UK producer, Om Unit has left his comfort zone, exploring more adventurous creations made from the sandbox of the 303 bass machine and reggae dub.
This album reminds us of origins of popular genres that we recognize as acid and dub(step) were actually borne out of jazz funk and Caribbean reggae. At around 80 bpm throughout, this album settles us into a brooding, humorous groove that is unabashedly fun and funny– it’s reggae in greyscale.
Among several gems in this album, “Treading Earth” is a rolling, shoulder-bouncing track that’s set in motion by a creeping acid line that weaves in and out of our awareness. Bell-like pads, reverberating claps, tight hi-hats, and island synths bring together an idyllic scene of a cloudy day by the beach.
“The Struggle” begins with an ascending acid melody accompanied by minimal drums and wooden percussion sounds that drip-drop and echo after their impact. They recede into the background when blaring synths allusive of woodwinds take over. At times, the 303 acid blurps in this album are stretched out to the point where they resemble sounds from the Guiro, a ribbed, cylindrical instrument made of wood that is scraped with a tool, particularly on tracks “Circled” and “Dissolved.”
Breaking out of the rigid associations we have with dub and acid, Om Unit has landed on the disposition of laid back, anything-goes vibes. The resulting tracks in “Acid Dub Studies” are playful, stripped back reggae rhythms that provide a refreshing palette cleanser to our ears.
-Lina Xing
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