Killing Joke – In Dub: Rewind (Vol. 1) (2021)

April 5, 2023

This is a release that is definitely not for everyone, especially in regards to the wide range of people that Killing Joke are lucky to call fans. However, there is a subset of folk who will be well aware of Youth’s producing history, and of his penchant for electronic music and of course, the art of dubbing. This is far from the first “in dub” collection we’ve had of Killing Joke classics, and it definitely isn’t the last.

Most will no doubt see this as another pointless remix album, but as I said, that subset of people who are into dub, will no doubt relish the music on offer here. Rewind Vol. 1 is more than just remixes, its a deconstruction, with the purpose of building something new, and that is exactly what happens here.

I wouldn’t say it was for “active” listening, unless you are partial to the ‘erb or something along those lines, but for ambient or background listening this dreamy, pulse-like snake of a re-interpretation of Killing Joke’s work by one of the group’s most interesting members is near perfect.

For true, old-school dub fans I will finish with a warning that a lot of the sounds here (and on Rewind Vol. 2) also borrow heavily from the psytrance world – I kept expect Simon Posford to rear his head with some of the basslines in use on this record.

Cheers all!