Satellite City is a quality representation of how Dub has infiltrated every major (and minor) facet of modern music. Soul, tech-house, hip hop, reggae, moody downtempo and blues are all represented in a special guest-infused affair with top-notch production, which lends a clarity that could easily have been lost in the reverb of dub.

1. Big Shot (feat. Sketch Walton)
2. Satellite City (feat. Sherrez)
3. We Rock It (feat. Sammy Dread)
4. As Long As It Takes (feat. Juggla)
5. Got It Bad (feat. Wayne Martin)
6. Wanna Feel More (feat. Sketch Walton)
7. Ghetto (feat. Jackie Deane)
8. Universal (feat. Juggla)
9. Sod's Law (feat. Ayesha)
10. Some Say (feat. Sketch Walton)

"Big Shot" kicks off the album and "Some Say" finishes, as bookends that set the mood and act as a reminder that this album is about Dub and its many uses for our ears.

"Satellite City" fuses "old school" rap with electro-house and an infectious chorus that only makes the song that much better to sway along to. "We Rock It" pops up next and keeps the party groove going with techy-house elements and funky dub guitar punches. Adding in Rasta-style vocals and a 4/4 kick keeps the song moving along while giving some melody to hum.

"As Long As It Takes" draws from the Bristol-trip hop vibe with plodding drums, sweeping strings and dub-synth bass grooves. The acoustic guitar and vocals keep the song from turning into standard fare. "Got It Bad" mixes up the downtempo in a Vienna model, with slide guitar and blues-based vocals on top of synth stabs and low BPM's. "Wanna Feel More" keeps the blues influence alive and moves into soul territory. "Ghetto" leads with mellow piano and soulful vocals on top of an uptempo/downtempo bass groove accented by Miami Vice guitar licks.

"Universal" would fit nicely on an ESL compilation with the ragga-vocals and delayed horn stabs floating on top of a mid-tempo hip hop groove. "Sod's Law" moves back into the tech-house genre with high-hat flourishes and sub-aquatic synth blipping and bubbling. It's sweet vocals, which wouldn't be out of place on a Naked Music release, flesh out the song to make it feel complete.

Satellite City feels like a best-of of downtempo/mid-tempo/uptempo dub-related music. Fans who have loved the genre(s) for a while will find a lot of pleasant grooves and new fans will get an understanding of how wide a range Dub can handle, and why it's hard to pigeonhole the stylings.

~ Dedric Moore

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