Dub Gabriel

Formerly the creator of an extremely dense Middle Eastern dub sound with a strong dose of illbience, Dub Gabriel has sharpened up his sound. At times, he achieves results that rank with some of the best dance music of this year. Kicking off with a menacing bass presence and Jahdan’s rich raga tenor, atypical rhythm programming offsets the immovable foundation. The contrast of the vocal flow and post-Timbaland beats, neither of which fully resolves on beat one, creates some very serpentine rhythms. The tracks get better and better over the first half-dozen selections with abrasive lyrics and elegant deliveries enlivening these focused and brutal rhythms. The high point is Dr. Israel’s hypnotic singjay style on "Battle of the Righteous Man.” From then on, there are a few misfires. Yo Majesty bring the horniness to "Pony Girl,” which is burdened with an annoying synth hook and an all too familiar hodgepodge of contemporary club sounds, though the tablas are a nice touch. A version of Suicide’s "Cheree” with Michael Stipe is full of rock bluster that seems disconnected from the rest of the disc. Nevertheless, this album rocks more than two-thirds of the time and is without a doubt Dub Gabriel’s best ever.