Earthquake Studio’s third album, entitled “Revelation In Dub”, was released in 1994, following the two self-released albums “Dub Harder Than Steel” and “The Legacy Of Dub” both re-released after 30 years by this label. It is the first chapter of the Revelation In Dub trilogy and received a new sonic treatment compared to the two albums that preceded it: clearer and more defined, while still preserving its rawness and spiritual message.The studio update consisted of the acquisition of a Kurzweil K2000 and a Yamaha DX7.
The 10 dubwise tracks showcased here are a reflection of the influence of the Aba Shanti-I sound system sessions attended by the duo from Northampton, after they were recognised as some of the most militant and hardcore producers of UK Dub. TNT Roots described the Aba Shanti-I sessions as an inspiration for the concept of this album. The heavy play of their productions on the Aba Shanti-I sound system strengthened the bond between Earthquake and Aba Shanti-I the sound of Jah Lightning and Thunder.
In TNT Roots’ memories:
“The first time Aba Shanti played ‘Victory Over The Beast’ at The Arches down in Vauxhall… And you know, the tune was just drawing down hard, Aba Shanti was not sparing the bass box at all, you know? And people were just, honestly, arms and legs in the air, everything. And this particular dread, when the tune done, this particular dreadlocks man hold his hand up: ‘All warriors attack!’ And that, you know, just because it was quiet and then he just come out in that, you know? That did humor me slightly, I think in the end that he felt it, he felt it, you know? And that’s a good thing, really. It was like… it was just a reaction to what he felt, more than anything.”
Those sessions inspired the construction of this album, alongside the Book of Revelation in the Bible:
“…and you know, I used to go to his dances (Aba Shanti-I) and come out, and I used to go home and pick up the Bible, you know? Pick up the Bible and I’m reading Revelation and things like that, serious… but yeah, it was really Revelation and then I pick up… then I switch on my equipment, you know, my studio equipment, and I just… you know, it’s like the hands move by themselves, you know, serious, they like that, a mind of their own. And boy, things work! I was hearing things coming out of my monitors, out of my speakers, and I’m thinking: ‘Did I do that?’ You know, it was… I’m telling you, it’s strange, very strange, and it’s still, funny enough, it happens now, it still happens now.”
The result of this album is a deeply spiritual work that uses music as a message Roots Reggae music in a new form, shaped by Earthquake Studio for a generation of UK sound systems that found their identity in hardcore electronic rhythms infused with a spiritual vibration. Their style would often be imitated, with varying results, but this is the original and nothing compares to it.
After 30 years, Revelation In Dub is back on the streets, with new mastering and the original artwork restored in its dreadful appearance.
