A Conversation in Dub

This week we’re discussing a very well known reggae track: “Satisfy My Soul” by Bob Marley & The Wailers. We listen to the 1978 version released on the Kaya album, as well as the 1971 version released on the Soul Revolution album. We talk about some amazing but often overlooked aspects including the brilliant orchestration and complex arrangements. We hope you hear something new in this song that you never not...

This week we are listen to “Something Wrong” by The Expanders. We’ve talked about the Expanders a few times on this podcast, but with all the news coming from them lately, we wanted to showcase a tune from their first album. This album was just repressed by Easy Star Records. The Expanders also have a dub LP available for pre-order and a revival show coming up in June at The Lodge Room in LA. We chose this tune fo...

This week we feature the title song from Empress Sativa’s brand new album “Woman.” We talk about the cultural significance of the song and its powerful message about the impact women have on the world. We also dive into the production by Paolo Baldini and discuss the song’s modern take on traditional Jamaican production styles. We hope you continue to listen to the rest of this amazing album!

You can find &ld...

This week we feature the song “Living God” and the dub version “Living God Dub” by Rootikal Riddim. This heavy tune is from their 2009 album, Inna Sufferah’s Style. We talk about the impact of reggae music in Hawaii and Polynesia, the beauty of the song’s simplicity, and what makes it a song you can listen to over and over. Make sure to check out more from Rootikal Riddim and For Peace Band.

Both ...

This week we’re featuring 2 songs by Flying Vipers: “No One Wants an Alien” from the album Off World and dub version “Alien Encounter,” from the album World Inversion. We talk about the differences between the 2 versions, the concept of space throughout both albums, and the visual design of the two. So much to talk about with these tracks so join us in breaking them down!

These songs are available on Ba...

This week we pay tribute to Sly Dunbar. Sly was one of the most prolific musicians of all time, having played on over 200,000 recordings. He was part of many backing bands including The Revolutionaries, Word Sound & Power, The Aggrovators, and Sly & Robbie. As a member of those bands, Sly backed legends like Black Uhuru, Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown and so many others. We listen to a few tracks that Sly played o...

This week we pay homage to legendary guitarist Stephen “Cat” Coore of Third World. He passed away on January 18, 2026 at 66 years old, leaving behind an enormous legacy. He founded Third World at just 17 years old and played with them consistently for 50+ years. During that time he created countless hit songs, earned 9 grammy nominations and many other global accolades including The Order of Distinction of Jamaica. We l...

We kick off our first episode of 2026 with one of our favorite artists, Hollie Cook. We listen to the song “Frontline” from her latest album, Shy Girl. Topics include the song’s unique phrasing, its flawless harmonies, and so much more. We also get into some other songs on the album and discuss how the overall vibe of this album varies from ...

This week James is joined by Dave Shiffman, filling in for Mark. For our last episode of 2025, we pay tribute to a reggae legend who passed recently, Jimmy Cliff. We listen to the song “Wonderful World, Beautiful People” from the 1969 album of the same name. We talk about how we found Jimmy Cliff’s music, his unique orchestrations, and the legacy that he left to the world. Jimmy Cliff helped open do...

This week we listen to “Blind Boy” by 80s reggae powerhouses, Musical Youth. The group was made up of children ages 11-15, all with talent beyond their years. This is the fourth track on their 1982 album, The Youth of Today. We chose one of the less widely-known tunes from the album instead of the beloved hit, "Pass the Dutchie", to show the incredible&nbs...

This week we are joined by Derek Waldmann a.k.a. Man of the Forests. We talk about how he has shaken up the reggae scene as one of the few violin players. He’s played with a wide variety of artists including Alific, Vana Liya, KBong, and so many others. Mia Jativa also joins our conversation to discuss their co-produced release, “Ghost Train” featuring an all star lineup including 7 dubs! ...

This week we talk to Art, Mike and Dylan from New Jersey based band Sensamotion. Their latest full length album, Feel It All Around, just dropped this past August. In addition to talking about the creative process behind the new album, we get into the band’s formation, lineup changes, and some of their future plans.

Be sure to catch Sensamotion out on the road and follow them&n...

This week we’re listening to lovers rock music from The Netherlands, from artist JOJO Gladstone. We listen to the track “Glad That I Found you” from the 2017 album, JOJO. We talk about the very clear Roots Radics influences he pulls from, and JOJO and his band’s dedication to replicating the sound of a certain era of Jamaica. We hope you enjoy this tune and check out all of JoJo Glad...

This week, James is joined by Dave Shiffman to talk with JC from the band, Self Control. We discuss their latest single “Ice Breaker” - a politically charged modern roots tune addressing ongoing social injustices, especially in the Los Angeles area where they are based. We talk about the production of this song as well as their forthcoming EP, how the band started, and some exciting future plans.

Chec...

We’re back from our hiatus with an amazing new tune! We listen to the opening track from the new album by Eureka Sound called “Rediscover.” We get into the art of genre bending, the beauty of space in a song, and the stellar musicianship of this band. Catch Eureka Sound live either at one of their shows or backing Nick Sefakis out on the road!

You can hear “Rediscover” on all major streaming p...

This week Stephan Mash of The Reggae Plug fills in for Mark. We talk with Hector Roots Lewis, who you might recognize from his performances with Chronixx and Tribal Seeds, portraying Carly Barrett in the movie ‘Bob Marley: One Love,’ or his solo music. We also get into detail about his debut full length album, “Cosmic Roots” produced by Johnny Cosmic. Check out Hector Roots...

Mark is back from his honeymoon in the French Polynesian islands, and he brought some new (to us) music back with him. This week we feature the song “Natura” by Eto from Tahiti. We talk about the cultural significance of reggae in the Polynesian Islands and the unique spin they put on the genre. Mark shares some highlights from his trip there and shines light on the beautiful music, culture and peopl...