Discover how the Dub style was born: Jamaican roots, key artists, and its influence on modern electronic music. Atmosphere, effects, and the philosophy of sound.
Dub is not just a musical style, but an entire philosophy of sound that grew out of reggae and became the foundation for many modern electronic music genres. Its roots go back to Jamaica in the 1960s–70s, where talented engineer-experimenters first began to “deconstruct” tracks, removing vocals and emphasizing bass, drums, and sound effects.
It was Dub that laid the foundation for the culture of remixes: long before club 12-inch versions appeared, Jamaican producers created alternative “dub” versions of songs that sounded more atmospheric, psychedelic, and mystical. Echo, reverbs, delays, and vocal fragmentation became the signature traits of the genre.
The pioneers of the style include King Tubby, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Scientist, and other innovators who turned studio work into true art. Their creativity not only defined the sound of Jamaican music, but also strongly influenced the development of such genres as dub techno, dubstep, ambient dub, trip-hop, and even drum & bass.
Today, Dub is heard not only across the Caribbean but all over the world — from underground European sound systems to electronic music festivals. Artists combine the organic vibe of vintage recordings with digital technologies while preserving the core idea of the genre — immersion into sound and space.
