At last, a new Jahtarian Dubbers. After a ten-year hiatus, the sampler from Leipzig returns. Of course, a lot has happened at Jahtari in the meantime: albums, EPs, tapes – just no sampler for general-purpose use. Now comes the big comeback: outstanding dub spheres, dancehall bangers and lo-fi reggae with a cosmic sheen. Add to that meditative synth zones, Gameboy drum machine madness, singjay magic, 8-bit steppers and dub that’s hanging out on the disco floor.
The makers of this magic come from everywhere: Spain, the UK, Japan, the Netherlands, Australia, France, Finland – and of course Leipzig itself, ever-present here in the form of Jahtari co-founder Disrupt as the mixmaster. What stands out on Jahtarian Dubbers Vol. 5 (as with all previous editions) is that we’re hearing music that experiments without shame, sidesteps clichés and still manages to be catchy. Even dub-tinged pop finds its place – as it does at the close of this compilation – among all the fresh shades of reggae. A top selector sound for home listening and big soundclash systems alike. And as much as it’s a cliché to say it, in this case it’s true: all killer, no filler.
