Dubblestandart have been holding down their dub sound from Vienna since the early 90's and with "Immigration Dub" it really comes together nicely. Getting past the expected array of echo effects and deep, sluggish bass lines you'll find a mixture of reverent riddims, including several nice covers of classic work originally by Dub Syndicate, Tappa Zukie, Horace Andy and Ken Boothe, and the kind of electronic work Dubblestandart grew up with from Europe's music scene.

1. We All Have To Get High (feat. Devon D.)
2. This One Is About Flying
3. Tiny Place Called Earth
4. Wadada (feat. Prince far I & Truman Chewstick)
5. MPLA Dub
6. Money (feat. Gudrun & Truman Chewstick)
7. When I Fall In Love (feat. Ken Boothe)
8. Grinning In Your Face (feat. Doug Cox/Todd Butler)
9. Immigration Dub (feat. 3gga)
10. Dub 51
11. Immigration Dub (feat. 3gga - extended dub mix)
12. When I Fall In Love (feat. Ken Boothe - extended dub mix)
13. Island Girl (feat. Ari Up - JStar RMX)

The first track to hit me is called "This One Is About Flying". It's the second cut on the album and what really works is its wide open instrumentation. They didn't rush anything. The bass line groove leads everything, and it's the skittering tabla beats (at least it sounds like tabla to me) that get my head nodding with the rest of the groove. The tabla is eventually accented by what could be a near eastern vocal chant, but it's so reverbed out it's hard to tell. It's like a magic carpet theme in dub.

They've taken all of their cover songs and begun them at track 4 with "Wadada", originally by Dub Syndicate, the version here is much more guitar heavy than the original. On the other hand, even though the title words are flipped, Dubblestandart's version of Tappa Zukie's "Mpla Dub" is more like a hi-fi version of the original. With another modified title is a really nice cover of Horace Andy's "Money" featuring a great abstract vocal performance by Gudrun. At the end of the covers parade is "When I Fall In Love" by and featuring vocals from Ken Boothe. It's an interesting mash of almost drum n bass percussion, dub bass, whistles, and Boothe's smooth vocal melody (taken only from the chorus verse).

"Grinning In Your Face" is a nice bumping female vocal cut that's more electronic than dub, but still warm and bassy so it fits the rest of the album nicely. The vocals are rolled out with a minimal flow and later on are joined by the kind of dub vocal styling you were expecting to hear from the get go. Really nicely done song.

"Immigration Dub" is an amazing dub track. So, so deep and bassy and so laid back, but it's still got that dub fire behind it. "Dub 51" follows the style.

After a couple remixes the last song comes in and oh my! What a sweet vocal verse by Ari Up. The song is called "Island Girl" and the vocals start off saying just that, "I'm an Island Girl" in a such a sweet, floating style. The instrumentation is dubbed out and just perfect alongside the vocals. It's presented here as remixed by JSTAR.

Final verdict: Collision, who also recently released an album by Wet Cookies have an incredible ear for dub. Seek it!

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