Singer Bim Sherman belongs to that generation of reggae musicians who first found success in Jamaica – in his case with the 1976 hit »Golden Locks« – before, a few years later, following producer Adrian Sherwood’s call to England to enrich his post-punk dub cosmos. Sherman sang in various Sherwood-associated bands, from Creation Rebel to Dub Syndicate. It does no harm to revisit some of his recordings from that period, such as »More Is Insane«, before turning to Ghetto Dub.
Sherman produced the album independently in 1988, with Sherwood responsible for the mix. The result is not only weighty but leaves ample room within its airy tracks for amiably off-centre ideas. Particularly striking is the doorbell sound in »Station Dub«, deftly poised between humorous and irritating, complementing the religiously stoic roll of the bass with a worldly counterpart. In this respect, Sherwood was always happy to draw inspiration from the inspired madness of dub pioneer Lee »Scratch« Perry – and Sherman proves no less inventive.
What surprises most about Ghetto Dub is Sherman’s handling of his voice. He deploys its husky velvet sparingly, to the extent that most tracks dispense with it altogether. Here and there, he allows only fleeting samples of his singing to reverberate. A sovereign use of something precious – and a modest gesture at the same time. Sherman’s stature as a musician is revealed here also in what he chooses to leave out.
Ghetto Dub
