Michael Rose

Ryan Moore, aka Twilight Circus, has released something like ten albums in the last three years, working with more vocalists and guest instrumentalists than ever before. Nevertheless, sometimes these albums seem too deferential to these guests at the expense of the edge of your brain psycho-dub he had achieved about five years ago. Since then, Moore’s career has resembled the early days of Prince Jammy, who would record vocal and DJ sessions, then do dub mixes of the same rhythms. African Dub exemplifies the third part of the trinity. There are just enough vocals in the mix to provide focus, but lots of vintage TC dub action. Playing the vocal and dub versions back to back with Rose’s African Roots from last year is a contrast between a relatively crisp mix and a wild, woolly rendition of the same rhythms. Another stand out ingredient to this disc is the work of Earl "Chinna” Smith who enlivened so many Augustus Pablo albums with his impressionistic guitar. African Dub is still not as psychotic as TC albums of five years ago, but it’s one of his finer moments lately.