From its roots in Jamaica's production studios to London's "sound systems," dub has become as much a descriptive musical term as a genre. To be "dub" is to pay attention to silence as well as sound, to have a spaciousness (and often spaciness) absent from other electronic or club-derived music.
Although only a year old, Tokyo-based Play has become one of the foremost labels for exploring dub's changing permutations. "Paper," the third installment in Play's trio of compilations, again highlights the label's ability to find dub in the most unexpected places.
The first half of the compilation is a case in point. The opening cut from Pressure Drop has a decidedly traditional, laid-back vibe that seems straight out of a Kingston dance hall. The following tracks segue seamlessly into each other despite the very different musical roots of each artist. Howie B is a trip-hop producer best known for working with Bjork and U2; Susumu Yokota is one of Japan's reigning house maestros; and Play artists Quiro Pro and Spiritjack explore dub from the techno perspective.