Genre story · Punk
Dub Punk
Punk musicians borrowing Jamaican dub's bass, space and studio methods while keeping an independent edge.
Dub Punk is a useful label for a late-1970s and early-1980s meeting between British punk/post-punk networks and Jamaican reggae production. The Slits, Public Image Ltd. and the Pop Group approached dub's spacious bass, mixing and repeated rhythm through different musical and political circumstances. Their interest did not make them interchangeable with Jamaican artists, whose techniques and local recording culture preceded punk by years. A deep bass line and deliberately exposed drums may sit beneath jagged guitar or a confrontational voice. Studio effects can remove as much sound as they add. The genre name is historically imprecise; much of the music is usually filed under post-punk, art punk or dub-influenced rock.
Listening examples
- 1979the SlitsCut
- 1979Public Image Ltd.Metal Box
- 1979the Pop GroupY