Jah Wobble and the Chinese Dub Orchestra: Chinese Dub

Jah Wobble is one of the great English originals. Thirty years ago, his rumbling bass-playing defined the sound of Public Image Limited, and since then he has used his love for dub reggae to transform anything from avant-garde jazz-rock to English folk songs. Now, influenced by his wife, Zi Lan Liao, an exponent of the guzheng (Chinese zither), he has turned his attention to far eastern styles, with startling results. This album is a brave experiment in east-west fusion; yet it's also a typical Wobble album, thanks to that distinctive bass work and echoing dub effects, and the refreshingly rough-and-ready production. It starts with a perhaps overlong wash of effects against the tinkling of Chinese instruments. Then the British and Chinese musicians hit their stride. On the bluesy and lyrical Yellow Horse Mountain, Wobble eases back to provide a gently insistent bass riff, matched by a rousing workout from the strings, flute and pipes. He's still in a class of his own.