Dubmatix Sticky Icky Reggae Mix

The Beastie Boys - Brooklyn Beats To International Streets

Beastie Boys’ Anthology: Sounds of Science, Michael Diamond (Mike D) says:

“We had all been influenced by Lee Perry’s productions. We were into how on reggae recordings there would often be a ‘dub version’ on the b-side of a single, a practice that got co-opted by a few punk and early hip-hop singles as well.”

Who knew?

When their debut “License To Ill” was released in 1986, almost 40 years ago - it was fresh and had a great sense of humour, playfullness that on the surface could be disregarded as white-boy rap, but if you took a close listen you’ll notice the attention to detail in the music - the use of sampling, 808 Drum Machine, experimentation, mixing and overall production - this was groundbreaking.

The lads and Rick Ruben had crafted something unique that had not been done before. In 1985, it was Run-DMC, Schoolly D, and LL Cool J, but by 1986, hip-hop had begun to transform, and part of that was due to this release. They’d pulled together all the elements of their musical inspirations, Run-DMC, WWF Wrestling (Rick Ruben is a known superfan of the sport), The Clash, Dub, Punk, along with a frat-boy, teenage FU attitude. They’d taken hip-hop to a level while still paying homage to those they’d learned from, borrowed from, sampled from and absorbed. Within the following year, you’d have more groundbreaking releases from Boogie Down Productions, Marley Marl & The Mighty Public Enemy.

On their 1998 album Hello Nasty, Lee Perry is on “Dr Lee, PhD. Perry’s fingerprints are evident: spring reverb, echo throws, and that cosmic feel only he could bring. They also collaborated with Mad Professor (the recording in question is the unreleased dub instrumental album that Mad Professor and the Beastie Boys made, presumably at some point between the releases of Ill Communication and Hello Nasty) from Beastiemania.com.

Dub has woven its magic thread throughout so many styles of music, not to mention launching entirely new genres via direct inspiration and use of dub techniques and sampling, that we shouldn’t be surprised to see that same link with the Beastie Boys.

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PLAYLIST

1. Beastie Boys – So What’Cha Want

2. Beastie Boys – Sure Shot

3. Beastie Boys – Paul Revere

4. Beastie Boys – The New Style

5. Beastie Boys – Egg Man

6. Beastie Boys – Just A Test - Remastered 2009

7. Beastie Boys – Intergalactic - Remastered 2009

8. Beastie Boys – Unite - Remastered 2009

9. Beastie Boys – Jimmy James - Remastered 2009

10. Beastie Boys; Q-Tip; Mario Caldato Jr. – Get It Together - A.B.A. Remix

11. Beastie Boys – Ch-Check It Out

12. Beastie Boys – Shake Your Rump

13. Beastie Boys – Make Some Noise

14. Beastie Boys – The Skills To Pay The Bills - Remastered

15. Beastie Boys – Hold It Now, Hit It

16. Beastie Boys – Shadrach

17. Beastie Boys – Alive

18. Beastie Boys – Futterman’s Rule

19. Beastie Boys; Lee “Scratch” Perry – “Dr. Lee, PhD” - Remastered 2009

Jimmy Cliff – The Joyful & Uplifting Voice Of A Gentleman

Certain artists bring a feeling of soulful upliftment and leave a mark on your musical heart - Jimmy Cliff is one; you sense a man smiling and embracing life. He’s navigated Jamaica’s musical evolution from the start, with 1962’s Hurricane Hattie, to the soundtrack that put him front and centre on a global stage in 1972. He’s continued to release beautiful music that speaks to our spiritual sides, and his legacy will live on for generations to come.

R.I.P. Jimmy. (1944-2025)

Jimmy Cliff was born James Chambers in 1944, growing up in rural Somerton before moving to Kingston as a teenager to chase the fast-rising ska scene. He was writing songs before most kids his age finished schoolwork, and at just fourteen, he walked into Beverley’s Records and caught the attention of producer Leslie Kong. That meeting changed everything. Kong recorded Cliff’s first breakout song, “Hurricane Hattie,” which turned the young singer into a local star and opened the door to the bustling world of Kingston studios, sound systems, and emerging talent.

By the mid-1960s, Cliff had outgrown the island and pushed his music into London, where his sound found a new audience. The turning point came in 1969 with “Wonderful World, Beautiful People,” a UK Top 10 hit that introduced his voice and message to listeners far outside Jamaica. Songs like “Many Rivers to Cross” showed a different side of him - raw, vulnerable, and deeply soulful. Then came The Harder They Come in 1972. Cliff didn’t just star in the film; he carried its soundtrack with songs like “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and the title track, helping reggae explode onto the global stage.

Jimmy Cliff passed away on November 24, 2025, at age 81, leaving behind one of reggae’s most influential legacies. His catalogue stretches from ska and rocksteady roots to crossover hits decades later, including “Reggae Night” and his 1993 revival of “I Can See Clearly Now.” For a one-hour tribute mix, you’ve got a whole arc to work with, early Kingston youth, global breakthrough, soundtrack legend, and the unmistakable voice that helped carry reggae to the world.

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PLAYLIST

1. Jimmy Cliff – Hurricane Hattie

2. Jimmy Cliff – King of Kings

3. Jimmy Cliff – I’ve Been Dead 400 Years

4. Jimmy Cliff – Struggling Man

5. Jimmy Cliff – You Can Get It If You Really Want

6. Jimmy Cliff – Fundamental Reggay

7. Jimmy Cliff – Wonderful World, Beautiful People – Single Version

8. Jimmy Cliff – Let Your Yeah Be Yeah

9. Jimmy Cliff – My Ancestors

10. Jimmy Cliff – I’m No Immigrant

11. Jimmy Cliff – Oh Jamaica

12. Jimmy Cliff – Sufferin’ in the Land

13. Jimmy Cliff – The Harder They Come

14. Jimmy Cliff – Stand Up and Fight Back

15. Jimmy Cliff – Treat the Youths Right

16. Jimmy Cliff – Sooner or Later

17. Jimmy Cliff – The Harder They Come

18. Jimmy Cliff – Bongo Man

Classic Jazz Excursion: The Roots of Ska

The link between jazz and what we now call reggae goes back 70+ years to the time of Count Basie and Duke Ellington’s big bands in the 1940s and ’50s, which were very popular in Jamaica. These records arrived through sailors, migrants, and sound-system operators like Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid, who travelled to the U.S. specifically to buy jazz and R&B 78s. The island absorbed these sounds and fused them with mento (Jamaica’s folk music), African rhythmic traditions, New Orleans R&B (Fats Domino, Rosco Gordon), and bits of Country and Gospel. Out of this blend came the foundation of what would eventually become ska.

Early ska bands felt like compact jazz big bands- horn sections front and centre, trading solos, swinging lines, and arrangements shaped by jazz harmony. The Skatalites were made up of jazz-trained musicians from the Alpha School of Music, including Don Drummond, Tommy McCook, Roland Alphonso, Lester Sterling, and Jackie Mittoo. Players like Ernest Ranglin and Monty Alexander brought traditional jazz phrasing into their playing. If you listen to early ska, you hear bebop-style solos, ii–V–I chord movements, blue notes, horn riffs modelled after Ellington and Basie, and rhythm sections that mix jazz walking lines with a distinct upbeat “skank.”

The shift from jazz to ska was a natural evolution. Sound systems were growing in popularity, and access to new releases from the USA was limited to those who could travel there and purchase them, as mentioned with Dodd & Reid. Jazz and Jump Blues were beginning to disappear, and Sound System operators needed fresh music to keep people coming back, so they started looking to existing talent on the island.

The early days of Ska were recorded by musicians who took those elements and reshaped them into something uniquely Jamaican, emphasising the offbeat, simplifying the walking bass into a pulsing groove, and blending African-derived rhythms with American jazz techniques. This mixture created the dance-driven sound of ska, which later slowed into rocksteady and evolved into what we now call reggae.

For today’s mix, I explore a collection of jazz tracks I’ve always gravitated toward—those with a groove, that swing, and that carry some of the same energy that fed early Jamaican music. I focused on artists like Miles, Blakey, and Dizzy for this 90-minute session, and I hope you enjoy it.

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PLAYLIST

1. Lee Morgan – The Sidewinder (Remastered 1999 / Rudy Van Gelder Edition)

2. Herbie Hancock – Cantaloupe Island (Remastered 1999 / Rudy Van Gelder Edition)

3. The Dave Brubeck Quartet – Take Five

4. John Coltrane – A Love Supreme, Pt. I – Acknowledgement

5. Miles Davis– So What (feat. John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley & Bill Evans)

6. Miles Davis – Milestones (feat. John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Red Garland, Paul Chambers & Philly Joe Jones)

7. Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – Moanin’

8. Dizzy Gillespie – Salt Peanuts

9. Charlie Parker – Ko Ko

10. Stan Getz – Wee (Allen’s Alley)

11. Art Blakey; Thelonious Monk – Rhythm-A-Ning

12. Max Roach – Tune-Up

13. Clifford Brown; Max Roach Quintet – Cherokee

Gussie Clarke: The Producer Behind Roots and Digital Classics

There are so many artists and songs that pass through our ears, but rarely do we know who’s behind the music. The sounds we gravitate to, that we identify with, and that is part of what I try to do here on Bass Culture - pull back the curtain and find out who helped shape an album or entire generation - Gussie Clarke is one of those “wizards of oz” - a man who helped shape hit after hit, that still spin on turntables and sound systems today. His career has spanned decades, but for this mix, I’ve focused on his earlier productions from the 70s and early 80s, before the digital age of reggae took over.

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Brief Overview of Gussie and his life

Augustus “Gussie” Clarke is one of reggae’s true architects, someone who moved effortlessly from roots and early deejay culture into the digital era without ever losing clarity, musicality, or purpose. His story begins in a tiny dub-cutting room at 81½ Church Street, where he cut exclusive specials using a Treasure Isle lathe and quickly realized he could shape entire records if he controlled the rhythm, the vocal, and the final mix. Early productions like U-Roy & Errol Dunkley – The Higher The Mountain and album-defining moments such as Big Youth – Screaming Target and Gussie Presenting I-Roy showed how he could turn raw sound system energy into cohesive, groundbreaking albums.

Through the 1970s, he built a warm, balanced catalogue with artists like Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Leroy Smart, Hortense Ellis and Roman Stewart, deep lovers cuts, roots anthems and rhythm tracks that felt soulful and timeless. Clarke wasn’t just making music; he was building infrastructure through publishing, label management and distribution, which gave him complete creative control and the freedom to reinvest in better equipment and bigger ideas. By the early 80s, he was pushing roots harmony groups like The Mighty Diamonds into modern territory, updating arrangements with drum machines and synth bass while keeping the music's heart intact.

PLAYLIST

1. U-Roy; Big Youth – The Higher The Mountain

2. Leroy Smart; Gussie Clarke – Mixed Up

3. Gussie Clarke – Funny Feeling

4. Augustus Pablo – Classical Illusion (12” Version)

5. Jacob Miller – Girl Don’t Come

6. I-Roy; Gussie Clarke – Coxone Affair (2025 Remaster)

7. Gussie Clarke – One Way

8. Tommy McCook – The Right Track

9. Delroy Wilson – How Can I Love Someone

10. Big Youth – Screaming Target

11. Dennis Brown – Funny Feeling

12. Trinity – Love The Daughter

13. Roman Stewart – Try Me

14. Mikey Dread – Proud to Be Black

15. Mighty Diamonds – Pass the Kouchie

16. Gregory Isaacs – My Time

Dirty Funky Nasty Bad

Let’s start with the title of this mix, “Dirty Funky Nasty Bad” - a long-time friend of mine with a great sense of humour would keep all of us howling with laughing, doing bits and saying random shit dropped this line in one of those moments and it’s stuck with me for decades (thanks Kento).

I love raw-sounding music; not overproduced or mixed, just pure edgy sonic bliss, which is what I based this playlist around- in yer face funk.

• dirty (raw)

• funky (poppin' groove that doesn’t let up)

• nasty (pushing the levels a little hard to induce sweet saturation)

• bad (this jam is one bad mofo).

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PLAYLIST

1. Soul Toronados – Hot Pants Breakdown

2. Eddie Bo; The Soul Finders – The Hook & Sling - Vocal Mix

3. Soul Vibrations – The Dump

4. Larry Ellis; Blackhammer – Funky Thing - Pt. 1

5. Billy Garner – Brand New Girl

6. Marva Whitney – In The Middle

7. Leroy & The Drivers – The Sad Chicken

8. Charles Bradley; Menahan Street Band – Stay Away

9. Duracha – Ghet-to Funk

10. Wess & The Airedales – Blackout

11. Lefties Soul Connection – Doin’ the Thing

12. Little Royal – Razor Blade

13. Whitefield Brothers – Rampage

14. Lefties Soul Connection – Organ Donor

15. The Fun Company – Zambezi, Pt. I & II

16. Roy Porter Sound Machine – Party Time

17. The Stovall Sisters – Hang on in There

18. Bernard “Pretty” Purdie – Soul Drums

19. Reuben Wilson – Inner City Blues

The Boogaloo Sounds of NYC’s 60s & 70s Latin Clubs

Being a drummer and bass player, I gravitate towards the foundation of a song - the groove, percussion, and how instruments weave in and out of “the pocket”, be it the short offbeat guitar skanks heard in reggae or the syncopated piano stabs heard in Latin music. That’s what drew me to reggae - the lock-step agreement of groove between the bassist and drummer that allows the rest of the band, organ, vocals, guitars, etc, to either support the core riddim or thread around it, adding depth and melody. The same goes for funk, afrofunk, and other similar genres. They all have related musical elements - tight syncopated grooves, a throng of glorious percussion, and horn combos that add electric energy that elevates and excites you.

There was a period in the 60s & 70s that set New York on fire, emanating from Spanish Harlem, The Bronx, and Lower East Side, and labels like Fania Records - boogaloo (bugalú). We’ve all heard the style and artists at some point, but what is boogaloo? I had to look it up myself, and here’s the definition.

“Boogaloo was created by young Puerto Rican and African American musicians in New York City who mixed the music they heard on the radio, like soul and R&B, with Latin styles like mambo and son”.

This is part one, so I invite you to use the comment section to share some of your favourites for part two in the future.

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PLAYLIST

1. Eddie Palmieri – Vámonos Pa’l Monte

2. Noro Morales – Vitamina

3. Cal Tjader; Eddie Palmieri – Bamboléate

4. New Swing Sextet – Mira Mama

5. Mongo Santamaria; La Lupe – Montuneando – Remastered

6. Johnny Colon – Mayenlle

7. Boogaloo Assassins – Mi Jeva

8. Ray Barretto – Mi Ritmo Te Llama

9. Pete Rodriguez – I Like It Like That

10. Joe Cuba Sextet – Que Son Uno

11. Louie Ramirez – Cooking With Ali

12. Joey Pastrana and His Orchestra – Orquesta Pastrana

13. Orquesta La Moderna of New York – Picadillo

14. Tito Puente – Salsa y Sabor

Reggae Meets Cumbia

I had a show in Dresden years ago, and the opener was a DJ who played cumbia. When her set began, the dance floor instantly filled with people laying down synchronized dance steps, which was eye-opening and fantastic fun to watch. It’s inevitable that these two genres would merge, as Cumbia originated on the Caribbean coast of Colombia and includes African, Spanish (colonial), and indigenous influences that date back to the 16th Century. For this playlist, I went down the rabbit hole seeking groove enlightenment.

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PLAYLIST

1. Lucky Salvadori; Chalart58 – Simulacro

2. Ticklah – El Dia De Suerte (Dub)

3. Joseph Cotton – Cumbia Party

4. Yapunto; Taggy Matcher – El Mar y Ella (Taggy Matcher Remix)

5. The Lions; Malik “The Freq” Moore; Black Shakespeare – Cumbia Rebel (Version)

6. Quantic; Flowering Inferno – Te Pico el Yaibi (Version)

7. Combo Lulo; Alba Ponce de León – Culebra Mentirosa

8. Taggy Matcher; Kumbia Boruka – Cumbia Locura (Dub)

9. Ticklah; Mayra Vega – Mi Sonsito (Feat. Mayra Vega)

10. Aldubb; Dubmatix; Illbilly Hitec – Essential (Cumbia Mix)

11. Lengualerta; La Basu; La Gorda Dubs; Cristrombon – Nik Baditut Sei

12. Quantic; Flowering Inferno – Dub del Pacifico

13. Frente Cumbiero; Mad Professor – Cumbietiope

14. Flowering Inferno; Nickodemus; Zeb – No Soy Del Valle (Nickodemus & Zeb Remix)

Reggae Frequency: House Edition

I’ve always seen/heard the parallel between reggae and house music—namely, the Steppers vs. 4-On-The-Floor groove, and have been drawn to that fusion of the two. Back in 2002, I’d slapped a King Tubby sample over a house beat, and it was a revelation to me (I can fuse this) that song that became Journey To The Center Of The Dub. The King Tubby sample was removed, but the idea remained.

On the other side of the pond, in the UK and across Europe, this style was already established and in the clubs. I can’t profess to more than a surface-level knowledge, but after sifting through a lot of tracks, I put together this playlist of songs that I enjoyed. I encourage you to share some of your favourite house reggae tracks in the comments—include a YouTube link if possible.

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PLAYLIST

1. Noiseshaper - We Rock It

2. Francis Mercier & Black Uhuru - Welcome To Dinna

3. Camouflage - Ramjock

4. Block & Crown - Jam On (Original Mix)

5. Sugar Hill, Wasabi, Terry Lex & Max Romeo - Chase the Devil

6. Joeski - In This Life

7. Bob Marley & The Wailers - Sun Is Shining (Fire House Mix)

8. Junkie XL & Peter Tosh - Don’t Wake Up Policeman (feat. Peter Tosh & Friends)

9. WIPP & Ini Kamoze - Here Comes the Hotstepper

10. Mau P - MERTHER

11. Liu & Alex O’Clock - Bad Boys

12. KVSH & DVBBS - No No No

13. Dreadzone, Gaudi & Earl Sixteen - Boundary (Gaudi Remix)

Groove de la Calle: Latin Funk Session

My soul has a deep passion for all things groove—reggae, jungle, hip-hop, funk, soul, or any style that gets the feet moving and the head nodding. So, for this mix, I decided it was time for a dive into Latin Funk with some greats—Joe Bataan, Tito Puente, and Ray Barretto, alongside lesser-known artists from the 70s onward.

Bring on the thin-lofi-guitar solos, wah-wah flavours, rollocking percussion, blazing horns, and as much cowbell as you can handle.

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PLAYLIST

1. Enrique Olivarez & Los Vampiros - Arriba Tipo

2. Ray Camacho & The Teardrops - Si Si Puede (LOA Remix) - Lack Of Afro Remix

3. Bronx River Parkway - Song For Ray

4. Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers - Got Myself A Good Man

5. Nico Gomez; Nico Gomez And His Afro Percussion Inc. - Lupita

6. Joe Bataan - Latin Strut (2022 - Remaster)

7. Ray Barretto - Together

8. Tito Puente - Hit The Bongo

9. Luchito; Néstor - Tighten Up

10. La Clave - Latin Slide

11. Mongo Santamaria - Windjammer

12. Ricardo Marrero - My Friend

13. Sherlock Holmes Investigation - Investigation

14. Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers - Cloud 9

15. Ray Camacho - Movin’ On

Roots Reggae Excursion - Steppers Stylee

The focus of this mix is the 4-on-the-floor roots reggae stepper style, with a variety of artists spanning decades, from Johnny Osbourne to Chronixx—the mood-lifter mix.

PLAYLIST

1. Joe Armon-Jones - Lifetones (Vocal Version feat. Asheber)

2. Johnny Osbourne - Mr Marshall

3. Linval Thompson & The Revolutionaries - Africa Love Dub

4. Henry Simms - Live In Love

5. Soul Sugar & Dub Shepherds - Choice of Music

6. Soul Sugar & Dub Shepherds - Hot Weather

7. U-Roy, I-Roy, Gussie Clarke & Big Youth - Original Deejays (Brawta Mix)

8. Chronixx - Don’t Be Afraid

9. Al Campbell - Respect

10. Keith Hudson & Soul Syndicate - Even Those Dreadful Words

11. Lone Ark Riddim Force, Roberto Sanchez & Javi Arkotxa - Love Jah Dub

12. Ras Teo, Ashanti Selah & Zion I Kings - Knock Knock

13. Scientist, Dubiterian & Joseph Cotton - Dirt Settings

14. Linval Thompson & Roberto Sanchez - Roots Lady Dub

15. Jeff Sarge, Angie Amgel, Beverly Willams, Collin Ska Johnson, Fred Locks & Velma Maxwell - Sufferation Dub

16. Mad Professor - Kunte Escape