The Bush Chemists
The Bush Chemists are a British dub reggae group centred around Dougie Wardrop.
History
Wardrop formed The Bush Chemists in 1993 as a side-project to his other band Centry.[1] He had run a record stall in Camden Market since 1988 and began creating his own dub tracks using a 4-track recorder in 1989, setting up his own Conscious Sounds label shortly afterwards.[2] His main collaborator is Paul Davey,[3] and they have worked regularly with singers including Kenny Knots and Culture Freeman.[4] The debut album Dubs from Zion Valley was a collaboration with Jonah Dan, released in 1994, and their first US release was Dub Outernational, recorded in Wardrop's attic studio,[5] and released in 1996 on ROIR.[6][7] The band mix traditional reggae with digital dub.[3][8] Albums followed regularly through the late 1990s and early 2000s, including 2005's Raw Raw Dub, also released on ROIR.[8]
Discography
Albums
- Strictly Dubwise (1994), Conscious Sounds/Universal Egg
- Dub Outernational (1996), ROIR
- Light Up Your Spliff (1996), Conscious Sounds
- In Dub: Light Up Your Chalice (1999), Dubhead
- Dub Fire Blazing (2001), Dubhead
- Raw Raw Dub (2005), ROIR
- Bush Chemists Singles (2010), Conscious Sounds (download)
- Collaborations
- Dubs From Zion Valley (1994), JKPD - Jonah Dan meets The Bush Chemists
- Fashion Records & Conscious Sound Present a Dub Convention: The Bush Chemists Meet The Dub Organiser (1996), Fashion/Conscious Sounds
- Money Run Things (1996), Conscious Sounds - credited to 'King General Bucks Up Pon De Bush Chemists'
- The Conqueror (1998), Dubhead - Culture Freeman Meets The Bush Chemists
- Gime De Music (2003), Conscious Sounds - Kenny Knots meets De Bush Chemists
- King General Re Encounters The Bush Chemists - Broke Again (2009), Conscious Sounds - with King General
Singles
- "Dread Inna Babylon" (1996), Conscious Sounds - Culture Freeman & The Bush Chemists
- Dub Clash '96 EP (1996), Universal Egg - Jah Free & The Bush Chemists
- "Joker Smokin'" (1996), Conscious Sounds - King General & The Bush Chemists
- "Dub Fire Blazing" (2001), Dubhead - split with Mungo's Hifi
- "16 Years"/"King Davids House" (2003), Conscious Sounds - feat. Lutan Fyah and Culture Freeman
- "Technology" (2003), Conscious Sounds - Pablo Gad & The Bush Chemists
- "Tribal Warriors" (2003), Conscious Sounds - Bobby Blue & The Bush Chemists
- "Beat Around The Bush" (2004), Conscious Sounds - Lutan Fyah & The Bush Chemists
- "East of Jaro" (2004), Conscious Sounds - The Love Grocer meets The Bush Chemists
- "Original Spread Out" (2005), Conscious Sounds - Kenny Knots/The Bush Chemists
- "The Middle Way" (2005), Conscious Sounds - Chazbo/The Bush Chemists
- "Up There" (2005), Lush - Kenny Knots Meets The Bush Chemist
- "Babylon Fall Down" (2006), Jah Tubbys - Kenny Knots & The Bush Chemists
- "Meditation Master" (2006), Roots Temple - Ital Horns meets The Bush Chemists
- "Roots Temple" (2006), Roots Temple - Ital Horns meets The Bush Chemists
- "Star Dub" (2006), Jah Tubbys
- "This Train" (2006), Diop Side - King Kong/The Bush Chemists
- "Victory" (2006), Conscious Sounds - Singer Blue/The Bush Chemists
- "Gold Chain" (2007), Conscious Sounds - Dandelion/The Bush Chemists
- Rewind & Remix Vol.2 EP (2007), Scoops - Vibronics meets The Bush Chemists
- "Seven Winds From The East" (2008), Roots Temple - Makiko & The Bush Chemists
- "Wicked Men" (2009), Vibescreator - Fu-steps/The Bush Chemists
- "Collie Weed" (????), Conscious Sounds - The Bush Chemists & Disco Dread
- "Going Home" (????), Conscious Sounds - Kenny Knots & The Bush Chemists
- Gunman/The Fittest EP (????), Conscious Sounds - feat. King General & Culture Freeman
- "Some People" (????), Dubology - King General & the Bush Chemists
References
- ^ Prato, Greg "The Bush Chemists Biography", Allmusic, retrieved 2010-09-11
- ^ "Bush Chemists Raw Raw Dub", ROIR, retrieved 2010-09-11
- ^ a b Bergstrom, John (2005) "Bush Chemists Raw Raw Dub", PopMatters, 19 December 2005, retrieved 2010-09-11
- ^ Green, Michael (2008) "Digital roots return to Tel Aviv", Jerusalem Post, 8 February 2008, p. 6
- ^ Wolk, Douglas (1996) "Bush Chemists Dub Outernational", CMJ New Music Monthly, March 1996, p. 31
- ^ Moskowitz, David V. (2006) Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall, Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-33158-8, p. 46-7
- ^ Prato, Greg "Dub Outernational Review", Allmusic, retrieved 2010-09-11
- ^ a b Jeffries, David "Raw Raw Dub Review", Allmusic, retrieved 2010-09-11