Roots Manuva Meets Wrongtom
‘Duppy Writer’
(Big DaDa)

Borrowing and reworking is the essence of dub, with rhythms passed down the generations like blessed heirlooms. With that in mind, Roots Manuva let producer Wrongtom loose on his back catalogue, and was so pleased with the results that he decided to release them as ‘Duppy Writer’. You can see why – Wrongtom’s remixes are so accomplished that it’s almost like a whole new Roots Manuva album (then again, if we’re looking at things in dub terms, it is). Buff Nuff becomes ‘Rebuff’, ‘Motion 5000’ morphes into ‘Motion ’82’, whilst, tellingly, the only new composition, ‘Jah Warriors (ft. Ricky Ranking)’ is probably the weakest track. Complete with artwork by Greensleeves illustrator Tony McDermott, ‘Duppy Writer’ is an excellent addition to the canon. With new works of dub relatively thin on the ground, it’s exhilaratingly reinventive.

Michael Bennett