The Science of Dub
KATE SHAW
This Halloween, prepare for an electrifying journey into the depths of dub as The Scientist graces the stage at Hastings’ historic Henry Ward Hall. Expect a night pulsating with reverberating basslines, intricate effects, and spontaneous live remixing that will transport the audience straight into the heart of The Scientist’s legendary 1981 album. The Grade II listed venue, already steeped in atmosphere, will be transformed into a sonic playground where echoes, delays, and thunderous basslines will create an otherworldly experience befitting the spooky season.
Hopeton Overton Brown, born in Jamaica in 1960, left school at the age of 16 and taught himself electronics. He started his career as a television engineer before moving into sound engineering, where his innovative techniques and technical expertise earned him the nickname ‘Scientist’ from producer Bunny Lee. Brown played a key role in developing hi-definition sound in Jamaica, combining his engineering knowledge with his musical talent.
Listening to that album: Scientist Rids the World of the Curse of the Evil Vampires, you can hear the technical complexity, but it’s much more than that. I asked Hopeton to articulate the process of engineering a dub track. He explained that the dub composition is mixed straight after the A side is recorded. “This is where you get to know the tune.” He describes using dub compositional strategies to get the listener ‘hooked’. “Once they’re hooked, you switch it up. You’ll never hear it the same way twice, you will always hear something new.” It’s easy to see why he earned the name Scientist.
The term ‘vampires’ in the album title is a metaphor for corporate entities that exploit ordinary individuals to preserve their own advantage. Hopeton emphasises the importance of surrounding himself with ethical individuals, stating that people, music, and food each play a significant role in one’s life and possess both positive and negative qualities. He regards these elements as essential components of the world.
So what can we expect from the live performance of this iconic album? The Scientist’s unparalleled sound engineering skill, for sure, with that bass-heavy unmistakable dub sound, is going to shake Henry Ward Hall this Halloween.
This will be a truly immersive experience, from an original dub pioneer: a golden opportunity to witness the live delivery of a cult classic, with its eerie atmosphere and heavyweight ‘dub compositional strategies’. So the best of Jamaican dub talent comes to play an incredibly skilful, supernaturally vibed piece of engineering mastery at a Grade II listed church. In Hastings. On Halloween! It doesn’t get much better than this.
If you haven’t ever heard Scientist, please go to your music provider now and have a listen to this album. If you have heard of him, you probably already have tickets. I’ll see you there!
The Scientist will be at Henry Ward Hall, Robertson Street, on Friday 31 October. Tickets at Mike’s List, mikeslist.uk/product/the-scientist-at-the-hall
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