Kings And Queens In Dub John Brown's Body

The tradition of the companion dub album has always been a cornerstone of reggae music—a way to deconstruct and completely reimagine a great record. When John Brown's Body delivered the original KINGS AND QUEENS⁠, it was already a massive, forward-thinking masterpiece of modern American roots. We knew immediately that it deserved the classic dub treatment, heavily inspired by legendary, full-album explorations like Burning Spear's Garvey's Ghost or Aswad's A New Chapter In Dub. KINGS AND QUEENS IN DUB was born out of that shared vision to break down the band's complex, horn-heavy arrangements and rebuild them into deep, echoing soundscapes.

To pull this off, the band worked closely with us to assemble an absolute dream team of producers and engineers from across the globe. It became a true collaborative effort that highlights the interconnected world of the modern reggae scene. We tapped heavily into our own extended family, bringing in visionary labelmates and alumni like Michael G of Easy Star All-Stars, Ticklah, and Lord Echo of The Black Seeds. Pairing these familiar faces with outside legends—like UK dub master Dennis Bovell, Canada's Dubmatix, and Dubfader of 10 Ft. Ganja Plant—ensured that every single track received a completely unique sonic fingerprint.

The resulting collection is incredibly dynamic, taking the progressive, almost sci-fi roots sound of John Brown's Body and pushing it even further into the stratosphere. On tracks like "People In The Light Dub" and "Seneca Dub," the rhythm section is stripped down to its most hypnotic essence, giving the deep-pocket basslines room to breathe. Elsewhere, heavy delays wrap around the original vocal fragments and tight horn stabs, creating an atmosphere that feels simultaneously vintage and futuristic. It perfectly captures that rare energy of a band whose music is complex enough to sound like Lee "Scratch" Perry remixing an alternative rock record.

Ultimately, KINGS AND QUEENS IN DUB stands as one of the most ambitious collaborative projects we've had the pleasure of releasing. It honors the foundational, analog techniques of Jamaican dub while proving just how adaptable and boundary-pushing John Brown's Body's songwriting truly is. It's a cohesive journey built for late-night headphone listening and heavy sound systems alike, securing its place as an essential, deeply textured chapter in the Easy Star catalog.