Shanti Mix: Stepping Forward Dub (Alaska, 1998)

It's quite refreshing to hear such old-fashioned rootsy dubs in this day and age.  Live instruments -- horns, pianos, drums, saxophones, guitars, keyboards/organs -- abound in these songs, as the little-known French (I think) Dub 38 Band provide a rich 1970s vibe throughout this EP.  Actually, the tracks on this "dub" album sound more like instrumentals.  Nowadays, it seems as if only ska bands do instrumentals any more, but the cuts on Shanti Mix have that vibe, as they lack the echoing, experimental digital effects that traditionally differentiate dubs from instrumentals.  Still, as much as Dub 38 Band sticks out with its retro appeal, this set ultimately falls flat because the songs are just, well, flat.  There is little original or daring in the tunes, which begin to sound repetitive, even with only 5 tracks.   They aren't bad -- and indeed, the improvisational guitar of "Bass Dub" and the jazzy horns of "Roots Momai" are promising -- but they're just a bit too dull for my taste buds.