Part of my interest in dub is that the producers like Lee Perry and King Tubby furthered a new roll for recording that was more than just basic capturing and documentation of music. The recording process itself was now becoming an active participant in the creative process. The mixing desk was becoming an instrument. George Martin and The Beatles pioneered this kind of studio wizardry with their work in Abby Road Studios in the late 60's with such noteworthy tracks as Tomorrow Never Knows. But Lee Perry, less than 10 years later, was not only using cutting edge studio technique, he was also fulfilling the lo-fi "DIY" promise made by mid-60's garage rock. He was, by his own account, using toys to produce astonishing works of art.
From the 1976 album "Super Ape", "Patience" is one of my favorite Lee Perry dub tracks. As you listen to it, the entire song has a slight "breathing" quality that evolves as the track plays, possibly in part due to the countless overdubs that we're a standard practice in Perry's Black Ark Studio. Perry recorded on a 4 track analog tape recorder, and would mix down to a 2 track machine while adding live instruments at the same time, then he would re-record the 2 track tape back to the 4 track, freeing up at least 2 tracks on the primary deck so the process could be repeated. Tape hiss and distortion became a permanent part of the song. The vocals drift in and out of the mix, evoking a 3rd world radio station echoing across a city. Delay in the middle of the song is transformed into a crunchy swirling sound that is essentially a new instrument. Intertwined in the mix is a horn section that somehow sounds both rich, and mid-range at the same time. The track is a delicate balance between noise and subtlety that few but Lee "scratch" Perry could maintain.
