The Rootsman - In Dub We Trust (1995)

Hailing from Bradford in the U.K., The Rootsman (John Bolloten) has moved from a fairly traditional roots reggae sound to an eclectic, experimental dub approach informed by African, Middle Eastern, and Asian sounds, as well as electronic dance music.

Bolloten's musical career began when he was living in Edinburgh, Scotland and taught himself to play guitar in 1978 at the age of 13 and formed his first punk band. After 3 concerts, he decided that being a guitarist in a band was not for him and he retired from that aspect of the music business. He moved to Bradford in 1983. He worked for over two years in the local Roots Record Shop, where he began to be known as 'Rootsman'.

Starting off making roots reggae in 1985, he began to incorporate African, Middle Eastern, Asian, trip hop and electronic dance music elements into his experimental dub music.

After creating his own Third Eye label in the mid-'90s (about a decade after he first began recording and DJing in 1985), Rootsman's output became quite prolific, if not quite readily available outside the U.K. He remixed and collaborated with artists as varied as the Orb's Alex Paterson, Brazilian metal band Soulfly, and experimental noise artist Muslimgauze, as well as reggae figures like Junior Delgado, Dub Syndicate, and U-Brown. 

In early 2000, Rootsman achieved his first official U.S. release with the remix album "Versions of the Unseen", which contained material from 1999's "Realms of the Unseen". His next album, "New Testament", came in 2002 and showcased the numerous vocalists that he had signed to his Third Eye label.

In the late 1990s, Bolloten converted to Islam, and his music took on an increasingly spiritual quality.

"In Dub We Trust" is a wonderful album from the high times of the British neo dub movement. A real pleasure!


Tracklist:

Old Pan Killer (Burial Mix) 4:24
Blueprint Dub 4:21
Intifada 6:02
Western Sahara 4:28
Dubbing The Maghreb 5:05
Mektoub 4:45
Perilous Time 6:19
African Style 6:36
Return Of The Ustad 5:17
Bind Us Together (Unity Dub Mix) 7:08
Apocalypse Now 7:04
Temple Of Light 4:45
Jungle Lion 4:47

The Rootsman - In Dub We Trust (1995)

(320 kbps, cover art included)