct presence than a palpable element. While not as consistent as some of his best work,
Black Liberation Dub does offer insight as to how such a delicate balance can be maintained with some fine music on hand amidst the less satisfying material. ~ Nathan Bush