Twilight Circus Dub Sound System

Ryan Moore is back with another excellent set of tunes. Dub Voyage is his seventh release since 1995 and he refines his approach with each new disc. Twilight Circus Dub Sound System looks back to an era before the insistent Rockers, then digitised rhythms came forth. Moore has a knack for capturing early roots sensibilities: pillowy bass, little melodic hooks and shuffled syncopation. On top of the fundamental rhythm, Moore always adds the right kind of sweetness - echo-y bells, melodica or sparse but warm lead guitar. His ability to blend new technology with his own in-the-pocket playing creates a classic, but somehow not retro sound. It is the same story with his bass lines; they hint at, but never imitate the founding fathers of dub. Individual tracks such as the title cut and "Wareika," his tribute to the late Augustus Pablo, are majestic, headphone-crushing rhythms.