Dub Reviews
Artist: Hi Fi Killers Cover scan:
Title: Turf War Dub
Label: Mossburg Music
Catalogue Number: MB-2012
Format: CD, MP3, AIFF
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Result: No war on artificial turf.
Review date: 2008-07-11
Detailed review:
Yet another Canadian dub export. Quite some releases from there lately. It's a pity that they are not so much known in Europe. But now maybe some people will get to know about it. Well, actually Hi Fi Killers are from Seattle, USofBabylon. And they are not pure reggae or dub producers. In fact, their first album was a funk record, the second one was hip hop / disco and only the third one ("Jamaica") saw some easy-skanking dubbing, lightweight style.

Now, for their fourth release "Turf War Dub", they moved to the Canadian Mossburg label and that's why I call it a Canadian export. I wonder if the title has anything to do with the moving to Canada? Only they could tell... or not.

Anyway, the album is available on CD, MP3 and AIFF and thanks to the Dollar / Euro exchange rate, it can still be obtained for a quite nice price directly from the Mossburg shop (link at the bottom). What you get are 12 mellow - or as I say: lightweight - dub tracks which are heavily influenced by the original 70s Jamaican dub. You hear it especially in the dubbing and mastering. The drum sections have this typical flying cymbal / one drop style which you know from King Tubby et al. productions.

The difference is that Hi Fi Killers sound more modern. That means you get the original dub feeling but in a different fashion. I am absolutely sure that this one will please many dub fans out there. Don't you wait for exactly that? Now, I of course am a bloody technohead and want the digi steppers, so I cannot fully appreciate this release, though I still realise the beauty of it. And it's not that it's overly soft. Especially the keyboard skanks give quite some pressure from time to time (e. g. "Smoke Fish").

My favourite tunes are the opener "Hieronymus", a smooth stepper and the very deep title track "Turf War Dub" which reminds me the most of classic King Tubby dubs.

Due to the very good production and quality of the album, I give it 4 stars, even though I personally find the music too soft. But that's such a personal feeling that I try to give a bit more neutral rating. ;) And feel free to rate the album by yourself, thanks to the new rating function. I wait for the day that I give an album, let's say 2 stars and 756 people rate it with 5 stars. Maybe then I decide to stop reviewing records. ;)

In any case, check out this link for more information.