Sly & Robbie and Nils Petter Molvaer at Blue Note Tokyo, September 19th 2018
Dub and the ECM sound are a perfect match. Dub’s austere but resounding presence of a steady drum and bass backbone, along with dashes of echo and reverb is not unlike the ECM style jazz. They both strive for the same ethereal otherworldly atmosphere. It makes sense for three of the most distinctive artists of these genres to collaborate. As much as they are perfect examples for each, they are creative individuals that define the preconceived notions of dub and the ECM sound. Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, Sly & Robbie , not only were present during reggae’s transition from roots to dancehall, they were among the architects. In their productions they added layers of synthesizers on top of Simmons drums, shaping the sound of reggae to come as heard in Black Uhuru, Gregory Isaacs and Ini Kamoze. Their influence and radical reshaping of Jamaican music turned into collaborations with artists in other genres as well. Serge Gainsbourg, Grace Jones and Bob Dylan, among others...