Dub

Once upon a time, Jamaican producers and engineers remixed reggae singles to create B-side fillers. They then dropped out the vocals, added echo, emphasized a sax line or a single strike of the snare, and birthed a new art form, which became as popular as reggae itself. This is that music. This is dub. All hail King Tubby.

Dub feels like it's pulled from deep within the psyche. Full of throb and gristle, echo and silence, dub transports the listener deep into music's freaky core. Here you'll discover the many delights of Augustus Pablo (born Horace Swaby, in Jamaica), one of the first musicians to use the melodica as a lead instrument: Hear its distinctive echo on "Cassava Piece".

You've now arrived at the molten core (aka the sweet spot) of dub. Even more experimental, these Deep Cuts explore the depths of bass, and reveal new galaxies of echo and reverb. Headphones are highly recommended. No, wait . . . headphones are required. Close your eyes and feel the pulse and guts of music, with Tapper Zukie and the Upsetters.

These classic and contemporary cuts prove that dub represents a possibility: a re-imagined heartbeat, a glimpse into the dream world of music. A uniquely Jamaican art form that has spread all over the globe, dub emerged in the '60s, came into its own in the '70s, and marked the first time that songs were remixed, thus forming the foundation for all dance music to come. Created by knob-twirling geniuses, many of these Essentials became more popular than the original songs that served as their source.