Some dub artists take you slowly down the river, grooving you all the way while slowly stretching your senses. Not Calamalka. Shredders Dub drops you in the middle of space, occasionally the heart of the jungle. The industrial-born Scorn and the dub works of Godflesh’s Justin Broadrick could be influences, but there’s a bit of Mad Professor in Calamalka, serving up bright bleeps and boops over the darkness. The plodding bassline of “Chassi” sounds especially cranky and the jolts and jerks are jarring, but high-quality freakouts like the ones here aren’t to be found on smooth dub albums. That Calamalka brings out the freak semi-organically is all the better, and their drummer isn’t scared to whip out the macho ’70s tom-tom fill (take that, ragga!). The serene “Ackee” proves they’re not without heart, and the album coasts to a fine finish with three tracks in a row that are less tense. If you always thought Scorn records were lacking that Jamaican soul and traditional dub albums didn’t speak to your more cyber side, Shredders Dub is a fine smoke indeed. – David Jeffries
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