Ambient Adventures in Dub

by Chris NicksonAs the Mad Professor, who's really very sane, shows on this Japanese disc, there's not as much of a gap between ambient music and dub as you might think. Both create sound environments for the listener, and both are aural journeys of a sort. Well, the Mad Professor has sent plenty of people on trips with his dub, and now he offers a selection of those dubs that come closest to an ambient style (although, to be fair, they require an elastic definition of ambient). It's good to hear "Dub In D Minor" and the adventurous "Heart Of The Jungle" again, while others like "Sweet Sweet Victory" and "Mad Elaine" are, at best, rarities. The Mad Professor's idea of dub might not prove ideal for relaxation -- it's far too edgy for that, never settling, and demanding to be heard, rather than just experienced -- but he remains a shaman of the studio control board.