Released the same year as their Grammy-winning
Anthem album,
Black Uhuru's
The Dub Factor figures as one of the most impressive of reggae's electronic-age dub releases. Bristling from the fine mixing work of Paul "Groucho" Smykle, the album is basically a reworking of the band's breakthrough
Chill Out release from the year before, albeit in often unrecognizable form. But if you like your dub with a healthy dose of apocalyptic effects from syndrums, synthesizers, and mixing board alike, then
The Dub Factor will do the trick. More than just an empty exercise in knob twiddling, this
Black Uhuru dub excursion by
Sly & Robbie will no doubt please both fans of the group and habituates of quality dub titles. (The 2003 reissue augments the original release by including liner notes by
David Katz and three bonus tracks. The previously unreleased "Cool Off" is a version of "Carbine" from
Red; "Destination Unknown," from Sly & Robbie a Dub Experience, is a version of "Chill Out"; and "Fire and Brimstone" from Raiders of the Lost Dub is a version of "Journey" from
Red.) ~ Stephen Cook