Scientist

Hopeton Brown, better known as Scientist, has been a pioneering figure in the world of dub for nearly 40 years. His early love of electronics proved fruitful when (still a teenager) he was hired at King Tubby's studio in Kingston. Brown quickly ascended the ranks and became heir to Tubby's throne, producing imaginative and technically impressive mixes that solidified his forward-looking nickname. Introducing Scientist - The Best Dub Album In The World, his 1980 debut LP, lives up to its boastful title. Recorded with Sly & Robbie at Channel One Studio and mixed at King Tubby's, the album features hypnotic basslines, reverb-drenched keyboards, and fluid, start-stop rhythms. Opening track ''Steppers,'' with its well-balanced phrasing and organic contours, shows Scientist's mastery of the studio-as-instrument concept. On ''Scientific,'' the effects-laden guitars are stretched to their outer limit to create magnificent, spaced-out textures and muted tension. Introducing Scientist displays the talents of a man obsessed with every element of production, drawing out the very best of the dub form.

• 01 Steppers
• 02 Rubber Foot
• 03 Elasticated
• 04 Rocking
• 05 Lovers
• 06 Front Line
• 07 Scientific
• 08 Jungle
• 09 Bali - Hi
• 10 Chemistry